Why Won't this Government Make Energy More Affordable for Nova Scotians?

SUSAN LEBLANC « » : Speaker, the Nova Scotia Energy Poverty Task Force, which included government representatives, delivered a four-step solution to address energy affordability last Spring, yet this government has refused to act on the report's recommendations. Why is this government refusing to make energy more affordable for Nova Scotians?

HON. TREVOR BOUDREAU: Absolutely, we understand that there are challenges with cost of living that Nova Scotians face. As a government, we've invested significantly in supporting Nova Scotians with respect to energy poverty. Over $250 million has been invested in energy efficiency programs. Just as an example, it's provided deep energy retrofits for 1,350 Mi'kmaw homes and over 2,800 public housing units. We'll continue to look at ways to support Nova Scotians. I'm very proud of the work that we've done and the work that was done by my predecessor. We'll continue to always look out for Nova Scotians.

SUSAN LEBLANC « » : Programs like HARP, the HEAT Fund, and the Seniors Care Grant are targeted programs that the government has talked about in this conversation before. They provide support to a few Nova Scotians who have to jump through hoops to get the support. What we need is a universal program that ensures that all Nova Scotians can afford to pay their energy bills, especially as we face the unknown times coming because of these tariffs. When will this government deliver real energy affordability for all Nova Scotians?

TREVOR BOUDREAU: As I've said before, and I'll say again, and I'll repeat it over and over again: We always are looking out for the best interest of Nova Scotians. As I've said, and I'll keep reiterating, we've invested a significant amount of money in efficiency programming and in other programming as well. Just to give Nova Scotians an idea of what these investments in efficiency programming have done: We've saved over $180 million a year for Nova Scotians on their energy bills. These are important investments. We'll continue to look at what we can do in the future to support Nova Scotians.

Why isn't the government doing more to help Nova Scotians who are struggling to keep the lights on?

SUSAN LEBLANC « » : Nova Scotia Power customers are dealing with yet another power rate increase of 2.4 per cent. Across this province, Nova Scotians are finding it increasingly difficult to afford housing, food, and other essentials, and now they have to deal with yet another price increase. My question is for the Minister of Energy: Why isn't the government doing more to help Nova Scotians who are struggling to keep the lights on?

HON. TREVOR BOUDREAU: We know that when energy bills or power bills come in and Nova Scotians see a rise, they have concerns, and it's a challenge for people, and we recognize that, and as a government, we've taken some significant investments to make sure that we support Nova Scotians. There was a report last week that said there was a 2.4 per cent increase that happened through Nova Scotia Power, and I just want to read from that, and I'll table this, but we provided a bailout. We negotiated a $500 million loan guarantee from the federal government to support Nova Scotians, and without that bailout, the utility said it would have raised average rates 19.2 per cent this year, not 2.4.

SUSAN LEBLANC « » : Well, I'm glad the minister understands that it is a struggle for many, many Nova Scotians to pay their power bills. I have an idea. It's not mine, actually. The province is one of the provinces with the highest rate of energy poverty, but the Energy Poverty Task Force has laid out a plan to address the issue. We don't need to continually get bailouts. We have another idea: The plan includes an arrears forgiveness program and rate discounts for lower-income Nova Scotians, among other things. In case a reminder is needed, the department received this task force recommendation in April of last year. Why hasn't the government implemented the recommendations to help lift more Nova Scotians out of energy poverty?

TREVOR BOUDREAU: We've created a number of different programs to support Nova Scotians and ratepayers here in Nova Scotia to support them with their challenges with their energy bills. I can think of the HARP program, $600 a year to support Nova Scotians. I think of the HEAT Fund, again to support Nova Scotians who are struggling with energy poverty. I think of the Seniors Care Grant - $750 a year - and I think of the investments in this budget to reduce taxes, to put more money in people's pockets, to support Nova Scotians when these are challenging times that they face.

When will this government help make home heating and power bills affordable for all Nova Scotians?

SUSAN LEBLANC « » : Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Energy. A recent study in Bridgewater found that 31 per cent of people were cutting back on groceries to pay for utilities, and 18 per cent of people were cutting back on utilities to pay for groceries. That is nearly 50 per cent of folks stuck in a heat or eat dilemma. My question to the minister is: Can the minister tell us what he expects people in Bridgewater and all of Nova Scotia to do? Should they heat or should they eat?

HON. TREVOR BOUDREAU: We recognize that the cost of living has certainly put an impact on Nova Scotians' ability to pay for things. That's why we've taken unprecedented steps as a government to make sure that Nova Scotians have the support they need. I think of a number of different programs we have with respect to supporting people with energy poverty. I think of the HEAT Fund and I think of the HARP. I also think of the Seniors Care Grant that provides $750 for Nova Scotia seniors who are struggling. We will continue to do what we can to support Nova Scotians. They know that and this government is here for them.

