1. Interest-Free Loans and Grants: Establish a program that offers interest-free loans and/or grants for energy-efficient home improvements to help homeowners manage upfront costs.
2. Free Energy Audits: Require and offer government-funded residential energy audits to promote continuous energy efficiency improvements, providing homeowners with free audits to identify opportunities for energy-saving upgrades and personalized recommendations.
3. Energy Efficiency Programs: Increase eligibility and funding for energy efficiency programs, targeting improvements in residential and rental properties.
4. Expanding Energy Efficiency Programs: Expand and enhance electric vehicle, hybrid and EV charger rebates, including rebates for micro-electric vehicles like electric bikes and trikes.
5. Create Efficiency Incentives for Landlords: Increase support for landlords to make timely energy-efficient upgrades without raising rents and enhance tenant rights to request such upgrades. Implement mandatory energy efficiency standards in rental properties and provide tax incentives or rebates for energy-efficient products and renewable energy investments.
6. Bulk-Buy Solar Panel Programs: Implement and expand bulk-buy solar panel programs to allow not only communities but also entire provinces to purchase solar panels collectively, akin to how provinces procure electric school buses.
7. Competitive Buyback Program: Establish a competitive buyback program for households to sell excess energy back to the grid.
8. Public Transit and Ride Share Expansion: Invest in and expand public transit infrastructure and services, such as bus routes, shuttle services, park-and-ride facilities and electric buses, to reduce reliance on personal vehicles and enhance transportation-related energy efficiency. Additionally, incentives for ride-share and car-share programs should be added, with a focus on increasing accessibility in rural areas that have limited public transportation options, including the expansion of EV ride-share programs.
9. Community Support Initiatives: Help form community support groups focused on energy efficiency and renewable energy, providing resources, information and networking opportunities.
10. Sustainable Appliance Programs: Develop initiatives to replace inefficient appliances and encourage the donation or trade of old ones.
11. Energy Assistance Programs for Vulnerable Populations: Develop targeted energy assistance programs for low-income individuals, newcomers, single-family homeowners, seniors and people with disabilities, particularly addressing the needs of those in regions without air conditioning.
12. Older Home Retrofitting: Introduce a retrofit program for older homes to incorporate energy-efficient features, first assisting those most vulnerable based on health requirements and subsequently on financial need.
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