ACORN Takes Action to tell Minister Dix: Subsidize our A/Cs, not LNG!

ACORN members from across the Lower Mainland gathered outside the constituency office of Energy and Climate Minister Adrian Dix to demand that the province stop prioritizing LNG and instead invest in programs that keep people safe and cool.

Since the 2021 heat dome, when 619 people died across BC, it has become clear that air conditioning is a necessity, not a luxury. But air conditioners are expensive to buy and expensive to run. A short-lived free air conditioner program by BC Hydro provided some relief, until it was practically cut into non-existence last fall. 

At the same time, the BC government continues to prioritize LNG projects in Northern BC. These projects fuel the climate crisis and risk driving up the cost of energy for ordinary people. BC is forecasted to provide billions in subsidies to LNG projects in coming years, ACORN took action today to demand that those billions of dollars instead go towards protecting tenants. We need BC to subsidize A/C for tenants, not LNG. 

That’s why ACORN is calling on the province to:

• Expand the free air conditioners program, and cut the red tape so more people can actually access cooling.
• Create energy credits for low-to-moderate income ratepayers 
• Change tenant laws so that all renters have the right to air conditioning, no matter what their landlord says.

We sent the first of many messages to the BC Government: ACORN will not stop fighting the causes of climate change—LNG expansion being a prime example—and the disproportionate burden low- and moderate-income people carry as it worsens. Join our call: Say no to LNG, and yes to protecting tenants!