Across Ontario, roughly three million residents speak a first language other than English or French. A significant proportion qualify for fully funded home energy programs, but many are not accessing them.
Power Up is our practical response.
Launched in June 2026 with funding from the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) and Enbridge Gas, Power Up is a multilingual community outreach program connecting newcomer households in Ottawa with fully funded programs, including the Save on Energy™ Energy Affordability Program and the Enbridge Gas Home Winterproofing Program — at no cost to the household, in Arabic, Mandarin, Hindi and Spanish.
The model
EnviroCentre has delivered home energy programs across Eastern Ontario for more than 25 years. With Power Up, we are extending the reach of that work into four new languages.
The program is organized around Energy Ambassadors: community members recruited from the neighbourhoods they serve, trained in program eligibility and application processes, and working in the languages of the people they reach. Operating through settlement agencies, cultural centres, language programs and community events, Ambassadors provide support from first conversation through eligibility assessment, application, installation and follow-up.
“There are households in Ottawa paying more than they should for energy, and who qualify for support they don’t know how to access,” said Aaron Nunes, Outreach Lead for EnviroCentre Affordability. “Power Up is a practical attempt to fix that.”
The pilot
The program is running across five Ottawa neighbourhoods — Heron Gate, Bayshore, Cyrville, Kanata West and Greenboro/South Keys — with Belleville joining in late June 2026. The year-one target is 1,500 households connected to fully funded home energy upgrades.
If we can demonstrate the model works here in Ottawa, the plan is to expand to new locations in 2027.
Get involved
Power Up works best in partnership with organizations already trusted in the communities it serves. We are actively seeking partners in Ottawa — settlement agencies, cultural associations, language programs and community health centres — and welcome conversations with organizations across Ontario as we build towards province-wide expansion in 2027.
To learn more about Power Up, visit: envirocentreaffordability.ca/powerup
Interested in partnering with EnviroCentre or piloting a program in your community? We’d love to hear from you.