THUNDER BAY - Homeowners wanting to save a little extra money on their energy bills are being encouraged by Synergy North to sign up for a provincial program that provides energy efficient products and appliances free of charge.
“Roughly we have more than 700 customers who have applied into the program,” said Christina Groulx, energy services advisor with Synergy North. “So there is a lot more room for customers to apply and we are really encouraging those to reach out and apply into the program. Everyone walks away with something. It’s just a matter of what you will be walking away with.”
The Affordability Fund was launched by the provincial government in 2017 to make energy efficiency more affordable for the people of Ontario.
Groulx said the program provides customers with free energy efficient product upgrades, including LED lightbulbs, home appliance upgrades, home insulation, and weather stripping.
“It’s really seen as a long term solution to lowering energy consumption and ultimately lowering energy costs,” she said. “Technology is changing. With that, we do have more energy efficient products out there but it is unrealistic for households to change all of the appliances at once. So this program is helping customers take a step into the energy efficient lifestyle change.”
There are three levels to the program, with Level One providing a home energy savings kit that includes LED light bulbs, power bar, refrigerator thermometer, efficient showerhead, and a kitchen faucet aerator.
Level Two includes a free in-home energy audit and free appliance upgrades, while Level Three includes weather stripping and insulation upgrades.
According to Groulx, there are several factors that are considered for determine the level a customer falls into, including energy usage and costs, household income, and how many people reside in a residence.
“It is aimed toward more of that average utility customer,” she said. “It is not considered a low-income program. If someone does apply and falls into that low income category, the fund will direct them to what’s called our Home Assistance Program.”
Groulx added some customers think they will not qualify for the Affordability Fund because the household income is too high, but she said that is not the case and income is only one factor taken into consideration.
“From what I’ve seen, a lot of the times the customers who receive a level two or a level three have a higher energy costs,” she said. “Everyone will walk away with some form of energy efficient product.”
Customers can apply for the Affordability Fund online or by calling 1-855-494-3863.
