Energy efficiency cuts energy poverty
Further to Monday’s front page story about NS Power bills I’d like to draw attention to the low income measure to reduce energy poverty that I talked about at the rally – energy efficiency.
Efficiency programs targeted at low income households are a practical solution to energy poverty. Efficiency NS and Clean have provided major, free retrofits to low income homeowners since 2007, saving them around $500 per year in electricity bills if they use electric heat. Over 3,700 homes have had these kinds of savings under the HomeWarming program. This means their electricity bills are lower even though electricity rates have gone up – because they use less electricity. In the last 4 years this program was paid for by an annual charitable donation from NS Power, before that it was ratepayer funded. Another 11,000 low income homes that use oil heat have also had major, free retrofits paid for by the province, saving those households more like $900 per year in heating costs.
The Affordable Energy Coalition has worked hard for a similar program for low income tenants that use electric heat. Over 1/2 of low income Nova Scotians are tenants. We are happy to say that this new program is expected to happen in the next 3 years creating substantial savings for low income tenants or keeping their homes affordable. There is also a government funded program for low income tenants that use non-electric heat such as oil, which we helped put in place.
Other low income measures can make electricity affordable to low income households but efficiency is one that is already happening. Efficiency programs that help everyone cut their bills are a practical way to keep bills lower even if rates go up, especially for the low income households who are the most vulnerable to energy poverty.
To see the original Letter to the Editor, please see the PDF attached below.
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