The woodstove exchange program will continue for another year after the provincial government confirmed this week that $19,350 for the task will go to the Prince George Air Improvement Roundtable (PGAIR).
PGAIR president Terry Roberts said the goal for 2012 will be to provide $500 rebates to at least 50 homeowners to upgrade their stoves and lower the amount of particulate and other pollutants going into the city's air.
That means PGAIR will need at least $25,000, but Roberts said the volunteer organization will turn to other sources to raise additional cash - the city and the regional district among them - to reach that goal and a few more.
"We'll also be trying to enhance the program so it's accessible to people at a number of different economic levels," Roberts said. "And so we're going to be exploring some opportunities to do about five woodstove exchanges initially for some folks in the lower income brackets."
Along with getting new stoves, Roberts said using both old and new stoves properly is important, and to that end, will combine the exchange program with a "burn it smart" initiative.
"We want to make sure that people are not burning wood that has higher than a 20 per cent moisture content because it really does affect the quality of the emission," Roberts said.
With 2011 coming to an end, 52 rebates have been handed out so far and Roberts expects that total will rise to 60 by the end of the year. The program covers the city and surrounding rural communities.
"People are interested in saving money and this is one opportunity to save money but also upgrade to a newer, more efficient energy option," Roberts said.
For more information, visit pgairquality.com or call Roberts at 250-612-0252.
