Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
The home shows that young families visit before building their first house do not focus much attention on energy consumption. They may showcase heating systems, but they tend to focus more on aesthetic matters, such as kitchen counters and cabinets. People tend to be unaware of what is available in terms of energy-efficient homes.
What concerns me—and Mr. Ouellet raised this; we have been talking about it for 35 years—is that energy-efficient homes are not really a priority for Canadians. More information is needed, but sometimes providing information does not deliver the desired result. I wonder whether simply providing information will be enough to persuade Canadians to choose energy-efficient homes. Are there kits to encourage the use of solar power and geothermics in the cities? People who get their supply from the municipal water system will not be interested in geothermics. However, let us take the example of a young couple who want to buy a house at $100,000 or $125,000 and who realize that, with all the extras, there will not be much left over for a heating system. As the cost of a heating system represents approximately 30% of the total value of a house, the couple could choose to spend less on their heating system and put more insulation around the doors.
What do you view as being the ideal system for Canadians? What could they buy, that would give them various options, so that 15 years later their investment would pay off? Is it possible to make such a promise, or is it so unpredictable that no such guarantee can be made? People know that conventional systems can cost around $10,000 and will allow them to heat their home for a certain foreseeable amount each year. Will the new systems allow us to guarantee Canadian consumers that by investing a certain amount they will make significant savings? Can we guarantee that their investment will pay off?