Canada Greener Homes

The Canada Greener Homes Initiative is a federal program administered by Natural Resources Canada designed to help homeowners increase the energy efficiency of their home. The program has three major components:

1. The Canada Greener Homes Grant provides up to $5,000 in funds towards eligible retrofits
2.  Provide up to $600 towards a home assessment (EnerGuide evaluation)
3. The Canada Greener Homes Loan provides interest-free loans between $5,000 and $40,000 with a repayment term of 10 years to help finance major home retrofits

The Canada Greener Homes Grant program gives rebates to homeowners to improve the energy efficiency of their home.   Initiative is a federal program administered by Natural Resources Canada designed to help homeowners increase the energy efficiency of their home.

1. Provides up to $5,000 in funds towards eligible retrofits
2.  Provide up to $600 towards a home assessment (EnerGuide evaluation)

A home assessment is mandatory to receive a rebate or loan. ecostep is a Registered Energy Advisor (REA) under the program and is licensed by Natural Resources Canada to perform the home evaluation. The Greener Homes Grant can be combined with the Enbridge Home Efficiency Rebate or other rebate programs available in Ontario.

We understand the rules and requirements of all programs and will help you through each step of the process. There are two assessments required under the program:

1. The “pre” assessment which is done before any work is started on the house e.g. before insulation is installed.
2. The “post” assessment which is done after the work is finished e.g. after the insulation is installed. The “post” assessment is done to confirm that the work has been completed so the homeowner can receive a rebate.

Eligibility

The Greener Homes Grant is available Canada-wide to eligible homeowners, regardless of location. The following property types are eligible for the Greener Homes Grant:

• Single and semi-detached houses
• Row housing and townhomes
• Mobile homes on a permanent foundation
• Permanently-moored floating homes
• Low-rise multi-unit residential buildings (provided they are under three storeys or 600m2 [6,458ft2] in footprint)
• Mixed-use buildings (residential portion only, provided they are under three storeys or 600m2 [6,458ft2] in footprint)
• All season cottages

The homeowner must provide proof of ownership and be able to show that the home is registered as your primary residence. Only one homeowner per home can register for the Greener Homes Grant.

Important Program Notes

• The grant amounts listed below also cover the tax amount of your retrofit costs, an exciting benefit not found in many rebate or grant programs.
• The federal grants provided through the Greener Homes Grant are not taxable and do not have to be declared as income.
• Any grant amounts received through the Greener Homes Program cannot exceed the cost of the individual measures as displayed on your invoice. In other words, the rebate amount cannot exceed the cost of equipment being installed. For instance, if your solar project costs $4,000 but you are eligible for the maximum grant amount of $5,000, you will only receive $4,000.

Process

The Greener Homes Grant is similar in process to other rebate programs such as the Enbridge Home Efficiency Rebate. Qualifying for the Greener Homes Grant requires a pre-work energy assessment, the completion of at least ONE energy efficiency retrofit upgrade, and a post-work energy assessment following the upgrade(s).  ecostep recommends the following path for our clients:

1. Contact ecostep to discuss your project and schedule an energy assessment
2. Complete your online registration on the Greener Homes Grant Portal. The homeowner is responsible for this step and only the homeowner can register the project
3. Complete a “pre” home energy assessment with ecostep. The cost of the “pre” and “post” energy evaluation, up to $600, will be reimbursed as part of the grant finalization
4. Customer will receive an EnerGuide Rating and label, a Homeowner Information Sheet and a Renovation Upgrade Report.
5. Complete at least one energy efficiency retrofit (two retrofits if combining with the Enbridge Home Efficiency Rebate) that is both eligible and recommended in the report you will from ecostep. Be sure to keep copies of all your receipts and invoices along the way.
6. Complete a “post” home energy assessment with ecostep.
7. Upload all documents online via the Greener Homes Grant portal to complete your application.
8. Receive your rebate cheque which includes reimbursement for the energy evaluation.
9. Keep all documentation until March 31, 2028.

