Alberta Furnace Replacement Program

Climate Change Central ran a three-month furnace incentive program in 2004 to educate Albertans about high-efficiency furnaces. Over 4,000 Albertans from 250 communities received rebates of up to $400 for purchasing a high-efficiency furnace under the $1.5-million program. An estimated 75 per cent of the replacement furnaces purchased in Alberta during the program were high-efficiency models, compared with 25 per cent normally.

"The $400 rebate was enough to push us to a high-efficiency model," says Calgary homeowner Val Johnstone. The purchase paid instant and dramatic dividends, dropping Johnstone's gas bill from $267 in April, 2003 to $76 in April, 2004.

C3 ran the program with Natural Resources Canada's Office of Energy Efficiency and furnace manufacturers. Over 10 years, the program help cut greenhouse gas emissions by 90,000 tonnes. The average age of the replaced furnaces was 28 years.