Empowering Energy Equity Through Choice and Innovation 

  • Client

    City of Calgary

  • Year

    2025

  • Region
    • North America (USA-Canada)
  • Service
    • Portfolio Planning and Design
    • Program Evaluation
    • Metering Studies and Energy Data Insights
  • Countries

    Canada

  • Provinces

    Alberta

  • Sector
    • Governments
    • Utilities

What if climate action could be more than just reducing emissions—what if it could also advance social equity, empower residents, and improve household well-being? That was the bold challenge the City of Calgary set out to tackle with its Energy Equity Strategy.

Econoler partnered with the City to transform this vision into reality through the Calgary Home Upgrades Pilot Program, a first-of-its-kind initiative designed to make energy efficiency and resilience accessible to all income-qualified Calgarians, including renters.

Background: Calgary’s Energy Strategy

In 2025, the City of Calgary took a strategic leap forward in climate action through its Climate Strategy: Pathways to 2050. Following an in-depth public engagement process, the City wrote the Advancing Energy Equity Together : Calgary’s Energy Equity Strategy which positioned energy equity as a key lever for reducing emissions and building climate resilience.

The City recognized that achieving these goals required a program that was both technically robust and socially inclusive—one that could deliver energy savings, enhance home resilience, and ensure that vulnerable residents could participate fully. This is where Econoler’s expertise in program design, energy efficiency, and community engagement became instrumental.

Mandate

Design a pilot program that balances climate impact with accessibility and equity.

Designing a Pilot Program with Purpose and Impact Through Research

The mandate was clear: design a pilot program that balances climate impact with accessibility and equity.

Econoler designed the Calgary Home Upgrades Pilot Program using a collaborative, evidence-based approach that blended best practices with local insights.

Key responsibilities included: 

  • Jurisdictional Scan: We began by analyzing municipal, non-profit, utility, and energy agency-led initiatives across Canada and beyond. This research provided a foundation of proven approaches and innovative practices.
  • Ideation Session: We then facilitated a workshop with the City of Calgary team to shape the Pilot’s framework—identifying priority participant groups, setting objectives, and outlining implementation strategies.
  • Program Design and Final Report: These efforts culminated in a comprehensive final report that detailed the Pilot’s objectives and KPIs, projected participation rates and GHG reductions, and provided a program manual with a logic model. To support community capacity-building, we also developed an educational workshop guide.

This process ensured that the Pilot was not only technically sound but also rooted in collaboration and accessibility.

Program Design: A Pilot with Choice and Flexibility

At its core, the Calgary Home Upgrades Pilot is about giving Calgarians multiple, flexible pathways to save energy and water—without financial burden.

Both homeowners and renters are eligible to participate in one or more of the Pilot’s three streams:

  1. Educational Workshops: Hands-on sessions offering practical knowledge on energy and water efficiency best practices in multiple languages.
  2. RetroKits: A package of free, self-installable products (e.g., LED bulbs, smart power bars, water leak detection tablets) available to all income-qualified households.
  3. Home Renovation Stream: A free energy audit plus direct installation of home upgrades such as high-efficiency furnaces and water heaters, designed to reduce electricity, gas and water use.  

By modeling the Pilot carefully, Econoler ensured that utility bills for participants would not increase while still delivering measurable GHG emissions reductions and water savings for the City.

Empowering Calgarians Through Energy Equity

The Pilot was designed to do much more than reduce emissions—it also aimed to provide Calgarians with non-energy benefits. The program’s key objectives include:

  • Expanding access to education and information on energy efficiency and water use reduction
  • Supporting healthier and more resilient homes, with health and safety upgrades and improved indoor air quality and air tightness
  • Helping income-qualifying households maintain adequate heating and cooling in all weather conditions
  • Providing participants with 3 stream options so they can choose how they want to participate in the Pilot
  • Ensuring accessibility for all qualifying residents, regardless of homeownership status
  • Delivering a full-service, seamless, no-cost experience for participants

To learn more about the Pilot, visit the Home Upgrades Program page. 

Expanding Energy Equity

The Calgary Home Upgrades Pilot Program demonstrates how climate action and social equity can go hand in hand. By blending evidence-based design with local engagement, Econoler helped the City create a program that is flexible, inclusive, and impactful, ensuring that vulnerable and income-qualified residents are not left behind.

Looking ahead, the Pilot serves as a blueprint for scaling energy efficiency initiatives in Calgary and beyond. The lessons learned will guide future iterations, enabling the City to broaden participation, increase energy savings, and advance both environmental and social objectives. More than just a program, the Calgary Home Upgrades Pilot is a model of how climate action can empower communities, reduce emissions, and create resilient homes for all.

Learn more about portfolio planning and design