SUSAN LEBLANC « » : Perhaps in Estimates the minister and I can debate the definition of "unprecedented," because those programs that he just listed are (1) not unprecedented and (2) not enough money. No one should be forced to decide between heating their home and buying groceries. I said in the last question that that's what people are doing. Nova Scotians deserve a government that will step up and take the necessary actions to alleviate the stress that comes with tight budgets and increasing costs. My question to the minister is: When will this government take concrete steps to make home heating and power bills affordable for all Nova Scotians?

TREVOR BOUDREAU: This gives me an opportunity to talk about the unprecedented, extraordinary actions we've taken to support Nova Scotians with efficiency programming. Over $250 million has been allotted for efficiency programs in this province. Nova Scotians have been applying to those programs in droves. Nine times the number of people have been applying for those because of that program that we provided. Part of that program is providing heat pumps to Nova Scotians. Those heat pumps will help people get off oil and will save people up to $1,500 a year. We are here for Nova Scotians and will continue to be.

When will Nova Scotians get support to be able to afford their energy bills?

gling to pay their energy bills, the highest proportion in Canada. I will table that. The Nova Scotia Energy Poverty Task Force, which includes government representatives, delivered a four-step solution to address this problem last Spring. I will table that. My question to the Minister of Energy is: Can the minister please explain why we have seen no action to make the changes that Nova Scotians need to be able to afford their energy bills?

HON. TREVOR BOUDREAU: Speaker, our government has taken extraordinary measures to avoid increases in power rates. I can think of a number of different initiatives. I can think of Bill No. 212, which limited the ability of the NSUARB to allow for increases by Nova Scotia Power. I can think of the $117 million investment that our government made to pay off the fuel adjustment mechanism for making sure that Nova Scotians didn't have a 7 per cent increase in power rates.

We also negotiated a $500 million agreement with the federal government to make sure that Nova Scotians didn't have a 19 per cent increase in power rates. We're doing what we can, and we'll continue to do what we can.

SUSAN LEBLANC « » : This government's commitment to keep future increases within the national average will not help Nova Scotians who are already struggling with the current rates. Any increase will simply add to their financial stress. What is really needed is the four-step solution previously put forward that includes bill affordability, arrears management, crisis intervention, and support to make homes more energy-efficient. When will this government deliver the solutions that Nova Scotians deserve?

TREVOR BOUDREAU: Nova Scotians already have access to programs within those four realms that the member is speaking about. But just as an aside, this government has invested in a number of different ways to support Nova Scotians with the cost of living. In particular, with respect to energy, I think of the Heating Assistance Rebate Program - $600. I think of the HEAT Fund program that is distributed by the Salvation Army that we work on very hard, as well as diversion funding through the Department of Opportunities and Social Development for people on income assistance. We know that Nova Scotians need support, and we'll be that government to be there for them.

The Government Must Address Energy Poverty

On September 17 I asked the Minister of Natural Resources and Renewables what the Houston government’s plan is to address energy poverty. Below is our exchange:

SUSAN LEBLANC: My question is for the Minister of Natural Resources and Renewables. Nova Scotia has one of the highest rates of energy poverty in the country, with about 43 per cent of households paying more on energy than they can afford. Earlier this year, this department was involved in the development of a report that called for and designed a program to ensure people can afford the electricity they need. I will table that report. Does the minister support the findings of this report? What is the minister's plan to address energy poverty?

HON. TORY RUSHTON: I'm not sure what report got tabled, so I'll have a look at that because there have been a few reports on this. Some were government reports, some were independent reports. I will have a look at the report. What I can say is the Clean Electricity Solutions Task Force did make a recommendation - Recommendation No. 12 - to look at what Ontario is doing for affordability. We have looked at what Ontario is doing. We started that process - task force Recommendation No. 12. We're comparing what's going on in that jurisdiction to what we're doing in our jurisdiction. We're still looking at that.

What I can say is that $250 million has been invested since we've taken government on energy affordability and different forms of energy. We'll continue that. We'll also look at other alternatives. We have found out from working with other jurisdictions that we're doing a lot that other jurisdictions aren't.

SUSAN LEBLANC: I'll just reiterate the fact that we have one of the highest rates of energy poverty. Whatever we're doing, we're not doing enough: 43 per cent of households are living in energy poverty.

Thank you to the minister for bringing up Recommendation No. 12. This was actually the second report. The report that I just tabled was the second report from last year that called for decisive action on energy affordability. The final report from the Nova Scotia Clean Electricity Solutions Task Force, which I'm sure the minister is familiar with, also directed this government to "determine the best way to deliver a 'Made in Nova Scotia' suite of programs" - Recommendation No. 12 - "to help with residential electricity costs."

Has the government accepted this recommendation? When will Nova Scotians see programs to lower their energy bills in place?

