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Hydro One joins with CMHC and NRCan to provide home energy efficiency grants to low-income homeowners

Toronto, October 14, 2005 - Hydro One has teamed up with Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) and Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) to provide financial incentives for energy-efficiency upgrades to low-income Hydro One customers who heat their homes with electricity. This is the first initiative of its kind in Canada, where three different organizations have come together to provide substantial benefits to homeowners who might not otherwise be able to afford upgrades.

"This is an excellent opportunity for low-income Hydro One customers to benefit from energy-efficiency measures and reduce their power consumption," explained Tom Parkinson, President and CEO, Hydro One. "We're hoping to set a model for other utilities to follow."

Under the Home Energy Efficiency Grant initiative, Hydro One will offer up to $3,000 per qualifying household. The subsidy will be used in conjunction with funds and services available from CMHC's Homeowner Residential Rehabilitation Assistance Program (RRAP) and NRCan's EnerGuide for Houses service.

"This partnership agreement is a substantial step forward in making housing and home energy costs more affordable in Ontario and contributing to more sustainable communities. By working together across departments and levels of government, we can address housing need while promoting energy savings, and helping reduce greenhouse gas emissions," said Minister Joe Fontana, Minister of Labour and Housing.

CMHC will process applications from Hydro One customers through its RRAP program, which provides funding for low-income homeowners to make health and safety repairs to their homes. In addition to the assistance under RRAP, eligible applicants will receive an EnerGuide for Houses energy evaluation that offers recommendations on energy saving solutions. The evaluation will include electrical space and water heating, and improving the "thermal envelope" of the home such as air sealing. Energy evaluations after the upgrades are completed will be conducted by NRCan to determine energy savings.

"Low-income Canadians are particularly hard hit by high energy prices and the Government of Canada is taking action to provide both short and longer term measures to deal with these rising costs," said John McCallum, Minister of National Revenue and Acting Minister of Natural Resources. "This program will help many low-income Ontario residents save an average of 30 percent on their heating bills by making their homes more energy efficient. They'll also be doing their part to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and address climate change."

"The McGuinty government is working hard to create a culture of energy conservation and efficiency across Ontario," said Donna Cansfield, Minister of Energy. "This conservation program is a prime example of taking an energy challenge and turning it into an energy opportunity. This is good news for both the ratepayer and the environment."

Hydro One owns and operates Ontario's 28,400 kilometre high-voltage transmission network that delivers electricity to large industrial customers and municipal utilities, and a 122,000 kilometre low-voltage distribution system that serves about 1.2 million end-use customers and smaller municipal utilities in the province. Hydro One is wholly owned by the Province of Ontario.

CMHC is Canada's national housing agency with a mandate to help Canadians gain access to safe, quality and affordable housing. CMHC supports the Canadian housing industry and improves the living conditions of Canadians through mortgage loan insurance and securitization, assisted housing, research and information transfer and the promotion of Canadian housing exports.

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For more information, contact Hydro One Media Relations 24 hours a day at 1-877-506-7584 (toll-free in Ontario only) or 416-345-6868. Our Web site is www.HydroOne.com.

Peter Graham
Director of Communications
Minister's Office
(819) 953-5646

Shane Diaczuk
Director of Communications
Minister's Office
Natural Resources
(613) 996-2007