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ecoENERGY Retrofit – Homes is available to
owners of single family homes including detached, semi-detached
and low rise multi-unit residential buildings. Property owners
can qualify for federal grants by improving the energy
efficiency of their homes, and reducing their home's impact on
the environment. The maximum grant one can receive per home or
multi-unit residential building is $5,000; whereas the total
grant amount available to one individual or entity for eligible
properties over the life of the program is $500,000.
CLICK HERE to read more on how you can do to reduce your
energy consumption and receive grants through ecoENERGY
Retrofit.
Natural Resources Canada
Government of Ontario - Home Energy Savings
Grants for Residential Property Owners
For more details on ecoENERGY Retrofit – Homes, visit our
Frequently Asked Questions where we have listed some of the
more common questions we are asked along with our answers.
Call in the energy experts
The residential energy assessment initiative has been
developed by the Office of Energy Efficiency of Natural
Resources Canada (NRCan)
to help property owners make retrofit choices that improve the
comfort and energy efficiency of their home.
NRCan
will ensure that only licensed and independent energy advisors
will perform a residential energy assessment to identify how
your home uses energy and where it is being wasted. Advisors
will show you how to improve the comfort of your home and cut
heating and cooling costs, while ensuring adequate ventilation
for a healthy indoor environment for your family.
NRCan has
contracted with organizations across Canada to make the
residential energy assessment service widely available. The
price of the service varies because local and provincial
governments and/or private-sector partners in some regions may
also contribute to the service's delivery.
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Grants available for energy efficiency retrofits
The Government of Canada provides grants to property owners
who complete energy efficiency retrofits based on the energy
advisors' recommendations. Owners of low-rise residential rental
properties may also qualify for a grant.
The grant amount is based on carrying out energy efficiency
retrofits such as increasing your attic insulation or replacing
your gas furnace with a qualified ENERGY STAR® model.
Only homes that have undergone a residential energy efficiency
assessment by an NRCan-licensed
advisor will be eligible for grants.
You can make a difference
Today, 17 percent of all energy used in Canada goes
toward running our homes. Every time we use energy from
fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas, we produce
greenhouse gas emissions. By using less energy in our homes,
we help reduce the production of the greenhouse gas
emissions that contribute to climate change and harm our
environment.
Nowadays, homes that are more than 25 years old have the
potential to save an average of 35 percent of their energy
use. Homes that are more than 50 years old could achieve
even greater savings – an average of 38 percent.
Since 1998, more than
270,000 property owners have used
NRCan's
energy efficiency program to help identify and solve home
comfort problems and plan their energy efficiency retrofits.
NRCan
data show that if these property owners undertook all the
retrofits recommended, they would reduce their greenhouse
gas emissions by almost 4.6 tonnes per year, per house.
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How does the residential energy assessment service work?
Only homes that have been evaluated using
NRCan's
residential energy assessment service will be eligible for a
grant.
The service includes:
- a detailed energy evaluation of your home carried out by
a licensed energy advisor
- a "blower door" test to find air leaks
- a printed report that shows where your energy dollars
are being spent and what you can do to improve your home's
energy efficiency
- an energy efficiency rating label that shows you how
energy efficient your home is compared with others in your
region
Energy Efficiency Rating
The residential energy assessment service is available across
Canada through a network of
licensed organizations. Simply call to make an appointment.
The residential energy assessment service is not a
pre-purchase home inspection – it deals specifically with energy
efficiency. If you are concerned about the general condition of
your home, energy advisors will recommend that you call a home
inspector.
When should you use the residential energy assessment
service?
Does your home have comfort problems such as drafts, cold
spots and frosted windows?
Find the source of these problems and get information
about repairing them.
Renovating or retrofitting?
Energy advisors use state-of-the-art evaluation practices
and can advise on the best modern techniques and types of
products.
Upgrading your heating and cooling system?
Energy efficiency improvements can make a difference to
the size of the heating and cooling system that your home
needs.
Selling your house?
After you've made energy
efficiency upgrades and comfort improvements to your home,
the energy efficiency rating label shows potential buyers
how much you've improved your home's energy efficiency and
how it compares to other homes in your area.
