A poll of Alberta consumers, commissioned by the Pembina Institute, NAIMA Canada and the Consumers Council of Canada, illustrates the very strong interest Albertans have in home energy efficiency and their support for an updated provincial building code.
96 per cent of Albertans surveyed responded that household energy conservation and energy efficiency in their homes are very important (59 per cent) or important (37 per cent), with 87 per cent supporting the provincial government implementing stronger energy efficiency standards for new homes.
"Albertans understand and are overwhelmingly supportive of increasing the energy efficiency of our homes. These polling results indicate that there is little political risk in the province updating the building code and putting Alberta on an energy efficiency leadership path," says Jesse Row, a Director at the Pembina Institute.
A significant majority (87 per cent) of Albertans support the government enacting legislation that establishes more aggressive household energy efficiency levels. The average national EnerGuide rating of new homes in Canada is 76. Alberta's current average is only 71. Albertans can judge their politicians' performance in the scheduled review of the Alberta building code, when they consider that British Columbia's rating is 77 and Ontario's is 78-80.
"Energy efficiency has become a base standard consumers expect in a new home," says Consumers Council of Canada President Don Mercer. "Canadians understand the negative impact on their pocketbooks posed by rising energy prices. They are embracing choices that are good for the environment, increase their comfort and lower energy bills."
"This research clearly shows that Albertans see value in an energy efficient home," says Stephen Koch, Executive Director, NAIMA Canada. "Canadians know that energy efficiency means saving money," Koch concluded. "If the government of Alberta matches the energy efficiency standards in building codes in other leading provinces, new home owners in Alberta could save up to $625 a year."
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A copy of the survey results, Albertans' Views on Energy Efficiency in the Province's Building Code, can be found at www.pembina.org/pub/1970
For more information, contact:
Jesse Row
Director, Sustainable Communities Group
Pembina
Institute
Tel: 403-269-3344 ext. 110
Jesse Row
Stephen Koch
Director, NAIMA Canada
Tel: 613-232-8093
email: skoch@naimacanada.ca
Don Mercer
President, Consumers Council of
Canada
Tel: 604-685-6501
email: don.mercer@consumerscouncil.com
Research notes: The survey was conducted on 621 randomly selected residents of Alberta (interviewed by telephone - the margin of error is +/- 3.9%, 19/20 times) from January 7-20, 2010. The poll was conducted by Oraclepoll Research. Contact: Paul Seccaspina 416-986-7937