3.1.7Support households on lower income with building envelope improvements, electrifying space and water heating, and renewable energy generation

Not all households will have the ability and resources to transition their buildings to be low and no emission. Programs are needed to ensure lower income residents are not left behind, or left with high energy bills as a result of changes to the energy system and increasing carbon prices.

Reep Green Solutions

1. Planned in tandem with Action 3.1.9, to design a home energy retrofit financing program for Waterloo Region. In 2021, Reep Green Solutions worked with Kambo Energy Group to analyze the potential equity impacts of a home energy financing program. The research resulted in a report identifying key considerations for low-to-moderate-income households that may help more households participate in energy improvements.
2. With support from the WR Community Foundation, Reep researched the issue of  energy poverty in Waterloo Region, resulting in:
   1. A blog summarizing the results and suggesting solutions;
   2. A dashboard breaking down the demographics of energy poverty in Waterloo Region
   3. An application for funding to Natural Resources Canada to plan the retrofit of hundreds of community housing buildings (unsuccessful)
   4. Formation of a small working group on energy poverty to be ready for future funding opportunities

 Click here to view the Considerations of Equity in an Efficiency Financing Program Report

CITY OF KITCHENER

RetrofitWR is anticipated to start in 2026. Kitchener Utilities will support by promoting the program to customers.