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The benefits of the residential energy assessment service
Peace of mind
NRCan-licensed
energy advisors provide unbiased advice on how to improve your
home's energy use. The service is also quality-assured by the
Government of Canada to ensure the integrity of the residential
energy assessment service.
Understanding your options
The residential energy assessment service provides a thorough
basement-to-attic assessment of your home's energy use. The
energy advisor's written report will help you to plan retrofits
that will improve the energy efficiency of your home or
multi-unit residential building.
Proof of upgrades
After you have completed your energy upgrades, our experts
will provide you with a second (post-retrofit) evaluation and a
new energy efficiency rating label that indicates your home's
improved energy use.
Grants toward your retrofit expenses
Only homes that have had pre- and post-retrofit evaluations
from an NRCan-licensed
energy advisor are eligible for grants. The grant amount is
based on each of the recommended retrofits you have completed
and the relative impact the retrofits have on the energy
efficiency of your home. For instance, replacing your gas
furnace with an ENERGY STAR® qualified furnace will
achieve a high level of energy savings and will therefore have a
bigger grant value. Your energy advisor can suggest the
retrofits that are your best options.
Taking action to alleviate climate change
The use of energy from fossil fuels is a major cause of
greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change.
Canadians are being encouraged to use less energy. Make your
contribution to help protect our environment by using the
residential energy assessment service.
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Who is eligible for grants?
Ontario Provincial Government incentives Web Site
For full details on eligibility, consult your local
NRCan-licensed
service organization or check the
Questions and Answers section of this site.
Here are the main criteria:
- You can apply for a grant for a property that you own
and live in or rent out. This includes detached,
semi-detached and row houses and low-rise residential
buildings of three storeys or less (with a footprint of less
than 600 square metres), as well as mobile homes on a
permanent foundation.
- Grants are available for work done within a specific
time frame, so it is important to talk to your local service
organization about the eligibility of your house as soon as
you are ready to plan and undertake your energy efficiency
retrofits. You have 18 months from the date of your
pre-retrofit evaluation to complete the work and qualify for
a grant.
- Only homes that have undergone a pre- and post-retrofit
residential energy assessment service by an
NRCan-licensed
advisor will be eligible. You will be able to apply only
once per property.
- Homeowners must carry out specific improvements in order
to qualify for a grant.
NRCan-licensed
energy advisors will be able to tell you which retrofits
have the greatest impact on your home's efficiency. The
greater the improvement, the more the grant will be.
It is you – the property owner – who decides what retrofits
recommended by your energy advisor you wish to undertake. You
are responsible for choosing a contractor and for ensuring that
the work is performed properly. It is important that you get a
detailed written contract between you and your contractor in
order to prevent problems later on. The residential energy
assessment service does not assess the quality of the work
performed – it evaluates only the retrofit's impact on the
energy efficiency of your home.
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How do you apply for a grant?
It's easy. Your energy advisor will apply for the grant on
your behalf after you have completed the energy efficiency
retrofits and your home has been re-assessed. Your advisor will
prepare the paperwork for you to sign and will be able to tell
you exactly how much you can expect to receive. Your energy
advisor will then forward your application to
NRCan.
A table of retrofits has been established to show the payment
for the completion of each recommended upgrade. The grant amount
has been determined by the relative effectiveness of that
particular upgrade in reducing energy or water use, and not
directly on the cost of the upgrade, which will vary depending
on location, local pricing and labour costs, size of house, etc.
Note: Refer to
Retrofit Your Home and Qualify for a Grant! for grant
amounts related to retrofits.
A grant application must be submitted to
NRCan no
later than 18 months after the date of the pre-retrofit
evaluation. You can expect to receive your cheque within 90 days
of your follow-up evaluation.
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How to schedule your ecoENERGY Audit.
Contact:
Bluewater Home Inspection
1-800-611-2885
(519)
383-1083
Expert advice and government rebates.
- Have your initial audit.
- Complete your renovations.
- Have your Bluewater Home Inspection energy advisor
return to verify your improvements.
- Sign your grant application form. (We submit the form
for you)
- Wait for your grant cheque to arrive.
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