We want energy guide evaluations, too, says Tootoo

The federal government’s EnerGuide program should run in Nunavut, said Iqaluit East MLA Hunter Tootoo.

Commercials for this service, which is now offered in the Northwest Territories, have been airing recently on northern television programs.

EnerGuide, a federal program, involves a home visit by an adviser who directs homeowners on ways to cut energy consumption and costs. The adviser gives the home an energy rating. The difference between the pre-renovation rating and the post-renovation rating is later used to determine the value of a grant to pay for the renovations.

The equipment to do these kinds of evaluation exists in Iqaluit, but there’s nobody certified to carry it out, Tootoo said.

Olayuk Akesuk, the minister responsible for housing, said he would raise the question with his federal counterpart in a meeting planned for next month.

But Tootoo wanted Akesuk to commit to bringing in a certified assessor from Yellowknife to do the energy audits and evaluations.

Akesuk said he would look into it.

Energy efficiency upgrades to existing homes are part of Canada’s One-Tonne Challenge to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by one-tonne per person.