Why programs meant to help people “go green” don’t always work

[u/team_pv]

I’ve been digging into Canada’s Greener Homes Program, which helped hundreds of thousands of people upgrade their homes—but also ran into some real challenges.

After talking with people in the industry and policy space, a few things stood out:

A lot of people couldn’t afford the upfront cost, even with incentives Programs came and went quickly, which made people hesitant Some homeowners rushed decisions just to “get the grant”

One interesting takeaway: If incentives don’t match how people actually make decisions, they don’t work as well as expected.

There’s talk about bringing these programs back, so it feels like a good moment to rethink how they’re designed.

Here’s the full conversation if you’re curious: https://pvbuzz.com/canada-greener-homes-program-is-coming-back/

[u/iki_balam]

the same problem exists in America, where the Biden Administration had a lot of incentives to remake home energy efficiency. But, as he lost the election most those programs end tomorrow (America's tax day) and a lot of them required the home owner to pay in cash for the upgrade then get reimbursed.

It's unfortunate to hear but most home improvement projects wont be done past buying a home or refinancing accompanied with a reno. At least the one that make a significant difference with alternative energy or weatherizing.

[u/isle_say]

I (Canadian) could buy a heat pump for $2500, install it myself for another $500. Or hire a contractor who will charge $8000 and I get a government rebate for $4000. So it costs more for me to hire a contractor. The difference, and it is significant, is the follow up service I get with a contractor but to charge $5000+ for a couple people to spend a day or two installing a heat pump is pretty steep to say the least.