New Brunswick’s auditor general says NB Power’s energy efficiency programs are “effective” but the fact that people have to pay for their retrofits upfront is a disadvantage for low- and middle-income earners who cannot afford the cost.
Paul Martin, who was recently appointed to the position, made the comments about both NB Power and the Department of Natural Resources, which oversees the utility, in a presentation to the standing committee on public accounts on Thursday.
“New home programs were only available to those who installed electricity as the primary source of heat for the home,” he said in the committee meeting. “The department did not mandate NB Power or any other entity to implement a financing mechanism to assist those who may not be able to afford upfront upgrade and retrofit costs for program participation.”
NB Power provided a list of eight programs it has related to energy efficiency, including three that are specific to residential homes: the low-income energy savings program, the total home energy savings program and the new home energy savings program.
For the low-income energy savings program, NB Power said it has completed retrofits on 466 homes and reduced the waiting list from 1,700 to 380 homes.
“NB Power is looking at options to expand this program,” it said in an email statement.
It said it appreciates “the comments of the Auditor General and will be having discussions on these issues and other potential improvements in the months ahead.”
But critics say the programs and the auditor general’s finding only place more strain on those who live in energy poverty.
Green Party Leader David Coon released a statement on the auditor general’s report on Thursday, saying that nearly 37 per cent of homeowners live in energy poverty “where they spend more than 6 per cent of their income on energy.”
“The Auditor General’s revelations that NB Power has failed to deliver on government commitments for home energy saving programs demonstrates the need to return responsibility for them to an independent agency like Efficiency New Brunswick,” Coon said in a statement.
He called on the recreation of an independent agency to handle energy efficiency programs, like ones established in Nova Scotia and P.E.I., which NB Power now runs.
The Conservation Council of New Brunswick, too, weighed in on the findings.
“New Brunswick’s low levels of investment in energy efficiency keeps cost of living higher than it should be and fails to address the real needs of households experiencing energy poverty,” says Louise Comeau, CCNB’s director of climate change and energy solutions.
They said they would like the legislative assembly to update its policy and legislative framework to:
- Focus on low bills rather than low rates (we can have higher rates but lower bills because of energy efficiency).
- Consider environmental and social costs, not just economic costs.
- Amend policy and legislative framework to set new targets for energy efficiency.
“The time to act is now. The cost of pollution is rising. The effects of climate change are increasing,” it said in the statement. “No province can afford to ignore the opportunities energy efficiency provides, including jobs for electricians, insulators, installers and auditors.”
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