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Everything You Need To Know About The Canada Greener Homes Initiative

Christian Wilkinson • Aug 06, 2022

Grant & Loan Programs

The government of Canada is now offering incentives for homeowners wishing to reduce the environmental impacts of their homes. Canadians looking to improve energy efficiency may be eligible for up to $10,600 in grant money towards their green retrofits.

If eligible for this Canada Greener Homes Grant, homeowners with larger projects may also apply for an interest-free loan of up to $40,000!

This initiative is part of Canada’s climate plans for reaching net zero by 2050. Let’s dive in with everything you need to know to take advantage of these opportunities, starting with why you should!

The Benefits of Greener Homes

Cost

High-efficiency heating and cooling equipment keep utility bills low. Drafty windows and doors require constant temperature control to keep your home comfortable, resulting in expensive charges.

Comfort

Leaks in your home’s air sealing can affect the ventilation and air quality. With draft-free windows and doors, you can stop these leaks, as well as the entrance of pollutants and impurities. Improving the temperature management of your home keeps you, your family, and your guests comfortable.

Curb-Appeal

New windows and doors can freshen up any home, making the whole neighbourhood swoon! A door of just the right colour and style can give the grandest of entrances to family and friends. Windows improve the view into and out of your home and your access to natural light. Beautiful additions like these help you feel at home and look great to potential buyers, improving the resale value of your home.

Care

You’re doing your part! By lowering your home’s energy consumption, you are reducing your entire home’s footprint. Quality products that are properly installed reduce the emissions that come with operating your home, helping our planet to heal. A healthy world creates a better future for all!

Eligibility

About The Program (Grant vs Loan)

A grant is money gifted without the need for repayment. There are 700,000 Greener Home Grants available for Canadians. This grant ranges from $125 to $10,000 per household, with an additional up to $600 for required EnerGuide evaluations.

The Greener Homes Loan ranges from $5,000-$40,000 and is entirely interest-free, with a 10-year repayment term. Homeowners must confirm eligibility and apply for the grant before applying for the loan.

Who Can Apply

Check your eligibility for taking advantage of these initiatives.

Requirements: Only one homeowner per home can apply. You must provide proof of ownership and demonstrate the property is your primary residence.

Eligible Property Types:

Single and semi-detached houses
Row housing
Townhomes
Mobile homes on a permanent foundation
Permanently-moored floating homes
Mixed-use buildings (residential portion only)
Low-rise multi-unit residential buildings (three storeys or less with a footprint of 600m²or less)

*New homes are not eligible.

Eligible Retrofits

(Click for benefits and additional resources on each.)

How To Apply

Applying For Grant

The grant must be applied for first. After determining eligibility, use the application here. The Grant ranges from $125 to $5,000, with an additional $600 available towards evaluation fees.

Pre-retrofit EnerGuide Evaluation

An EnerGuide evaluator must assess your home before any retrofits to determine the best options for improving your home’s efficiency and resiliency. Factors that may impact their decisions include location, age, layout, and daily operations of your home. Their expert recommendations will be the retrofits eligible for coverage through the Canada Greener Homes initiative.

You will find a registered NRCan energy advisor through a local service provider based on your postal code during your application process. After registering, your evaluator will contact you directly to schedule your evaluation.

Once your pre-retrofit evaluation is complete, you will receive an EnerGuide home rating and label, a Homeowner Information Sheet detailing the assessed property, and a Renovation Upgrade Report outlining recommendations.

You will not receive eligible grant coverage of evaluation fees up to $600 until after the entire grant process has been completed.

If you are also applying for the loan, only one pre-retrofit evaluation is necessary.

Planning and Quotes

Once you have the EnerGuide recommendations for your home’s eligible retrofits, you may begin the required quoting process. Remember: Only retrofits suggested by your evaluator will be eligible for grant and loan coverage.

Homeowners undergoing large-scale renovations may wish to hire a contractor to ensure all building codes, bylaws, and other legislation are adhered to throughout the process. A contractor will also ensure any required permits are obtained.

