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GreenON cancellation turning up the heat on local contractors

Window companies under pressure to complete installations by Oct. 31 deadline for homeowners to get rebates.
Jim Tiller
Til-Ka Construction owner Jim Tiller said the cancellation of the Green Ontario Fund is putting pressure on local window providers to complete installations by the rebate deadline. (Matt Vis, tbnewswatch.com)

THUNDER BAY – The abrupt cancellation of green energy home rebate program has left local contractors under pressure to complete installations before the newly imposed deadline.

News that the Green Ontario Fund, which offered homeowners with thousands of dollars in incentives for energy efficient improvements like new windows, insulation and smart thermostats, was axed came out earlier this week when a notice on its website announced it was now closed.

Premier-designate Doug Ford has announced rebates would be given for already signed contracts if the work is completed by Oct. 31 and applications are submitted by the end of November, despite the initial notice that it would only apply for projects done by Aug. 31 with the paperwork filed by the end of the next month.

Tamara Sheedy, the office manager for SRS Windows and Doors, said the company has as many as 120 contracts waiting to be done over the next four months and will likely need staff to work extended hours.

“We’re going to have to create a new team to be able to handle the overflow and get customers done as quickly as possible,” Sheedy said.

“That is still not enough time for the amount of people that are out there waiting who have applied for it. It’s not enough time. In this industry, a 10-12 week turnaround is normal in the height of our season. With this coming on, we are now pushed beyond our comfort zone to 20-26 week periods. Shutting down a program of this magnitude in a 10-week time period is not going to allow us to handle everybody comfortably.”

Jim Tiller, the owner of Til-Ka Construction, is facing a similar situation and said the initial timelines likely would have been too tight.

“We have installations booking up to the end of September so if it wasn’t for that extension we would not be able to meet the requirements the government put before us and customers would have lost,” Tiller said.

Contractors are not legally obligated to complete the work by the deadline to ensure people get the rebate, Sheedy said, but many feel a sense of responsibility to their customers to make sure it gets done in time.

The quick cancellation is a logistical nightmare, she added.

“What we’ve asked several of our customers not in GreenON if they mind sitting back and letting the GreenON people get pushed through ahead of them so we can meet the rebate,” Sheedy said. “Thankfully a lot of them have said yes.”

GreenON had been launched last December by the former Liberal government, using proceeds from its cap and trade carbon pricing program. For windows, homeowners were eligible for up to $5,000 if they replaced 10 windows.

Tiller said the company had an open house just last week promoting the rebate program.

GreenON had proven to be a popular incentive, he added.

“It was a great rebate program. When it first came out I thought it wasn’t real because $500 per rough opening is a lot of money. The average was $80 in the old programs we’ve had before,” Tiller said.

“It drove the market. We started early this year. Window manufacturers are getting swamped. Customers were happy getting a great rebate and all the product that was used was top of the line. It was a very high efficient product.”



About the Author: Matt Vis

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