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When Heba Aldelb arrived in Edmonton from Syria in 2024, she knew adapting to Canada's winters and navigating a cold climate would be part of building a new life.
*The interview this story is based on was conducted in Arabic with the support of a multilingual Energy Mentor, who provided live interpretation. The participant's responses have been translated into English.
When Heba Aldelb arrived in Edmonton from Syria in 2024, she knew adapting to Canada's winters and navigating a cold climate would be part of building a new life. What she didn't expect was having to learn an entirely new energy system.
Renting an older home built in 1972 and managing household utility bills for the first time, Heba discovered her winter energy bills regularly reached $500–$600, adding financial pressure while she settled into a new country, learned English, and supported her family. New to Canada, Heba didn't know why her bills were so high or what she could do to lower them,
“I didn’t know these things before because I’m a newcomer here," she said.
Everything changed after Heba attended an Empower Me workshop delivered in Arabic through the Islamic Family Hüb.
Through a partnership between EPCOR and Kambo Energy Group, Empower Me has been helping newcomers understand Alberta's energy system through free, community-based energy education workshops. Delivered in participants' own languages by multilingual Energy Mentors with deep community ties, the workshops help participants understand how energy bills work, what affects household energy use, and practical ways to lower costs without sacrificing comfort.
For Heba, learning in Arabic with an Energy Mentor’s support made all the difference.
“The Arabic workshop helped me very much," Heba said. "I understand English, but not everything."
Being able to participate and ask questions in her first language gave Heba the confidence to fully grasp the new information and apply it at home. She installed weather stripping around drafty windows after learning how much heat could escape through small gaps, lowered her thermostat to 18°C overnight instead of keeping it at 25°C, reduced laundry loads, became more mindful of water use, and encouraged her children to turn off lights when they left a room.
These practical changes added up quickly and within a few months Heba had reduced her monthly energy bill by nearly $100. Her winter bills dropped from $500–$600 to $400–$500, and her spring bills lowered from approximately $450 to $350.
For a newcomer family, these savings created meaningful financial relief.
“I learned how to save energy, and that helped me a lot,” she said. “Now I know how to reduce my bill.”
For Energy Mentor Amna, Heba's story shows how culturally relevant multilingual energy education can create lasting impact.
"As a newcomer, she needs every cent or every dollar," Amna reflected. "Even if we can help two or three people in the community who need it and appreciate it, that's a big deal for me."
The impact has extended well beyond Heba's own household. After attending a second online Empower Me workshop in English at Edmonton’s Newcomer Centre, she found herself translating the presentation into Arabic for a classmate so they could understand the information too. She now recommends Empower Me to friends and shares the same energy-saving tips with others in Arabic, creating a ripple effect in her community.
“I tell my friends about it, because it can help them too,” said Heba.
“Many Arabic-speaking newcomers are still learning English and are not yet comfortable receiving important information in English. That's why offering workshops in their native language—or in simple, easy-to-understand English, as Empower Me does—is so valuable,” Amna commented. “It helps participants better understand the information, feel more engaged, and gain the confidence to apply the energy-saving tips in their daily lives.”
Through the partnership between EPCOR and Empower Me, newcomers like Heba are learning practical ways to save energy and understand Alberta's energy system. They are also building the confidence needed to make informed decisions at home and pass that knowledge on to others in their communities, creating a ripple effect that empowers households and strengthens Albertan communities.
To learn more about Empower Me and current workshop offerings, visit the website at www.empowerme.ca.