Get estimates from contractors and local service providers for your covered retrofits. The government of Canada recommends getting at least 1-3 quotes. Plan the work based on your budget and other renovations, get any necessary permits, and schedule the work.

You must ensure that all products purchased and installed are from Canada and eligible for coverage by checking here. You should also contact your home insurance provider to advise them of the work being done and to update your policy if necessary.

Loan Application

You will apply for the loan by logging into your Canada Greener Homes Grant account. Submit your loan by uploading the required documents to your loan portal. These will include items such as property tax statements, government-issued IDs, utility bills, confirmation of employment, and quotes received from contractors and service providers during your planning process.

You may be eligible for an upfront payment of a portion of your loan if you provide documentation in your application that your contractor and/or service providers require an initial deposit.

The Process

Doing The Work

It is essential to ensure that you are documenting all work being completed, as well as your expenses, to ensure coverage from the loan and/or grant.

The government of Canada recommends keeping your documentation until March 31, 2028. This includes all receipts, invoices, completed work proof, and necessary attestation forms.

Check the complete list of mandatory and recommended documents here.

Post-retrofit EnerGuide Evaluation

Once your retrofits are complete, you must schedule and complete a final EnerGuide evaluation. From this, you will receive a full report on the amount of energy saved and the reduction of your home’s emissions.

You are responsible for the upfront costs of the required evaluations. Your second evaluation may differ in cost from the first. Remember: You will not receive the Pre-Retrofit Assessment Grant until you have completed the entire Grant process, including your post-retrofit evaluation. You may receive up to $600 in reimbursement.

After completing this step, you can verify it through your Greener Homes portal and request your grant. The service organization of your evaluator is required to upload all available reports, including your home rating, label, and Homeowner Information Sheet, to this portal which you will then be able to access. You will also be given an estimate of your eligible grant and loan amounts.

Request and Receive Your Grant

You will now need to upload all required documentation into your Canada Greener Homes portal. Program officers can take up to 40 business days to review your documents and will contact you directly for any further information or documents they may need.

Once this review is completed, you will be prompted to log in to your portal to confirm your grant total. It can take up to 30 business for your payment to process, after which a cheque will be mailed to your home.

Receive Your Loan Amount

Your energy advisor will upload all pertinent documentation to your Greener Homes portal, including your final grant amount estimates. You will also be uploading all necessary invoices and receipts.

Your loan amount will be reviewed with the final costs of your retrofits. If your costs are lower than estimated, your eligible amount will be lowered. If your costs become higher than quoted, your amounts will not be adjusted.

Your final loan balance, minus any advance you may have already received, will be deposited to you within 10 days. You will also receive details for your loan repayment, which will involve interest-free payments due over a 10-year period.

Additional Resources

The Canada Greener Homes Grant & Loan Initiatives are an excellent opportunity for homeowners to affordably improve the value of their homes while reducing their impact on the planet. For further information on how to take advantage of this program and other rebates and incentives that may be available to you, please visit www.nrcan.gc.ca/home.

Sources and Helpful Links:

https://www.nrcan.gc.ca/energy-efficiency/homes/what-energy-efficient-home/20548

https://www.nrcan.gc.ca/energy-efficiency/homes/make-your-home-more-energy-efficient/20550

https://oee.nrcan.gc.ca/residential/programs/programs.cfm?attr=24

https://www.nrcan.gc.ca/energy-efficiency/homes/find-service-provider/15807

https://www.nrcan.gc.ca/energy-efficiency/homes/canada-greener-homes-grant/23441

https://www.nrcan.gc.ca/energy-efficiency/homes/local-energy-efficiency-partnerships-leep/17338

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Everything You Need To Know About The Canada Greener Homes Initiative

By Christian Wilkinson • 06 Aug, 2022

You may be eligible for up to $10,600 in grants and $40,000 in interest-free loans for improving your home's energy-efficiency! Learn how to take advantage today.

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