Town awarded Federation of Canadian Municipalities grant for Retrofit Halton Hills pilot program

Halton Hills, ON – The Town of Halton Hills has been awarded a grant of up to $300,800 through the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) Community Efficiency Financing (CEF) program to support the delivery of the Retrofit Halton Hills pilot program. The Town is one of just nine municipalities across Canada awarded funding through the CEF home energy retrofit financing program to deliver energy efficient financing programs for low-rise residential properties. In support of Council’s 2019 climate emergency declaration, the home energy retrofit program was developed to create awareness of greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) in the residential sector and to encourage homeowners to implement home energy retrofits. “The Federation of Canadian Municipalities funding award not only acknowledges the Town’s climate change leadership, it’s a great boost to the Retrofit Halton Hills program,” said Mayor Rick Bonnette. “I encourage homeowners to visit Let’s Talk Halton Hills to complete the survey that will help us develop an effective energy retrofit program.” At 22%, the residential building sector represents the Town’s second largest source of GHG emissions. While the benefits of energy efficiency and renewable energy can be significant including energy and utility bill savings, improved air quality, increased comfort and health and increased property values, inherent challenges can prevent or slow adoption of energy saving improvements by homeowners. The Town is currently developing the Retrofit Halton Hills pilot program that will help up to 20 homeowners implement home energy retrofits by providing access to funding using the local improvement charge as a financing mechanism. Currently Town staff are seeking input from residents to help inform aspects of the program design. “The Retrofit Halton Hills pilot project is one of the key programs that will kick-start implementation of the Town’s Low-Carbon Transition Strategy,” said Councillor Jane Fogal, Low-Carbon Transition Steering Committee Chair. “I look forward to seeing its launch and the resulting contributions made towards the Town’s net-zero by 2030 target.” Interested homeowners are encouraged to visit Let’s Talk Halton Hills to fill out a brief survey on home energy use and to find out more about the pilot program. Additional information about Retrofit Halton Hills and the benefits of energy efficiency and renewable energy can be found on the Town’s website.