Supporters of Property Assessed Payments for Energy Retrofits (PAPER) File EBR request for review to the Environmental Commissioner of Ontario

QUEEN'S PARK, TORONTO, Feb. 1, 2012 /CNW/ - A diverse group of concerned organizations and individuals has filed a request for review to the Environmental Commissioner of Ontario the Ontario Environmental Bill of Rights to facilitate the use by municipalities of Local Improvement Charges in a Property Assessed Payments for Energy Retrofits (PAPER) program to support energy saving retrofits in residential properties, in order to meet provincial and municipal targets for reductions in energy use and GHG emissions.

The background for this request primarily comprises three reports published by the David Suzuki Foundation on a Property Assessed Payments for Energy Retrofits program, which would use a modified local improvement charges mechanism to finance energy retrofits, reduce energy use and greenhouse gas emissions, and save homeowners money on their energy bills.

"This kind of low-interest financing focuses on energy-saving retrofits, and makes it easy for fiscally responsible homeowners to do energy-saving retrofits because it is one-stop-shop," says the reports' author (and EBR request for review signatory) Sonja Persram.

Broad interest in and support for the concept has been expressed by many Ontario stakeholders, including the Association of Municipalities of Ontario, as well as from groups such as the Toronto Real Estate Board and Green Communities Canada.

For more information, see:

http://www.sustainable-alternatives.ca/PAPER_collaboration.htm

Contact:

Sonja Persram
M: 416-997-0045
www.sustainable-alternatives.ca