Government Incentives for Homeowners
PLEASE READ UPDATE AT BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE.
The ecoENERGY Retrofit – Homes program provides grants up to $5,000 to help homeowners make their homes more energy-efficient and reduce the burden of high energy costs. The Government of Canada has renewed the program from June 6, 2011, until March 31, 2012.
How the Program Works
To be eligible for upcoming retrofits, new participants and past participants must first obtain a registration number. If you are not sure which form to complete or if you need assistance, follow the instructions at the register page.
All participants require a pre-retrofit evaluation (since April 2007) before starting renovations, a post-retrofit evaluation and a signed grant application form by March 31, 2012. Participants must present all retrofit receipts at the post-retrofit evaluation. New participants are only eligible for product purchased after June 6, 2011, and installed after a pre-retrofit evaluation. Past participants are only eligible for products purchased and installed after June 6, 2011.
The Grant Table offers an overview of the program and a breakdown of eligible upgrades. Visit the Frequently-Asked Questions page for more details and contact information.
Available Incentives in Your Area
NRCan transfers file information to complementary regional programs in certain provinces and territories.
Energy Evaluations and Labels
The Government of Canada encourages homeowners to have an energy evaluation to identify improvements, and receive an EnerGuide rating label.
Jan. 30, 2012 - Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver closed the popular EcoEnergy Retrofit - Homes program to any new registrants on Jan. 29, saying it had reached its goal of 250,000 registered homeowners. The sudden closing of the program comes two months before its official end date on March 31, 2012. Visitors to the EcoEnergy website see the following message:
"The program has successfully reached its goal of 250,000 registered homeowners. As planned, the program is no longer accepting new registrations. To help ensure registered homeowners have time to get their post-retrofit evaluations and receive a grant, the Government of Canada is extending the deadline to June 30, 2012, for homeowners to complete post-retrofit evaluations and apply for a grant. All retrofit renovations must still be completed by March 31, 2012."
Critics say the program cutoff was done without warning, and before the program invested even half of the budget dollars allocated last year. According to Building Insight Technologies, a Vancouver-based energy auditor, industry estimates show that by capping registration the federal government will invest at most $192 million in total EcoEnergy home retrofit grants. This investment would be less than half of the $400 million the federal government committed in Budget 2011.
"With the Harper government focused on creating jobs and securing Canada's energy future, we are surprised that Minister Oliver closed such a successful program early," said Jeff Murdock, vice-president of Building Insight Technologies. "We are shocked that the federal government is cutting back its investment in job-creating and energy saving retrofits at a time of global economic, environmental and energy uncertainty."
Murdock says home retrofit incentive programs save energy, help families, and are proven low-tax, job creation measures, generating $2 in tax revenue for every $1 invested in homeowner grants. These programs are extremely popular with Canadians. For example, according to the Ontario Real Estate Association, 92 per cent of Ontario homeowners think government should create more incentives for homeowners to make environmentally friendly and energy efficient renovations to their homes.
| Written by Patrick Flannery Courtesy of GC Glass Canada |
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