Bridging the gap between renters and retrofits: report

Jul 8

image of a house with the words 'home sweet home' and dollar signs coming out of the chimney — *Photo by Mika Baumeister / Unsplash*

By Cloe Logan

In British Columbia, thousands of households are often forced to choose between paying their energy bills and buying basic needs like groceries: they deal with leaky windows that let heat and energy escape, and are left with few ways to make their homes efficient.

There are multiple programs at the federal and provincial level that offer reduced costs for heat pumps or deep energy efficiency upgrades, to help lower the barrier to those home improvements. However, they are almost all aimed at homeowners – leaving about a third of Canadians behind.

The experiences of renters in B.C. and the disadvantages they experience are detailed in a report released this week by Ecotrust Canada. The report draws from interviews with renters, housing providers, tenant organizations, and poverty reduction organizations to provide policy recommendations to address the systematic exclusion of renters from energy efficiency programs.

Peter Allan

Bridging the gap between renters and retrofits: report

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