Bigger Carbon Tax Rebates to Rural Canadians

Published on November 06, 2018

Rural Canadians in Ontario, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and New Brunswick will be receiving a 10 percent larger rebate from the federal government’s proposed climate change plan.

The purpose of this is to help Canadians who live in more remote locations offset their reduced access to alternative methods of transportation, and their higher dependency on energy use.

By agreeing to the federal government’s pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change, and creating their own plans that have been approved, Alberta, Quebec, British Columbia, the Northwest Territories, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador will retain provincially regulated control over how their carbon tax revenue is distributed.

Similarly, Yukon, Prince Edward Island, and Nunavut have decided to use the federal plan, and as such will also retain the ability to decide what to do with their new carbon tax revenues.

For Ontario, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and New Brunswick, the federal government will be divvying out the revenue back to the provinces where it was obtained - 90% of it will be given directly to Canadians in the form of a rebate on their next tax return.

The remaining 10% will be going towards helping schools, small business, hospitals, and other organizations develop green energy solutions to reduce their energy usage and utility bill.

There are a few exemptions to the new carbon tax which are aimed towards rural Canadian businesses.

The use of gasoline and diesel for farming machinery such as tractors and trucks has been exempted.

Commercial greenhouse operators will also see an 80 percent exemption for their natural gas and propane use, and this is expected to be available through up-front exemption certificates. Although, the way that these certificates will be distributed has not been disclosed at this time.

The exemptions will also extend to power plants that generate electricity for rural communities.

Energy Efficiency Can be Improved in a Home of Any Age

An older home is often draftier and less efficient than a home that was built recently, but by having a Home Energy Assessment conducted by a Registered Energy Advisor from Barrier Sciences Group, you can obtain information specific to your home that speaks to its entire level of efficiency. This is the first step towards improving your home’s level of efficiency - working to improve interior comfort levels, and lower household carbon emissions and utility bills.  

Included in the assessment is a list of possible energy saving solutions for you to consider, and our advisors rank each suggestion in order of cost-effectiveness. Often times, the most cost-effective solution is something as simple as improving the level of insulation in the attic, or sealing leaky areas with caulk that would not have been detectable without a Registered Energy Advisor conducting a Home Energy Assessment or Air Tightness Test.

Additionally, our advisors are happy to help you make sense of and qualify for the home renovation rebates that are currently available from Union Gas - helping you to see a return on your home efficiency investments even sooner.