TORONTO - Ontario's New Democrats have promised nearly $1 billion over four years in retrofit programs to reduce electricity use and move the province away from its reliance on nuclear power.

"People want to save money on their electricity bills, and as a province, we want to consume less electricity, but the programs that make it easier to save energy and cut costs just aren't there," said Leader Andrea Horwath.

"It only makes sense to help households curb their electricity use. Instead, the opposite happens."

The party is promising that if elected this fall, it would provide a $5,000 rebate on home improvements ranging from installing high-efficiency furnaces to approved windows and doors. Combined with eligible federal rebates a household could save up to $10,000.

The plan will be paid for with savings generated by putting studies for nuclear refurbishements at Darlington on hold, which Horwath said would save the province about $1 billion.

Nuclear power amounts for about half of Ontario's electricity, but it's an expensive form of energy. New reactors for Darlington were initially estimated to cost $7 billion, but ballooned to $26 billion by the time a bid was made.

"We need to refocus our energy, put a pause on the nuclear plans and start looking seriously at what our options are," Horwath said.

The retrofitting plan would include $500 million for home energy savings rebates over four years, $40 million in low-interest loans and close to $300 million in grants. It would also include $150 million in an Energy Star program, which would give consumers rebates when they purchase energy-efficient products.

The NDP said homeowners would save as much as $700 a year on a $2,000 heating bill by making the changes -- programs the party said were needed after the governing Liberals cancelled a home energy savings program last year.

Energy Minister Brad Duguid, whose party launched an attack ad targeting the NDP's energy policies the day before Horwath's announcement, called the policy "really irresponsible," saying the plan would take 2,000 megawatts out of our energy system over the next few years with no plan to replace it.

"The hypocritical part of the NDP's announcement today is that Andrea Horwath, time and time again, has opposed the investments that we've been making in the very program she's suggesting we should continue," he said.

Progressive Conservative Jim Wilson said his party wouldn't reduce nuclear power, noting the province will need that power as the economy rebounds and more manufacturing plants ramp up production.

"People might have nice cosy homes after the retrofit program with the NDP but they might not have any power for those homes," Wilson said.

Greenpeace, meanwhile, applauded the NDP plan and urged the other parties to follow its focus on conservation over nuclear power.

"These kinds of innovative conservation measures have proven to be the fastest, cheapest and cleanest way to reduce both pollution and energy bills," said Greenpeace energy analyst Keith Stewart.

The NDP hopes to retrofit 400,000 homes, with loans helping 160,000 households over four years.

The plan is also expected to create up to 40,000 jobs.

Horwath, who said she will have more energy announcements as the election nears, has also said she only would support the government's feed in tariff program for small-scale power producers, and would like to take a second look at a controversial deal inked with Korean giant Samsung -- which the government made public Wednesday.

She also dismissed question about whether the Ontario NDP, buoyed by its federal cousin's surge in popularity during the May election, would suffer after revelations that interim federal leader Nycole Turmel was once a card-carrying member of the separatist Bloc Quebecois.

"We see all parties have got MPs that in some way or another have been related or dealt with the Bloc in some way or another," Horwath said.

"The bottom line is I think it's more important to look at what (Leader) Jack (Layton) has been able to do to bring Quebecers into the fold in terms of a federalist option."