Spike in demand for energy efficiency upgrades leads to headaches for some Nova Scotians

When Eleanor Melanson bought a home in 2021 in Shelburne, N.S., she realized it needed a lot of upgrades.

The work included installing two heat pumps and new windows, doors and insulation. Melanson hoped to tap into rebate programs for these energy efficiency upgrades, but there was a problem.

As part of the rebate process under the Canada Greener Homes grant program — as with other incentive programs — she needed to get a home energy assessment done. This evaluation looks at where a home is losing heat and makes suggestions at what kinds of upgrades can be undertaken.

Melanson estimates she waited seven to eight months for an assessment, but gave up because the renovations were starting.

"At that point I was just like, 'Well, that sucks. Too bad. I guess I'm not going to get any access to that program' and then kind of moved on," she said.

Melanson's story is an example of the frustrations experienced by some Nova Scotians trying to take advantage of incentive programs for energy efficiency upgrades, many of which have rolled out in recent years. A spike in demand for these programs has also led to long waits for getting rebates, although Efficiency Nova Scotia says it has almost cleared its backlog and expects to issue rebates within its 90-day service standard any day now.

Melanson estimates she missed out on almost $10,000 in rebates because she couldn't get a home energy assessment done in a timely fashion.

But the home now needs a third heat pump and she worries she'll miss out on a couple thousand dollars in rebates for that.

Beginning in mid-August, she contacted five companies about scheduling a home energy assessment and has heard back from three, who said they were too busy to schedule appointments. Melanson said she hasn't heard from the other two.

"I want to put the heat pump in before it gets too cold, so for me ... I know that I won't be able to access it just based on timelines," she said.

Long waits for home energy assessments

Janet Tobin, a spokesperson for Efficiency Nova Scotia, said it can be harder for people living outside of the Halifax Regional Municipality to get home energy assessments done.

To help deal with increased demand, she said the organization increased the number of its partners who do audits from eight to 11 this month. She said the average wait time to get home energy assessments is three to six weeks.

The Efficiency Nova Scotia website also hints that waits are likely, noting the Canada Greener Homes grant has generated "significant interest" for assessments. It also asks that people not contact other service providers "to minimize scheduling conflicts."

When Jose Gladwin needed a home energy assessment to take part in a program that offers free heat pumps for low-income households, she had to wait six months to get the assessment, in part because of communication problems between the auditor and Efficiency Nova Scotia. It took another three months to get the work done, which was completed in late August.

"After such a hot summer we had, we really wished that we would have had it in July because it was unbearable here," said Gladwin, who lives in Greenfield in the Annapolis Valley. "Our hardwood floor even lifted."

Tobin said that before the province announced an expansion of the low-income program last December, it took around two to four months to get upgrades done. Now, she said it's more like four to six months.

Program popularity causes 'strain on the industry'

As well, Tobin said used to receive around 1,200 applications a year for the program, which is formally known as HomeWarming. Since the announcement, they've received more than 7,000 applications.

"This increase of course speaks to the fact that Nova Scotians are eager to have these upgrades done and see that impact on their energy bills," she said. "But of course, this puts some strain on the industry."

Tobin said they've been working with their partners to manage the increased demand and move applicants through the process as quickly as possible. She said partners have hired additional staff and have trained existing staff to take on other roles.

"For us, it's been a matter of working collaboratively with industry to see what their needs are," said Tobin. "How can we support them? Is it training? Is it helping provide additional resources?"

The HomeWarming website also warns of delays.

"Please note, with the popularity of these programs, we are experiencing high volumes of calls, emails and applications," it says. "There are also delays due to contractor and material availability."

Tobin said if people are experiencing problems with the incentive programs, they should contact Efficiency Nova Scotia.

"We'll do everything we can to help them," she said. "If it's a matter of not being able to find a contractor, we'll do what we can to link them up with someone and hopefully fit it into the timeline that they're hoping for."

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