Few students aware of energy rebate

NSCAD the only institution promoting it to students

This rebate form takes only minutes to fill out but most students don't know it exists. Photo: Sydnee Bryant

University students in Nova Scotia, along with any low- to modest-income residents of the province, stand to benefit from the government's new Heating Assistance Rebate Program (HARP). The program is part of Heat Smart, Nova Scotia's new $92-million program that will assist low-income families with their home heating bills this winter.

The problem is, few university students seem to be aware of the program and its financial benefits.

One Halifax university is trying to change that. NSCAD recently began advertising the program on its campuses by putting up posters and sending out mass e-mails to the student body.

"We heard about it through Feed Nova Scotia because we get food bank delivery. And with food bank delivery we get a package with the rebate forms," said Becky Welter-Nolan, NSCAD's student union vice-president of cultural affairs.

"We've been publicizing it to students because we think it's really important to get as much back as you can since we're in school and most of us have student loans," Welter-Nolan said.

"We just want to give students as much opportunity to get money back when they can because there are a lot of students [at NSCAD] who use the food bank and there are a lot of students who have a really hard time paying for their supplies."

However, most NSCAD students still don't seem aware of the program or don't meet the qualifications.

"We haven't had a ton of students take advantage of it, maybe 15 or 20 that I know of have come to pick up the forms. But who knows if they'll even send them in?" Welter-Nolan said.

"We haven't really advertised it as much as we should."

At other universities in Halifax, students are even less aware that they may qualify for the heating rebate.

Meghann Bryans, communications co-ordinator for the Dalhousie Student Union, said no one at the university had heard of HARP before, that she knows of. However, she said now that they are aware of the rebate program they "may be getting into [promoting] it."

University of King's College student Monica Mutale had never heard of HARP. The first-year student lives off campus and she says the King's Student Union should definitely be telling students about the program.

"I think it would be good for all students to know, so they should definitely promote it," Mutale said.

Kaley Kennedy, president of KSU, says the council is aware of the program but has been too busy to promote it to students.

"At a meeting with Leonard Preyra [MLA for Halifax-Citadel- Sable Island] he told us about the [Heat Smart] program and we do have forms in the office," Kennedy said. "
We haven't really advertised it as much as we should but things have just been pretty crazy around here."

The KSU plans to start promoting the Heat Smart program soon, but it is unclear how or if they will be advertising it before the March 31 deadline.

"I think we had talked about putting it into TWAC [the council's electronic bulletin] but we just, I don't think, got to it," Kennedy said.

Kennedy is quick to point out not every student at King's will benefit from the heating rebate program.

"The thing is a lot of students who rent, their heating and utilities are included, so they wouldn't actually be eligible for the program. Their landlords would be," Kennedy said. "It's unclear as to what the pickup of the program would be in terms of students but I think it's definitely something students need to know about."

How HARP works

University students are just some of the Nova Scotia residents who can benefit from the new heating rebate program.

Anyone who is single and earns $27,000 or less, or is part of a family with a combined income of $42,000 or less qualifies for the rebate, said Deborah Bayer, communications adviser for Service Nova Scotia and Municipal Relations.

People who heat their homes with oil, propane or natural gas can receive anywhere from $350 to $450. Anyone who uses electricity, wood, coal or wood pellets as a heat source is eligible to receive anywhere from $50 to $150.

Applicants must provide proof of income, such an income tax assessment, as well as proof of a home fuel purchase dated between Jan. 1, 2008 and March 31, 2009. Rebates will not be issued retroactively, meaning that people cannot apply using their fuel bills from previous years.

The deadline to apply for HARP is March 31, 2009. Anyone who qualifies for the program can download an application online. Approved applicants will receive a rebate cheque six to eight weeks after their application is received.

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