The City of Lethbridge says some applicants to the Clean Energy Improvement Program are being put on a wait list due to high demand, March 6, 2023. (Photo: City of Lethbridge)

By David Opinko

City of Lethbridge touts high demand for Clean Energy Improvement Program

Mar 6, 2023 | 12:47 PM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – The City of Lethbridge is asking residents to be patient as it is over capacity for a new energy efficiency program.

Applications for the Clean Energy Improvement Program (CEIP) opened on February 28, 2023. Just one week later, the city says all slots for the first year of the four-year program have already been filled and some people are being put on a wait list.

The city says in a news release that all applications on the wait list will be processed on a first-come, first-served basis as space becomes available.

“As not all submissions received to date will move forward to full application stage, the anticipation is that space may become available in the next four to six months,” says City of Lethbridge officials. “Other submissions will be processed when year two of the program opens in February 2024.”

The CEIP allows homeowners to apply for loans to make energy-efficient upgrades to their homes, such as upgrading windows, doors, insulation, and lighting fixtures, or installing solar panels or tankless hot water systems.

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The loans would be repayed through the applicant’s property tax bills over a span of up to 20 years, depending on the life cycle of the project.

A total of $3.8 million in funding for the program has been provided by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities’ (FCM) Green Municipal Fund.

During the four-year pilot project, the program is expected to help an estimated 180 homeowners with the cost of upgrades.

A list of projects that are eligible for funding is on the Alberta Municipalities website, while details on the CEIP in Lethbridge is available on the City of Lethbridge website.

READ MORE: Lethbridge homeowners eligible for Clean Energy Improvement loans