Reep Green using data to reach those who could benefit most from energy efficiency

Reep Green Solutions is using census data and mapping to increase access to its sustainability programs in the neighbourhoods in Waterloo Region that need them most.

Reep, a registered charity, offers programs to help homeowner make their residence more energyefficient, water-efficient, or resilient to floods.

“Our mission at Reep has always been to help people save energy, and make their homes more comfortable and affordable,” saidLisa Truong, Reep's director of climate mitigation programs.

But Reep is also “committed to ensuring that our programs are accessible to all communities,” she said.

Though homeowners who sign up for Reep programs may end up with lower energy or water bills, they do face an upfront cost. Home energy evaluations, for example, cost $480 or more.

So Reep mapped all of Waterloo Region, including the townships, to see where people were using its programs, as well as neighbourhoods with higher concentrations of visible minorities, seniors, people without post-secondary education, lower-income households and older homes that could benefit most from energy efficiency.

The results revealed that Reep was in fact not reaching many of the communities it would like to.

In mapping Cambridge, for example, it found that most of the homes that had a Reep home energy evaluation were in neighbourhoods with a household income of $95,000 or more.

Neighbourhoods with lots of seniors and many older homes had few energy evaluations.

Seniors are a group Reep would like to reach, because earlier work on energy poverty found that about 26 per cent of senior households in Waterloo Region were “struggling to cover their heating bills,” Truong said.

Reep hopes to use the mapping to help target education about its programs to key neighbourhoods and demographic groups.

“We've gained incredible insight into the demographic characteristics of neighbourhoods in Waterloo Region,” Truong said.

“We’ve been able to identify 13 neighbourhoods in Waterloo Region, and we hope to reach out and look for champions within those communities and do outreach about our programs,” Truong said.

Energy efficiency incentives

There are many incentives available, including:

■ federal interest-free loans of up to $40,000 for upgrades and retrofits;

■ interest-free loans of up to $50,000 for Guelph homeowners;

■ up to $5,000 to switch from oil heating to a new, energy-efficient heat pump;

■ rebates for Kitchener homes that switch to smart thermostats or a tankless water heater;

■ free air-source heat pumps to income-eligible households with electric heating;

■ credits on stormwater bills in Waterloo and Kitchener.

More information is available on the Reep website at reepgreen.ca/ incentives.