EDMONTON, July 11, 2023  - Alberta Ecotrust Foundation and Kambo Energy Group have partnered to help lower-income homeowners in Edmonton and Calgary reduce their energy costs through the Home Upgrades Program. The program launched in Calgary on June 19, 2023 and is now available in Edmonton.

The Home Upgrades Program is the only program in Alberta to provide free mentorship, energy education, and deep energy retrofits to eligible families. The program implements a proven solution to reduce both energy poverty and greenhouse gas emissions, and can be scaled up as more financial support becomes available. With one in five Albertan households currently paying disproportionately more on their energy bills than the average household (CUSP, 2019), the Home Upgrades Program addresses a critical gap in existing services

Alberta Ecotrust Foundation, a charity that leads urban climate change action through their Climate Innovation Fund, and Kambo Energy Group, an equity-based social enterprise that designs and delivers solutions to reduce energy poverty and improve housing in communities often missed by traditional programming, are working with a group of funders to support as many households as possible. 

In Edmonton, the program aims to provide education and home upgrades for up to 100 homeowners by the end of 2024. Financial support is currently provided through Alberta Ecotrust’s Climate Innovation Fund, Alberta Real Estate Foundation, City of Edmonton, McConnell Foundation and Suncor Energy Foundation. Fundraising for the program is still underway. 

“As a founding member of the Low Carbon Cities Canada network, the partnership between Alberta Ecotrust Foundation and Kambo Energy Group is a natural fit. This announcement will not only help build resilient Alberta communities and accelerate emissions reductions, but it will also create good paying jobs and build an economy that works for everyone.” – The Honourable Randy Boissonnault, Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance, Member of Parliament for Edmonton Centre, Alberta.

“Edmonton is proud to support community-based initiatives that help citizens take an active role in combating climate change and supporting energy transitions through programs like this one. Through Edmonton’s Energy Transition Strategy our goal is to alleviate energy poverty by making homes more energy efficient and benefiting those who need it the most. This improves the quality of life for program participants while helping us meet our climate goals.” - Mayor Amarjeet Sohi, City of Edmonton.

“The Home Upgrades Program is making energy retrofits and education more accessible to Albertans who may be struggling to make ends meet. We want everyone to live in a warm, comfortable, and affordable home, which isn’t always a reality for the thousands of lower-income residents spending a disproportionate amount of their income on energy,” explains Yasmin Abraham, President and Co-Founder of Kambo Energy Group. “Our community focused approach and unique program design is already having an impact in Edmonton and we're looking forward to helping even more individuals feel comfortable and confident in their homes.”

“We are excited to launch the Home Upgrade Program and as it scales up, we will be able to support more families while further reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the residential building sector,” says Mike Mellross, Program Director at Alberta Ecotrust Foundation. “With our partner Kambo Energy Group and the organizations currently supporting us, we will be able to demonstrate what a long-term solution to address energy poverty while mitigating climate change can look like in Alberta. ” 

The learnings and insights from this program will be shared with communities in Alberta and across Canada so that the successes of the program can be replicated.

For more information on how to apply or become a funder, please visit www.homeupgradesprogram.ca

Please direct media inquiries to:

Maureen Ezeodumegwu

Communications Manager

Alberta Ecotrust Foundation

m.ezeodumegwu@albertaecotrust.com 

403.209.2245 x 205

Emma Gammans

Communications Manager

Kambo Energy Group

emma@kambo.com

403.478.4543

Additional Quote

Alberta Real Estate Foundation
This project responds to the call we heard from our stakeholders to increase the energy efficiency of our built environment, improve housing affordability, and support Albertans as homeowners. We are thrilled to contribute to the research and evaluation required to support the development of thoughtful programs and policies. We are honoured to be one of many partners invested in creating pathways to more equitable access to the necessities of energy and housing.  - Patti Morris, Executive Director, Alberta Real Estate Foundation 

About Alberta Ecotrust Foundation and the Climate Innovation Fund

Alberta Ecotrust Foundation is a founding member of the Low Carbon Cities Canada (LC3) network. LC3 supports cities and communities in reaching their carbon emissions reduction potential. This initiative is implemented in partnership among seven local centres and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM). Funded by a Government of Canada endowment through FCM, LC3 is part of a national investment in municipal climate action to accelerate urban climate solutions and to help achieve Canada’s climate goal of net-zero by 2050.

As an LC3 centre, Alberta Ecotrust received a $43.4 million endowment from the Government of Canada to create the Climate Innovation Fund. The Fund provides programming in Calgary and Edmonton, taking on a nimble, accelerator role, complementing and advancing the leadership work undertaken by the municipalities.
For more information, visit albertaecotrust.com.

About Kambo Energy Group

Kambo Energy Group is an equity-based social enterprise that designs and delivers solutions to reduce energy poverty and improve housing to communities often missed. We work with Indigenous Nations, lower income households, immigrants, and new Canadians.

For more information, visit kambogroup.ca