NDP Energy Critic Peter Tabuns says the McGuinty’s government’s Home Energy Audit and Retrofit program still poses too many financial barriers for most Ontario homeowners.

“To date, less than 1 per cent of Ontario households have taken advantage of rebates because the program requires homeowners to commit hundreds if not thousands of dollars up front,” said Tabuns.

“The McGuinty government can sink even more money into the program, but it will remain an elite and marginal initiative without significant changes to the way in which homeowners can access the money. The current rules do not make energy efficiency upgrades affordable for the vast majority of middle-class Ontarians.”

Tabuns offered an example.

“Increasing the rebate for solar water heaters by $700 won’t help homeowners who don’t have $6,000 in cash to install the system in the first place,” he said.

To improve the program, New Demcorats are calling on the McGuinty government to provide homeowners with upfront, low-interest loans to cover the cost of energy efficiency upgrades. The loans would be paid back through savings on utility bills.

Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure data indicates that 124,000 Ontarians have had home energy audits since the program was started in 2007, but only one-third of those households - 42,000 - actually made upgrades and received government rebates.

“The fact that Minister Smitherman made today’s announcement at a million-dollar Rosedale home indicates only too clearly who benefits from this flawed program -- well-off homeowners with significant amounts of spare cash to sink into their homes,” said Tabuns.