The City of Toronto today unveiled a clever new program, called HEAT, through which high-rise apartment dwellers get to pay for the home insulation of their low-rise neighbours. Apartment dwellers don’t consume much energy compared to house owners, the city undoubtedly reasoned, making the HEAT program (for Home Energy Assistance Toronto) of little use to the renters. Plus, since apartment dwellers already pay much more than their share of property taxes, having renters contribute a bit more so that homeowners may benefit merely continues a well established principle.

Under the new program, homeowners, who tend to be far more affluent than the renters who will be subsidizing them, will benefit by up to $1000. Even more important to those clever councillors who approved the program: Homeonwers vote in greater proportion than renters.  

Details on how to take advantage of tenants and this program are available here: http://energy.probeinternational.org/conservation/electricity/city-launches-new-home-renovation-grant-program