Government of Canada Launches New Home Energy Savings Grant Program

The federal government of Canada has launched a new Home Energy Savings Grant program that offers homeowners grants to retrofit their homes and make them more energy efficient. The Canada Greener Home Grants program, funded to the tune of $2.6 billion, will offer homeowners grants of up to $5,000 that can be put toward energy-saving projects such as:

• Improved insulation;
• Air sealing, thermostats;
• Energy efficient heating and cooling equipment;
• Solar panels; and
• Energy-efficient windows and doors.

Additional Grant For Home Energy Audit

The home energy savings grant program will also include grants of up to $600 that can be used for EnerGuide home energy audits. The Canada Greener Home Grants program is expected to award 700,000 grants over seven years.

Home Grant Eligibility Criteria

There are certain eligibility criteria that must be met in order for the homeowner to take advantage of the grants, including but not limited to:

• Provide proof of ownership;
• Program applies to a homeowner’s primary residence only;
• Eligible property types include ground-related homes and small multi-unit residential buildings up to 3 storeys);
• Applies to homes built six months ago or older;
• Complete a pre- and post-retrofit EnerGuide evaluation;
• Complete at least one retrofit that is both eligible and recommended by the energy advisor in order to be reimbursed.

How To Apply for Canada Home Energy Savings Grant

Applications are now available on the Natural Resources Canada website. An application starts with an energy evaluation by a certified adviser. That adviser visits an applicant’s home and determines which energy-saving measures would qualify for reimbursement. If the homeowner chooses to proceed, a licensed contractor would then be hired to conduct the retrofits. After an inspection of the completed work, the homeowner would be reimbursed.

Please check for additional information on program eligibility and to learn more about the initiative.

Employment Opportunity as a New Energy Auditor

To support the anticipated need for energy advisors, the government recently announced that it is providing up to $10 million to recruit, train and mentor 2,000 new energy auditors.

The Canada Greener Homes Grant program, the hiring of 2,000 new energy advisers, and the yet-to-be-launched $40,000 retrofit loan program through CMHC are all part of a bigger greener homes initiatives that is expected to be announced soon in 2021.

Additional Homeowners Interest-free Loans

In this year’s federal budget, the government proposed creating a separate fund of $4.4 billion over seven years through which the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) could offer homeowners interest-free loans of up to $40,000 in exchange for authorized energy-efficient retrofit projects. These loans could be available as soon as this summer, and it is believed that more than 200,000 households would take part in that program.

We will update Members as soon as more details become available, and encourage you to familiarize yourself with the Canada Home Grant program so that you can advise your clients accordingly about this opportunity.

For any Questions / Inquiries Contact Realtor Sean Findlay using the form below: