The federal government has suspended the Eco-Energy Retrofit Homes Program. After promising that the program would be available until March 2011, Ottawa announced that it would no longer accept applications to book pre-retrofit evaluations as of midnight on March 31, 2010. This means that anyone who has not already booked an evaluation is no longer eligible for a rebate. The program provided homeowners with incentives to have their homes evaluated for energy efficiency, and then perform upgrades to improve their rating. One of the qualifying upgrades was changing out old technology woodstoves. Critics are already voicing their concern and disapproval of the decision, on the heels of the Home Renovation Tax Credit being recently extinguished.
Cancelling the retrofit program is a serious mistake, says Green Communities Canada. "Canada needs to get with the program," said Clifford Maynes, executive director of Green Communities Canada. "Instead of turning its back on energy efficiency, Ottawa should demonstrate vision and leadership. Canada needs a bold commitment to bring Canada's inefficient housing stock into the 21st Century."
The decision by the federal government seems to have taken the provinces by surprise. No news yet as to how the matching provincial programs may be affected, although the federal government has said it will continue to offer administrative support for those programs.
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