Liberals move forward to cut home energy bills for Canadians and fight the climate crisis

September 25, 2019

Delta, B.C. – A re-elected Liberal government will help Canadians lower their energy bills, make their homes more energy-efficient, and give them the tools to prepare for climate related disasters.

Today, many Canadians live in homes that aren’t energy efficient – which means higher utility bills and more pollution. Meanwhile, more and more homes are in danger of being destroyed from the ever-increasing number of floods and wildfires. Climate change is real, and it’s happening now. As a country we must come together to fight it, and we also need to deal with its consequences.

“It’s expensive to adapt to a changing climate. We are going to help you replace those drafty windows or your old furnace – so you can cut your utility bills and keep our environment healthy,” said the Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada, Justin Trudeau. “We have a decision to make. We can go back to the Harper years, when the Conservatives did nothing about climate change, or we can fight for a better future. The choice is that clear.”

A re-elected Liberal government will make life more affordable for Canadians, cut our emissions, and protect the environment.

  • We will help retrofit 1.5 million homes to help Canadians make their homes more energy efficient, and better protect them from climate-related risks;
  • We will help homeowners and landlords pay for retrofits by giving them an interest-free loan of up to $40,000;
  • We will help people buy newly built homes that are certified zero-emissions by giving them a Net Zero Homes Grant of up to $5,000; and
  • We will invest $100 million in skills training, to ensure there are enough qualified workers to keep up with energy audits, retrofits, and net-zero home construction.

We will also be there for Canadians when disaster strikes, by:

  • protecting homeowners who are at high risk of flooding and don’t have adequate insurance protection, by creating a low-cost national flood insurance program;
  • helping Canadians better understand the risks they face when they buy a home, by working with provinces and territories to complete all flood maps in Canada;
  • developing a national action plan to assist homeowners with potential relocation for those at the highest risk of repeat flooding; and
  • help Canadians whose jobs and livelihoods are affected when disaster strikes, by working with stakeholders and experts to design an E.I. Disaster Assistance Benefit.

These measures will build on four years of climate action by our government, including:

  • introducing over 50 measures to fight climate change and protect our environment, from banning single-use plastics to putting a price on pollution;
  • investing to encourage new homes to be built carbon neutral;
  • helping ensure Canadians have access to the most energy-efficient appliances to help cut energy costs and support our climate action goals; and
  • establishing the $2 billion Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund to help communities prevent and prepare for growing climate risks.

“Andrew Scheer doesn’t have a real climate plan. He wants to make pollution free again – which would increase our emissions,” said Mr. Trudeau. “Denial is not a policy. We can go back to the Harper years, when the Conservatives did nothing about climate change – or fight for a better future. I’m for moving forward.”

Backgrounder: Cutting home energy bills and pollution