Dear Editor,
Since the NDP’s Carbon Tax was going to help save emissions we decided to have Energy Efficiency Alberta install some energy efficient light bulbs.
They cancelled our appointments four times and we were about to give up on having them come out. On the fifth try a pleasant gentleman came to install our bulbs.
He only was given a four-foot ladder so anything over a nine foot ceiling could not be changed out.
Any energy efficient bulbs we had already installed were not replaced. Fine, but why don’t they tell you all this before they come?
He was not authorized to install the one thermostat they are going to replace. We have to set up another appointment for that tiny job. Auggh!
So, the NDP hired people to run the program from Ontario. How much energy was used to fly or drive from Ontario?
How much energy has it cost for the office space for people setting up appointments and for them to drive to work? How much energy has been used for running all over Alberta for appointments?
How much to maintain the fleet of vehicles used?
How much energy was used to manufacture the new light bulbs?
Imagine all the carbon tax dollars used to pay this army of people and for the Ontario company’s operating costs and profits.
Another kicker to all this is that the bulbs are still usable but are thrown away into the landfills.
So a rough estimate of 50 bulbs per household, and roughly 25,000 homes done, means 1,250,000 bulbs have been thrown out before they burnt out. How is that helping the environment?
With programs run like this no wonder Alberta’s debt is skyrocketing. This shows the Carbon Tax is nothing more than a tax grab.
It is not reducing emissions whatsoever. We recently bought a hybrid car which gets twice as good gas mileage as our truck.
Should they not give incentives for something like that if they are serious about reducing greenhouse gases?
No, because that reduces the amount of carbon tax the NDP can grab.
Mike Olfert
MD of Foothills
