P.E.I. government reducing many of its energy efficiency rebates as of Monday
Prince Edward Islanders who invest in some energy efficiency measures will get lower rebates from the provincial government starting Monday, while amounts offered to help pay for insulation and window and door replacement will go up.
The province announced the changes to its Net Zero and efficiencyPEI rebates on Thursday, after it paused accepting new applications for some programs earlier in the year.
"We're trying to balance fiscal responsibility — staying within the budgets that we have in the division — while maximizing our return on investment," said Derek Ellis, the director of sustainability for the province's Department of Environment, Energy and Climate Action.
That means "moving some investments away from some of the poorer-performing programs from an energy savings and greenhouse gas emission reductions perspective and over to the higher-performing programs," he said.
As a result, the amount of money Island homeowners will get for installing heat pumps, buying electric vehicles and putting in solar panels is set to decrease.
The province will also pause new applications for free heat pumps, free insulation and free electric hot water heaters due to high demand, a news release said.
The province measures the cost effectiveness of its programs based on dollar spent per ton of greenhouse gas emission elimination, as well as dollar per kilowatt hour saved, Ellis said.
"We have a good idea of how [programs] perform over time and have made some changes in response to that," he said.
Popular programs
The province has seen a lot of uptake on its heat pump and solar panel rebates, Ellis said, adding that the province is happy to continue offering rebates to homeowners on those items, at a lower rate.
The heat pump rebate for residential properties is set to decrease from $1,200 to $900 per unit, while the solar panel program will see a change in incentive rate and a rebate capped at $5,000 for solar panels installed on a home, compared to the prior $10,000 cap.
People wanting solar panels who were previously approved by the province will get the old amount, while anyone who applied on or after Jan. 8, 2025, will get the new amount if they are deemed eligible.
"Incentives and caps for commercial and agricultural clients will remain the same," the news release adds with regard to solar panels.
"Rebates on energy-efficient equipment for business, community, commercial and industrial buildings [are] increasing, including air source heat pump rebate increasing from $600 to $900. Rebates are also increasing for selected lighting and for packaged terminal heat pumps."
Rebates for the purchase of electric or plug-in hybrid vehicles have been popular, particularly in Charlottetown and Summerside, Ellis said.
While the amount of those rebates are going down, annual registration of those vehicles will still be free.
Ellis also said the province will not be making changes to its infrastructure plans to support EVs, citing projects underway to create more fast charging stations in communities across the Island.
Some rebates the same or higher
Some of the energy efficiency and rebate programs will continue unchanged, including the e-bike incentive, instant rebates on appliances, and the provincial subsidy for home energy audits.
As well, the provincial news release says, there will be a "40 per cent increase in rebates for insulation for attics, walls, basements, headers, exposed floors, windows and doors, and air sealing."
As for new home construction, the news release said, "incentives will be increased and re-aligned to match national building code tiers, so people will get more money back."
Ellis said the province tries to stay in line with the latest trends and best practices to help Islanders minimize energy costs.
"Where we can make life more affordable and also reduce energy and GHG [greenhouse gas] emissions, we will always make the case for that, and ultimately the decision-makers here in government will have the final say."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Yahoo
Prince William's relatable parenting nightmare after Prince George and Princess Charlotte's 'massive fight'
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Prince William gave hope to parents everywhere when he revealed even future kings have to deal with stroppy children. The Prince of Wales shared there's often a "massive fight" between Prince George and Charlotte "most mornings" - and judging by the hilarious mimicking from Prince Louis, it won't be long until he's squabbling with his siblings too. Over the years fans have been treated to many adorable insights into the bond between Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, including the indulgent dinner the kids like to make for mom, Kate Middleton. And even though they largely get on great, it's a fact that all siblings bicker every now and then, and according to Prince William there's often a reason for a 'massive fight' between George and Charlotte. Speaking in an episode of Apple Fitness + series Time to Walk in 2021, the Prince of Wales explained that music is a huge passion his children share, but they don't see eye-to-eye on songs. So much so, that their determination to have their own choice of music played apparently leads to frequent arguments. Gilded Youth: An Intimate History of Growing Up in the Royal Family by Tom Quinn, | Was $26.64, Now $18.17 at Amazon Tom Quinn utilizes testimonies from palace staff and historical sources to paint a fascinating picture of what it's like growing up in the Royal Family. This book delves into the traditions that surround royal parenting and reveals shocking and hilarious anecdotes about royal children Deal "What I've been amazed by is how much my children already have inherited my family's love of music. Most mornings there's a massive fight between Charlotte and George as to what song is played in the morning," the future King explained. He then went on to share the solution he implemented to minimize this, revealing that he has to "basically prioritize" that on one day someone gets to choose the music and then someone else takes a turn on another day. Prince William said, "So George gets his go, then Charlotte gets her go. Such is the, the clamour for the music." "One of the songs that the children are loving at the moment is Shakira, Waka Waka. There's a lot of hip movements going along with a lot of dressing up," Prince William continued. "Charlotte particularly is running around the kitchen, in her dresses and ballet stuff. She goes completely crazy with Louis following her around trying to do the same thing." Since Prince William revealed the reason there was often a "massive fight" between Prince George and Charlotte it's possible that the bickering has stopped, thanks to him deciding they should take turns. Although now Prince Louis is older they will perhaps be having to adjust their morning routine at Adelaide Cottage to ensure he gets a say too. During his time in Singapore at the Earthshot Prize Awards, the Prince of Wales reportedly told One Republic, who performed at the ceremony, that Prince Louis is a huge fan. "I can't thank you enough. You were amazing. What a way to start the show. That was incredible," he is understood to have said. "Louis, my youngest, loves your songs." Meanwhile, Prince George supposedly enjoys a slightly different genre of music. Per the Daily Mail, the Prince of Wales spoke with people during a walkabout over the coronation weekend including Caroline Mulvihill, a member of the Rock Choir. "We were talking about the kind of music we do in Rock Choir and Will was telling us in their household they have a very diverse music taste and George is very much into AC/DC and Led Zeppelin," she declared.
