General News

Mono supports county program for energy-efficient homes

May 1, 2025   ·   2 Comments

By JAMES MATTHEWS

Mono has gotten behind Dufferin County’s BetterHomes energy retrofit program.

BetterHomes Dufferin is a residential energy retrofit program designed to support homeowners in making energy-efficient upgrades, reducing energy costs, and lowering greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

BetterHomes Dufferin offers a strategic opportunity to reduce both high energy costs and emissions through an accessible energy efficiency program delivered in collaboration with local municipalities and the Clean Air Partnership.

It’s designed to use the Property-Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) model, which uses the Local Improvement Charge (LIC) mechanism for accessible financing.

Dufferin County will serve as the financial lead and secure funding through the Federation of Canadian Municipalities’s (FCM) Green Municipal Fund (GMF) or Community Efficiency Financing (CEF) program.

As per the program, local municipalities must pass a LIC bylaw to enable resident participation.

“It’s called a grant and yet it’s a loan,” Councillor Melinda Davie said.

“I believe the term grant refers to the funding to the county by FCM,” said Fred Simpson, the town’s clerk.

So the county is loaning money up to $40,000 for 20 years at 2.5 per cent interest.

“I think that’s key to the knowledge for our residents,” Davie said. “It’s a loan.”

“Secured against taxes,” Mayor John Creelman added.

The county adopted the Dufferin Climate Action Plan in 2021, committing to a net-zero GHG emissions target by 2050 while enhancing climate resilience. A key priority within this plan is reducing residential energy consumption through deep energy retrofits and improved financing options.

To advance this priority, Dufferin partnered with seven of the eight local municipalities and the Clean Air Partnership — an environmental charity that helps Ontario municipalities achieve climate goals — to conduct a feasibility and program design study in 2022.

That study revealed how residents face higher-than-average energy costs. Five out of seven residential archetypes experience significant energy poverty. Additionally, 21 per cent of residential GHG emissions come from homes relying on expensive heating sources, including furnace oil (14 per cent) and propane (seven per cent).

The upper tier submitted a funding application last year to the CEF program. This application was supported by letters from local municipalities, committing to passing an LIC bylaw should the application be successful.

Coun. Ralph Manktelow asked if administering the program at the municipal level would be a financial burden and time-suck for town staff. He asked if Les Halucha, the town’s treasurer, and his staff were good with the extra work and no extra resources.

“Whatever is required of our department, we will come forward and get the job done,” Halucha said.

Simpson said the clerk department staff will prepare the bylaw necessary as part of the program. He also said administrative costs will be borne by the program.

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