Canada’s shift to a low-carbon economy requires innovative affordable housing solutions that create jobs and climate resilience while making life more affordable through saved energy costs. The affordable housing sector plays an important role in this process by decreasing greenhouse gas emissions on the path to net zero.  

Understanding energy efficiency: a guide for affordable housing providers outlines energy conservation measures to increase energy efficiency.  

Whether you’re new to energy efficiency or interested in deeper energy-saving measures, the guide offers practical, actionable steps to save you money, support the wellbeing of your residents and improve your buildings’ resilience.  

This guide will help you: 

  • Understand the impact of energy conservation on those living in affordable housing 
  • Discover the benefits and cost savings of energy conservation  
  • Explore actionable energy conservation measures  
  • Get started on an energy project 

What’s the impact of energy conservation measures? 

  • They help residents: Energy savings can be reinvested or transferred to residents through lower utility or rental costs. These measures can also increase your resident comfort, health and happiness. 
  • They save money: Reducing energy will save you money on your energy bills, lower maintenance costs, and help meet your affordable housing goals. 
  • They reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions: Canada’s buildings contribute account for 18% of Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions. Energy conservation measures help to reduce GHG emissions. 
  • They show how your building works: Energy advisors, contractors and others on your project design team can identify and help you better manage the energy-consuming systems in your building. 
  • They are the future: All homes and buildings—including affordable housing units—must be energy efficient in the coming decades to meet Canada’s net zero targets. 

Who is this guide for? 

This guide is for affordable housing providers—such as municipalities, affordable housing providers and housing cooperatives—interested in improving energy efficiency in their buildings. 

Read the guide.

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