Window company considers legal action as rebate deadline looms

With less than three weeks to go until Ontario'sGreenON program goes out the window, some customers in Ottawa are still waiting for theirenergy-efficient windows to be installed and at least one companyis considering legal action.

Ontario Premier Doug Fordditched the Green Ontario Fund in June,as part of his government's commitment toscrap the province's carbon pricing system.

• Doug Ford axes GreenON program

Although the government has said it will honourrebates for work orders that were signed before the program wascancelled, contractors only have until the end of October to complete their work.

Pat Hunter, president of Comfort King Windows & Doors in Ottawa, said that's not going to happen for him or other companies across Ontario that he's spoken to.

"Every single one of them has said they're not going to finish," he said.

• Window contractors press PCs for more time to complete retrofits

Approached to launch class action

Hunter, who has been in the window and door business in Ottawa for 43 years, said he's been approached by two law firms asking him to help launcha class-action lawsuit against the Ontario government.

• Tesla wins case against Ontario government over electric vehicle rebates

"And I've honestly told them it depends on the government," said Hunter, who believes the whole situation could be rectified if the province extends the deadline until spring 2019.

Ralph King is one of at least 1,300 customers who ordered at Comfort King Windows & Doors through the GreenON program, and he's still waiting for his new windows to be installed.

Abrupt end to rebate program angers homeowners, businesses

6 years ago

Duration 0:51

Homeowner Ralph King fears he'll be stuck paying thousands of dollars more than expected for his new windows because of the province's abrupt cancellation of the GreenON rebate program. Pat Hunter, president of his supplier Comfort King Windows & Doors, is considering legal action against the province.

No recourse for customers

King said his order cost about $17,000, and he was hoping to get a rebate of $5,000.

"Once you've got the order in the chainyou don't have the option of downgrading the window anymore," said King, who blames neither the manufacturer nor the installer.

"It's only the big guy at the top who abruptly terminated the program who is wreaking all the havoc," King said.

As much as $1 billion in Ontario's cap-and-trade fund is sitting unspent, but in a statement to CBCNews, theMinistry of Environment, Conservation and Parkssaid it will not be extending the deadline any further.

• Ford government sitting on $1B in cap-and-trade money

"The ministry is reviewing program wind-down proposals using fair and consistent criteria to determine if recipients are eligible for wind down reimbursement or for the recovery of unused funds," the statement said.