Immediate Release
December 11
Toronto – The Low-Income Energy Network is celebrating the province of Ontario’s announcement of a significant and welcome expansion of the Save On Energy – Energy Affordability Program to now provide free cold climate air source heat pumps to eligible electricity users.
Qualifying low-income electricity users will be eligible for free cold climate air source heat pumps along with other free energy efficiency measures. Heat pumps significantly reduce electricity use, which will lower energy bills, and provide active cooling in summer, which is a critical climate adaptation measure as we experience more days of extreme heat due to climate change.
The Save on Energy – Energy Affordability Program serves renters as well as homeowners, however the heat pump offering is currently only available to residents of detached, semi-detached, duplex, triplex, townhouse or social housing buildings under three stories. We encourage the Ontario government to expand the program to all income-eligible families regardless of what type of building they live in, and to low-income people relying on natural gas, propane, oil and wood.
Eligibility
We are thrilled to support a new energy affordability program in Ontario and encourage all eligible families to apply.
Income eligibility is determined based on receipt of Allowance for the Survivor, Guaranteed Income Supplement, Allowance for Seniors, Ontario Works, Ontario Disability Support Program, Healthy Smiles Ontario Child Dental Program, Low-Income Energy Assistance (within last 12 months) or Ontario Electricity Support Program (within last 12 months), or the following income criteria:
| Number of people in the home: | Before-tax household income: |
| 1 | $42,437 |
| 2 | $60,014 |
| 3 | $73,501 |
| 4 | $84,872 |
| 5 | $94,890 |
| 6 | $103,947 |
| 7+ | $112,275 |
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For more information, or to arrange an interview, please contact:
Zee Bhanji, Stakeholder Engagement and Energy Policy Analyst, Low-Income Energy Network
416-597-5855 ext. 5167 or zee.bhanji@acto.clcj.ca
Jacqueline Wilson, Counsel, Canadian Environmental Law Association
416-960-2284 ext. 7213 or jacqueline@cela.ca
