Our vision for a golden future
The idea for Goldfinch Energy came from Trish’s own experience when her furnace broke on a Friday night in February.
Trish had just started working with a clean energy policy organization (the Pembina Institute) and so she asked the HVAC company what alternatives there were to gas. The salesperson laughed and said, “there are no alternatives to gas”. With the risk of pipes freezing, there wasn’t time to shop around.
That was 5 years ago. Now, finally, MANY more homeowners are interested in reducing their fossil fuel consumption in order to mitigate climate change.
However, even though the urgency of addressing the climate crisis and demand from homeowners have both risen, it’s still not as easy as it should be to do the right thing. Just yesterday, I had a conversation with a Toronto resident who was interested in switching out her gas furnace for a heat pump. She was told by an HVAC contractor that it’s not possible to fully heat your home with a heat pump. She knew better though and called us to discuss her home and develop a plan.
That’s why Goldfinch Energy exists. Goldfinch Energy exists to make it possible for all homeowners to get started and keep on the path of cutting home emissions. We all want to ensure a future for children (and a decent retirement would be nice too!) Taking action at home should be easy, possible and affordable. For many clients we make a 5 or 10-year plan so each time a gas appliance fails in can be replaced with a clean technology. We’re also advocating for heat pump rebates to reduce the cost of switching.
We believe that Canadians, if given the opportunity, would choose to make their homes safer for everyone’s future.
We have a vision where that’s possible for all Canadians. We have a vision where our homes don’t spew out gas emissions but instead are affordably heated using renewable electricity. Where it’s easy to switch to a heat pump. Where it’s not complicated to add insulation to our walls and upgrade leaky windows. Where lending and rebate programs are easy to navigate and motivating to make climate-responsible choices. Where HVAC contractors are better informed on climate issues and supportive of homeowners’ desires to get off gas.
We know that people who make retrofits to their homes find them more comfortable. Rooms that used to be avoided in certain seasons are now enjoyed year round. Drafty rooms don’t send homeowners running for a toque and a warm blanket.
We also know that everyone’s journey towards a cleaner, greener home is different. We are trained Energy Advisors and have tapped into a wealth of knowledge on building science so that we can provide you with the expertise to help guide you along your journey.
We know that it’s always nice to get a rebate cheque in the mail and work hard to ensure that our clients maximize their rebate opportunities.
We’re also actively reducing the emissions produced in our own homes. Step by step switching out a gas stove for an induction stove (Trish did this just last week!), replacing a gas dryer with an electric one, preparing our homes for heat pumps (for heating, cooling and hot water) and, for clean electricity, adding solar. We look forward to continuing our own journey and being inspired by the many homeowners who have reached out to us to cut their fossil fuel emissions and make their home more enjoyable in the process. We’re all in this together.
Proudly sporting our new Goldfinch Energy hoodies after having just provided a cleantech roadmap and energy audit to a Toronto homeowner