TORY RUSHTON: I just had a look at that report. That’s actually an independent report. That wasn’t a government report. That was an independent body report. What I can say is looking back over the last couple of decades, the highest rates actually increased under the NDP government. What we have done is $250 million investment of this province’s money for affordability. We also looked at the fuel adjustment mechanism that was going to be put into place to add nearly a double-digit increase for all ratepayers. Since October, we’ve been negotiating with the federal government. Yesterday they helped us out: $500 million so the rates in Nova Scotia won’t go up this year.

Children and Foodbanks

I gave the following members statement on February 28, 2024:

At the beginning of 2024, the North Dartmouth Outreach Resource Centre Society, one of Dartmouth North’s local food banks, posted a sobering figure to its Facebook page. In 2023, the average number of children served by the food bank went up to 70 in 2023 from 31 in 2022. Even more sobering is that the average number of children served by the food bank in both 2021 and 2020 was 15. 

That means that today, the North Dartmouth Outreach Resource Centre alone is serving 55 more children than they were three years ago. They’re just one of the many food banks in Dartmouth North, and of course the province, that is serving the people bearing the brunt of the affordability crisis. Nova Scotia has the highest child poverty rate in Atlantic Canada, and approximately one in four kids in Nova Scotia don’t get enough to eat every day. There are so many things we can and must do to reduce and eliminate child poverty, some of which we have proposed in this Legislature. 

I hope that every member in this House can commit themselves this session to working toward a world where no family has to rely on a food bank to feed their children.

Dartmouth North Mobile Food Market

I gave the following members statement in the Nova Scotia Legislature on February 27:

Speaker, people in Dartmouth North now have another option for buying low-cost produce. The Mobile Food Market has set up a permanent location in Saint Anthony Church at 26 Courtney Road.

The Mobile Food Market has transformed this space into a warm and welcoming spot. Tables are arranged in rows and on market days the produce is laid out in bins on the tables. Shoppers move up and down the rows, pick what they need, and pay at the cash register. The market is open each Tuesday from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., and takes cash, credit and debit. There’s also an area to sit, have a cup of coffee or tea and a chat, and a kids’ corner with lots of fun activities for the little ones.

Since opening on January 23rd, there has been a consistent turnout of about 80 people each week.

As we see the cost of everything go up, especially groceries, the timing of this new market couldn’t be better. I ask the House to join me in extending congratulations and thanks to the Mobile Food Market for this much-needed service in Dartmouth North.

Susan Leblanc Questions Houston Government on Heating Help

The income threshold and the refunds given out under the Heating Assistance Rebate Program have not changed in almost 15 years. Recently I asked the Houston government If they would raise the income threshold and the refunds under the program to allow more people to qualify in the @nslegislature. Below is our exchange:

SUSAN LEBLANC: Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Premier. The Heating Assistance Rebate Program is designed to help people with the cost of heating their homes, but the income thresholds and the refunds given out under the program - between $100 and $200 - haven’t changed in almost 15 years. The price of furnace oil hit $1.98.4 cents per litre in Halifax last week and it has gone up about 30 cents since October. Dan McTeague, the President of Canadians for Affordable Energy, says; “I’m not so sure we’re not going to see incidents of people literally freezing this winter.” Will the Premier raise the income thresholds and the refunds under the Heating Assistance Rebate Program to allow more people to qualify for the program?

HON. COLTON LEBLANC: I certainly understand the hardships that Nova Scotians are feeling at the price at the pumps and when it comes to heating their homes with home heating oil. The member is correct: that program did open up earlier this week, with up to $200 for eligible Nova Scotians. We continuously look at ways to improve this program, Mr. Speaker. Again, on this side of the House, we’re very concerned about the impacts of what’s going to happen with the Liberal carbon tax and call on members opposite to join in opposing the federal carbon tax.

SUSAN LEBLANC: I thank the minister for that answer. I will say simply that if you are concerned, then you can do what I’m suggesting in this question and that is raise the threshold for this program because that is in your control. Mr. Speaker, people cannot afford their bills. A Wolfville woman contacted us to say, simply put, a 10 per cent increase in energy costs would likely leave me homeless. I could not afford another apartment. There is no amount of cutting back or efficiency that could close the gap. I’ve already made use of Efficiency Nova Scotia programs. I already use the food bank and I already keep the heat too low. I will ask again: Will the Premier or government expand the Heating Assistance Rebate Program?

COLTON LEBLANC: Mr. Speaker, we’re interested in targeted solutions and that’s why earlier this year we topped up the Heating Assistance Rebate program. All options are on the table. We’re considering what we have to do to support Nova Scotians. Improvements to the program ensure that Nova Scotians were getting the money quicker into their pockets through direct deposit. I’d like to remind the member we did create the Seniors Care Grant and there are actually provisions under that grant now - up to $250 for home heating oil - and I encourage her to remind her constituents about that.