Ontario Affordability Fund - For Ontarians - Free upgrades to reduce bills
- Deal Link:
- https://www.affordabilityfund.org/
This program is to help homeowners and renters lower their energy bills. It is NOT for low-income folks who have separate programs they can utilize.
It seems that based on your monthly bills, you will be separated into one of three categories:
Level 1 - Receive a Home Energy Kit with upgrades that you can easily install yourself. This may include ENERGY STAR® light bulbs, a power bar and/or faucet aerators along with energy-saving tips.
Level 2 - Receive an in-home visit from a professional Home Energy Advisor, a Home Energy Plan and upgrades that may include ENERGY STAR® appliances.
Level 3 - For electrically heated homes only: receive an in-home visit from a professional Home Energy Advisor, a Home Energy Plan and upgrades that may include insulation and/or an ENERGY STAR® heat pump.
The level of support you are offered appears to be based on how high your electricity bill is relative to your income. There is no cap on income, though there is a minimum (there are other programs for low income assistance).
This is not a rebate program, all work is fully covered by the fund. The program appears to be funded by the provincial government in association with local utilities.
I found out about the program through https://news.ontario.ca/mei/en/2017/10/ ... costs.html which gives some additional details not listed on https://www.affordabilityfund.org/
EDIT#2 - Some questions being asked:
When they call, what do they ask?They confirm items on the form (it seems that some questions have now been removed from the form).... do you have problems paying, location, household income, number of occupants, average electricity bill, electricity supplier and account number, have you had issues paying in the past, do you pay late fees, do you work for a utility, how did you hear about us, and some similar basic questions. My call lasted 5.5 minutes but most of that was me asking questions about the program
I can't submit the form I had no trouble submitting last week using a PC with Chrome browser. Ensure that popup blockers are turned off. Someone mentioned that Postal Code shouldn't have a space (I can't remember how I submitted)
How do they determine what you get? After playing around with the calculator on the bottom of the page, it appears that if your monthly power bill represents MORE than 3% of your gross monthly income, you "may qualify for a Home Energy Plan and upgrades that may include ENERGY STAR® appliances". Actual income doesn't seem to matter, as long as >3% of your income goes to your hydro bill
EDIT #3 - TIMELINES
I signed up online a few days before making this post (mid-May). After the initial call within under a week, I heard nothing until early September. My kit arrived on September 14th.
My kit includes the following:
It seems that based on your monthly bills, you will be separated into one of three categories:
Level 1 - Receive a Home Energy Kit with upgrades that you can easily install yourself. This may include ENERGY STAR® light bulbs, a power bar and/or faucet aerators along with energy-saving tips.
Level 2 - Receive an in-home visit from a professional Home Energy Advisor, a Home Energy Plan and upgrades that may include ENERGY STAR® appliances.
Level 3 - For electrically heated homes only: receive an in-home visit from a professional Home Energy Advisor, a Home Energy Plan and upgrades that may include insulation and/or an ENERGY STAR® heat pump.
The level of support you are offered appears to be based on how high your electricity bill is relative to your income. There is no cap on income, though there is a minimum (there are other programs for low income assistance).
This is not a rebate program, all work is fully covered by the fund. The program appears to be funded by the provincial government in association with local utilities.
I found out about the program through https://news.ontario.ca/mei/en/2017/10/ ... costs.html which gives some additional details not listed on https://www.affordabilityfund.org/
EDIT#2 - Some questions being asked:
When they call, what do they ask?They confirm items on the form (it seems that some questions have now been removed from the form).... do you have problems paying, location, household income, number of occupants, average electricity bill, electricity supplier and account number, have you had issues paying in the past, do you pay late fees, do you work for a utility, how did you hear about us, and some similar basic questions. My call lasted 5.5 minutes but most of that was me asking questions about the program
I can't submit the form I had no trouble submitting last week using a PC with Chrome browser. Ensure that popup blockers are turned off. Someone mentioned that Postal Code shouldn't have a space (I can't remember how I submitted)
How do they determine what you get? After playing around with the calculator on the bottom of the page, it appears that if your monthly power bill represents MORE than 3% of your gross monthly income, you "may qualify for a Home Energy Plan and upgrades that may include ENERGY STAR® appliances". Actual income doesn't seem to matter, as long as >3% of your income goes to your hydro bill
EDIT #3 - TIMELINES
I signed up online a few days before making this post (mid-May). After the initial call within under a week, I heard nothing until early September. My kit arrived on September 14th.
My kit includes the following:
- 3 x 4pk Sylvania 60w equivilent LED lightbulbs (800 lumens / 9w / 2700k soft white)
- 1 x nightlight with light sensor (0.3w)
- 1 x TrickleStar 7-outlet AV Advanced Power Strip (mixed reviews on Amazon.com https://www.amazon.com/Tricklestar-7-Ou ... B00MDXEGWK)
- 1 x Fridge/Freezer thermostat
- 1 x Furnace filter whistle (supposed to whistle when the filter is half clogged)
Last edited by RubberCheese on Sep 27th, 2018 9:55 pm, edited 7 times in total.