With the hot, humid weather we've been experiencing this summer, the upcoming winter season may not be at the top of mind for all Nova Scotians. I want to take this opportunity to tell you what our government is doing in preparation for the winter heating season.

Rising oil prices will be a concern to all of us this winter, so we are moving now to ensure Nova Scotians are ready for the heating season..

Ministers and senior officials from several departments and agencies including Conserve Nova Scotia, Community Services, Energy, Environment, Finance, and others, are working to put new and enhanced programs in place that will provide help to people later this year.

We will be in a position to outline our plan within the next few weeks. But there are already several initiatives in place. For starters, there is Your Energy Rebate, a program that removes the provincial sales tax on heating costs. Every single Nova Scotian that pays for heat will see this benefit.

Even with this, we recognize that some Nova Scotians will still struggle with the costs of home heat. That's why we created the Heating Assistance Rebate Program. This $10-million investment will help more than 50,000 households keep warm this winter.

Last year we contributed $200,000 to the Salvation Army to help them provide home heating oil for those struggling with the rising cost of oil. This year we will double our contribution to $400,000.

But the real way to cut down on the cost of home heating is to find ways to use less oil, or wood, or electricity. Again, that's why our government's focus will be on putting programs in place that help people make their homes more energy efficient.

Much is already being done in this regard. For example, Conserve Nova Scotia is partnering with more than 135 home-improvement stores across the province to educate customers about the EnerGuide for Houses program. Through the program, homeowners could qualify for up to $6,500 in federal and provincial rebates.

Beginning in June, participating home-improvement stores began featuring promotional materials to identify products that make a home more energy efficient and help people qualify for rebates.

To participate in the EnerGuide for Houses program, homeowners can schedule a home energy evaluation by calling the EnerInfo toll free number 1-800-670-4636. After the evaluation, homeowners receive expert advice and a detailed report about ways to make their home more energy efficient. Homeowners then have 18 months to make energy upgrades.

In addition, Conserve Nova Scotia's Residential Energy Affordability Program (REAP) is designed to help low- income households take control of their energy costs. Under the pilot program Conserve Nova Scotia funded energy efficient upgrades in 105 homes across the province. Under the current program, Conserve Nova Scotia has provided funding to upgrade an additional 200 homes. These homes are scheduled to be upgraded by fall 2008. A tender call is currently out for the next phase of the program, which is expected to upgrade 300 additional homes.

For more information about saving energy and the programs that Conserve Nova Scotia offers, please visit http://www.conservens.ca/.

And as mentioned earlier, we will be announcing further measures in the coming weeks.