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Yahoo
Prince William 'spends his life' cleaning up at Adelaide Cottage - but it's not after who you might think
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Prince William might be the future king, but when it comes to the family household, he revealed he's stuck with the chores his children often forget. The Prince of Wales has shared plenty of relatable parenting moments over the years, including the massive fights he's had to deal with between his children. And during an appearance at Woodgate Valley Urban Farm near Birmingham in the UK in 2024, he revealed more insight into the family pets at Adelaide Cottage - including the newer additions - and how he's left to clean up the mess. During his appearance, which included grooming some guinea pigs, William revealed that they'd welcomed two new pets alongside their family cocker spaniel, Orla. He said, 'These guys are pretty cool. We've got guinea pigs at home and they're not like this. I spend my life cleaning out the guinea pig cage because the children forget to do it." William also gave a glimpse of the routine his own pets have at home, who aren't as well behaved as the docile ones on the farm. He added, "The ones we've got at home, they're off. You have to keep them constantly stroked and looked after." Prince William, Princess Catherine, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis are also known to be owners to a beloved cocker spaniel called Orla - and they have a controversial sleeping habit when it comes to the cocker spaniel. As well as taking time with the animals, William spoke with volunteers and staff at the city farm, who work to support children and young people through their education and those struggling with their mental health. Alongside the animals, the National Lottery funded farm also therapeutic programs for the children to help improve their well-being through one-to-one support and community-focused activities. The cute insight into life at Adelaide Cottage came after William got back into the swing of things, after taking some time out to focus on helping Kate recover from her cancer treatment. One of his first appearances saw him make a special visit to see 12-year-old Freddie Hadley, who had written to him last year to discuss his school's Matrix Project and the campaign #AmIManlyEnough, which supports male students with their mental health. In a candid talk to the students at St Michael's Church of England High School in Rowley Regis, William spoke about how he got into mental health campaigning and co-founded Heads Together with his wife, Kate and his brother Prince Harry. "It started really when I was doing lots of charitable work, I never set out to look out into mental health, particularly male mental health," he began. "I was interested in homelessness, depression, addiction, all these separate areas and I hadn't really put them altogether as a jigsaw - what are we looking at? What are we trying to fix? It all came together as a mental health piece. "My passion, if you like, has moved now into male mental health because of the stats you [James] mentioned at the beginning, about the suicide rate in young men is just terrifying, and I wanted to do something about it."
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Yahoo
How wildfires in Canada are creating health hazards in the Midwest
Dozens of wildfires in the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba have spread out of control this week, displacing residents and causing smoke that has made its way into the American Midwest. Wildfire season in Canada typically runs from March to October, and fire activity in western Canada usually has an uptick in May, according to The New York Times. The season is already off to a grim start after a wildfire in Manitoba killed two people and forced the evacuation of an entire town earlier in May. Canada's fire season is earlier than Utah's, which is typically from July to October. The smoke from the fires has been dragged by a cold front into states such as Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan. A cold front has pushed the smoke from the Canadian fires across the border into Minnesota's northern region and tribal nations, according to The New York Times. This has generated a reading of red on the air quality index, used by states to track particle pollution. A red reading means it is unhealthy for many people in the general public. Air quality alerts have also been issued across the entire state of Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, according to The Weather Channel. The smoke that is blowing into these areas is near-surface smoke, which can be unhealthy to breathe since it is at lower levels. Meteorologists in Michigan's Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy said that the levels of fine particulate in the air would be elevated in the state into Saturday. Those in sensitive groups who may be more susceptible to smoke were advised to take precautions, including adjusting outdoor activity, The New York Times reported. These groups include those with heart or lung disease, older adults, children, pregnant people and outdoor workers. As the fires burn in Canada's prairies in Manitoba and Saskatchewan, the two neighboring provinces have declared states of emergency. The premier of Saskatchewan, Scott Moe, issued the emergency order on Thursday, following Wab Kinew of Manitoba who did the same on Wednesday, per The New York Times. Across northern Saskatchewan, a rural region housing several Indigenous reserves, 15 communities have been evacuated. The emergency orders will last for at least 30 days, enabling public safety officials to mobilize resources quickly and get help from other provinces. Firefighting crews from British Columbia and Nova Scotia are already at work in Saskatchewan. Around 17,000 residents of Manitoba are under evacuation orders as fires burn in the north and east areas of the province, per The New York Times. Throughout the weekend, the greatest concentrations of smoke will be in the Midwest and northern Plains; as winds continue to blow, lesser concentrations will move into the South and East. Weather patterns will change Monday into Tuesday, turning winds out of the South and central U.S. ahead of a cold front from the West. Wildfire seasons across the country, including Utah's, are increasing in length, per Axios. These increases are straining fire departments and other organizations that control and contain wildfires. Between 1973 and 2024, the number of 'fire weather' days along most of the Wasatch Front rose by 12 to 15 days, according to an analysis from Climate Central. In western Utah, fire weather days have increased by 34. A 'fire weather day' is defined as 'one with temperatures of at least 45°-55°F (depending on the season), relative humidity within 5% of regional thresholds, and sustained wind speeds of 15mph or more — all happening together during at least two hourly measurements on a given day," according to Axios.