The Canada Greener Homes Loan offers interest-free financing in addition to the Canada Greener Homes Grant to help homeowners complete some of the more major retrofits recommended by your ecostep energy advisor.

Loan Details

• Maximum: $40,000
• Minimum: $5,000
• Repayment term: 10 years, interest-free
• Loan type: Unsecured personal loan on approved credit
• A maximum of one loan is available per eligible property and homeowner.

The loan will only finance eligible products and installations that are part of a retrofit that is both recommended by an energy advisor and eligible for the grant.

To begin work in your home, a portion of the loan can be delivered to you up front which can be used towards contractors requiring a down-payment. The balance of the loan will be delivered upon successful completion of the retrofits, and verification through a post-retrofit assessment.

Eligibility

The Canada Greener Homes Loan is open to:

• You have completed pre-retrofit assessment of your home dated April 01, 2020 or later
• Eligible applicants who are applying to Canada Greener Homes Grant.
• You must be a Canadian homeowner and your home must be your primary residence
• You have a good credit history
• You will be asked to share financial information to demonstrate that you have the financial capacity to repay the loan.

This loan does not apply to the following work:

• work that you’ve already started or completed
• retrofits that haven’t been recommended by an energy advisor
•  retrofits that are not eligible for a Canada Greener Homes Grant
• retrofits that aren’t included in your application

Important Program Notes

• The same pre-work energy assessment utilized for the Canada Greener Homes Grant can be utilized for the Canada Greener Homes Loan, as long as it is dated after April 1, 2020 and work has not begun on any retrofit projects.
• The Canada Greener Homes Loan only applies to work that is applicable for the Canada Greener Homes Grant.
• The Canada Greener Homes Loan provides an unsecured personal debt obligation and does not require collateral.
• The minimum loan amount is $5,000, and the maximum loan amount is $40,000. The Canada Greener Homes Loan is interest-free, and the amount you are eligible for is dependent on the planned retrofits for your home.
• The Canada Greener Homes Loan is applicable for primary residences used for business purposes, so long as at least 50% of the space is deemed residential. The loan can only be utilized to cover costs for eligible retrofits completed on the residential portion of the property.
• The Canada Greener Homes Loan can only be utilized on your primary residence. If you own more than one property, only your primary residence is eligible to obtain a loan through the Canada Greener Homes Loan.

Process

The Greener Homes Loan utilizes a similar process as the grant. Qualifying for the loan requires a pre-work energy assessment, the completion of at least one energy efficiency retrofit upgrade, and a post-work energy assessment following the upgrade(s). The loan is applied during the pre-work application process

ecostep recommends the following path for our Ontario customers looking to apply for a loan:

1. Contact ecostep to discuss your project and schedule an energy assessment
2. Complete your online registration on the Greener Homes Grant Portal. The homeowner is responsible for this step and only the homeowner can register the project
3. Complete a “pre” home energy assessment with ecostep. The cost of the “pre” and “post” energy assessment, up to $600, will be reimbursed as part of the grant finalization
4. Customer will receive a Homeowner Information Sheet with an EnerGuide rating and Renovation Upgrade Report and ecostep Rebate Report. These can be used to help make decisions about retrofits and see what rebates are available before the renovation project begins.
5. When you’ve decided on you retrofit project(s), apply for loan by logging in and using the same Natural Resources Canada application portal that was used to submit your initial application. 
6. Complete at least one energy efficiency retrofit (two retrofits if combining with the Enbridge Home Efficiency Rebate) that is both eligible and recommended in the report you will from ecostep. Be sure to keep copies of all your receipts and invoices along the way.
7. Complete a “post” home energy assessment with ecostep.
8. Upload all documents online via the to complete all requirements
9. Receive your loan amount
10. Repay your loan overtime
11. Keep all documentation until March 31, 2028.