NS Power, EfficiencyOne and province come together to support vital services during COVID

NS Power, EfficiencyOne and province come together to support vital services during COVID

Nova Scotians are facing many challenges in these extraordinary times.  That is why Nova Scotia Power, EfficiencyOne and the Nova Scotia Government will redirect $3 million from the HomeWarming Program to address urgent needs during the pandemic.

 

“Nova Scotians are doing a tremendous job of stepping up to support and care for their neighbours during this difficult time, and we want to make sure no one is left behind,” said Energy and Mines Minister Derek Mombourquette. “We know there are gaps and challenges including increased demand at a time when we are seeing a shortage of staff and volunteers. That’s why we are providing more support for this vital work.”

 

The funding will support a number of organizations across the province who will help families and individuals with necessities like food and shelter and support to help people stay connected.

 

“Supporting the communities we serve and assisting those most in need has never been more important,” said Wayne O’Connor, President & CEO, Nova Scotia Power.  I am so pleased that together our teams at NS Power, EfficiencyOne and the NS Government have been able to find ways to provide additional support to Nova Scotians.

 

“We know these are uncertain times for so many Nova Scotians and repurposing HomeWarming funds in this way will allow us to continue to help Nova Scotians who are most in need.” Stephen MacDonald, CEO, EfficiencyOne.

 

The HomeWarming program helps eligible Nova Scotians upgrade their homes to make them more energy efficient and manage their energy costs. Due to the restrictions in place to reduce the spread of COVID-19, home energy efficiency assessments and upgrades cannot be completed.  The program will start up again once the restrictions are lifted but for now the funds will help to provide immediate relief for Nova Scotians during these challenging times.

 

“United Ways are nimble, knowledgeable about local needs and ready to ensure this investment will have meaningful and timely impact on the lives of those who need support most”, said Sara Napier, President & CEO, United Way Halifax. Through our Atlantic Compassion Fund, we have already provided funding to 80 frontline programs across Nova Scotia that are helping people in need of safe shelter, food, connection or mental health care to make it through this crisis. The funding announced today will enable us to do more to meet our communities’ needs and help the most vulnerable Nova Scotians make it through this.”

 

Nova Scotia Power’s contribution to the HomeWarming program is provided by its parent company Emera Inc., while the Province of Nova Scotia provides funding through EfficiencyOne.

 

Quick Facts:

• $1.36M for prepared meal delivery services such as Meals on Wheels and the VON’s Frozen Favourites to help hire staff, buy food and make meal deliveries;
• $1M for United Way’s Atlantic Compassion Fund to help vulnerable families and youth in Nova Scotia;
• $400,000 for shelters, soup kitchens and other service organizations; and
• $180,000 for Seniors’ Safety Programs and $60,000 for Community Links to help meet the needs of older Nova Scotians.

 

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About Nova Scotia Power
Nova Scotia Power Inc. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Emera Inc. (TSX-EMA), a diversified energy and services company. Nova Scotia Power provides 95% of the generation, transmission and distribution of electrical power to more than 520,000 residential, commercial and industrial customers across Nova Scotia. The company is focused on new technologies to enhance customer service and reliability, reduce emissions and add renewable energy. Nova Scotia Power has over 1,700 employees and $4.1 billion in assets. Learn more at www.nspower.ca.

 

About EfficiencyOne

EfficiencyOne is a leader in the design and delivery of resource efficiency programs and services for homes, businesses, and large industrial customers. To date, EfficiencyOne, operating in Nova Scotia as Efficiency Nova Scotia, has helped over 400,000 program participants and achieved more than $1 billion in energy savings, avoiding nearly 1 million tonnes of CO2 annually. Learn more at www.efficiencyns.ca.

 

 

Media Contacts:          

 

Nova Scotia Power

Jacqueline Foster

902.233.6015

Email: Jacqueline.Foster@nspower.ca

 

EfficiencyOne

Janet Tobin

902.499.6494

Email: JTobin@efficiencyns.ca

 

NS Energy and Mines

Gary Andrea

902-456-6196

Email: Gary.Andrea@novascotia.ca