City of Calgary – Designing the Calgary Home Upgrades Pilot Program
Client: City of Calgary
Econoler Team: Erinn Meloche, Jill Mallory, Sanaa Essiaghi, Jean-Francois Bergeron, Nevio Gentili
Pilot Website: homeupgradesprogram.ca/calgary
Background: Calgary’s Energy Equity Strategy
In 2025, the City of Calgary took a bold step forward on its Climate Strategy: Pathways to 2050 with energy equity identified as a critical climate mitigation pathway. Following an in-depth public engagement process, the City wrote the Advancing Energy Equity Together : Calgary’s Energy Equity Strategy. In the strategy, the City identified the need for a program that would not only reduce emissions but also ensure that income-qualified Calgarians, including renters, could access affordable, resilient, and efficient homes.
To transform this vision into action, Calgary partnered with Econoler to design a pilot program that could address equity, accessibility, and climate goals.
Our Approach: From Research to Design
Econoler designed the Calgary Home Upgrades Pilot Program using a collaborative, evidence-based approach that blended best practices with local insights:
- 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:
- Educational Workshops
Hands-on sessions offering practical knowledge on energy and water efficiency best practices in multiple languages.
- 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.
- 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.
Outcomes and Objectives
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.
Looking Ahead
The Calgary Home Upgrades Pilot Program is more than a set of efficiency measures—it’s a demonstration of how climate action can also advance social equity, community resilience, and household well-being. By designing a model that empowers residents with choice, knowledge, and tangible support, Econoler helped the City of Calgary move closer to achieving its climate targets while making sure no one is left behind.
