Province scores in middle of pack compared to the rest of Canada

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By MARC HUDON
Times & Transcript Staff

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OTTAWA - The New Brunswick government needs to invest more money if it wants to rank among the top energy efficient provinces in Canada, says the president of the Canadian Energy Efficiency Alliance.

But Ken Elsey said that programs in New Brunswick are "treading in the right direction."

The advocacy group was in Ottawa yesterday to announce the results of its biennial energy efficiency report card in which New Brunswick scored a B-, improving on its C rating in 2005.

The grade places New Brunswick in the middle of the pack.

British Columbia and Manitoba led the way with A ratings while P.E.I. scored lowest with a D.

The federal government received a B.

"Hopefully governments will soon see the benefits of being more proactive and less reactive when dealing with energy issues," said Elsey.

The report also acknowledges the broad mandate of Efficiency NB, which is responsible for all provincial energy sources, and applauds the government for its focus on renewable energy.

Elsey said more investment is needed to continue retrofitting aging residential houses, which are often riddled with poor insulation and inefficient electrical heat sources.

"New Brunswick has its work cut out for them, but they seem up to the challenge," states the report.

Lesley Rogers, vice-president of Efficiency NB, said financing isn't the issue.

"We have the most generous program for energy retrofits," she said. "But it takes time to build momentum."

Efficiency New Brunswick was created in 2006 to promote energy efficiency strategies to residential, community, and business sectors.

Since then, the organization has helped complete more than 7,000 home retrofits, including 5,000 for low-income housing, said Rogers.

She said homeowners are eligible for up to $2,000 from the province and an additional $1,000 from Ottawa.

Rogers said the average cost of a retrofit is between $8,000 and $11,000 and can increase energy savings by up to 30 per cent.

New Brunswick is second only to Saskatchewan for the number of first-time and post-retrofit audits conducted on existing homes, she said.

Julie Michaud of the Conservation Council of New Brunswick touts Efficiency NB to be among the top agencies in Canada.

"It offers the best incentives to retrofit homes and businesses to become more energy efficient," she said. "An improved grade is well-deserved."

The report examines whether the government leads by example.