Ontario's new energy-saving program offering free smart thermostats

Aug 31 2017, 9:25 pm

The province of Ontario has launched a new green initiative to help residents save money, while fighting climate change.

A new non-profit agency, the Green Ontario Fund, was created to deliver programs and rebates to help home and business owners reduce energy costs. Along with it, GreenON was launched online. The program is part of Ontario’s Climate Change Action Plan and is funded by proceeds from the province’s cap on pollution and carbon market.

The province is investing $377 million from its carbon market to establish the new Green Ontario Fund.

“Taking strong action on climate change means making it as easy as possible for people and businesses to reduce greenhouse gas emissions at home and work, while also saving money,” said Chris Ballard, Minister of the Environment and Climate Change, in a statement. “That’s why our government created the Green Ontario Fund, which will give homeowners and small and medium-sized businesses improved access to low-carbon technologies and services.”

The new GreenON Installations program allows interested households to register to have a Green Ontario Fund-trained technician visit and install a “smart thermostat” for free. The technician will also provide advice and tips as well as personalized suggestions for additional energy-saving upgrades.

Within hours of the announcement the website was down due to popularity. Upon its return, the program stated that, “Due to high demand, the GreenON Installations program is filling up! The program is now taking registrations for 2018.”

The site is back up, and home owners and renters can register for the GreenON Installations program through the Green Ontario Fund website. Renters must have their landlords’ permission to register.

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