Canadian winters are some of the coldest and longest anywhere in the world…but we don’t need to tell you that!
And while we’re a pretty hardy country, don’t we all need, want, and deserve a nice, cozy warm house to come home to or hide out in?
Size doesn’t matter, décor doesn’t matter, and additions such as smart technology really don’t matter. Heat does!
So make sure you have enough insulation to keep heat in your house with these programs that offer incentives to add or upgrade your insulation, and in some cases, you can even get free insulation.
And hey, if your heat is staying inside where it should, you’re also saving money!
Let’s jump into the programs:

British Columbia Insulation Rebates

BC Home Energy Coach is funded by the Province of BC’s Innovative Clean Energy Fund and supported by BC Hydro and Fortis BC. It provides many different rebates and incentives, including coaching on ways to make your home more energy efficient, which saves you money and helps the environment.
A few of its incentives for new insulation are listed in the sections below. For more incentives and rebates, visit BC Home Energy Coach.
If you live in a participating municipality, you can receive rebates for making environmentally friendly improvements to your home.
The rebates include those listed below:
Call 1-844-881-9790 or email [email protected] for more details or to apply.
This service is open to residents in participating towns or municipalities. It provides a free home energy audit, personalized energy-efficiency advice, and energy-saving product installation including efficient lightbulbs, high-efficiency showerheads, and weather-stripping. You may even qualify to receive an ENERGY STAR® refrigerator, insulation in your walls, attic, and/or crawlspace, and/or a high-efficiency gas furnace.
This program is for those with a low income. It’s as easy as applying online.
BC Hydro also offers rebates when you make renovations to improve your home’s energy efficiency. The following renovations can put some money back in your wallet:
BC Hydro also offers Energy Savings Kits and professional advice for low-income homes. This kit includes a water-efficient showerhead, weather-stripping, window film, outlet and plate sealers, furnace filter coupon, LED night light, and a thermometer for your refrigerator or freezer.
To apply for the insulation rebate, fill out the online form and make sure you have the insulation type, location, added R-value, and square footage of insulation to include in the form.
Fortis BC offers the same program as BC Hydro, so it doesn’t matter where you’re located, you can still take advantage of the $1,200 rebate when you purchase and install new insulation. And while you’re at it, why not utilize a few other rebates as well?
Plus, when you hire a program-qualified Energy Advisor to perform an EnerGuide®1 pre- and post-upgrade home evaluation, you could qualify for additional rebates of up to $1,400.
As with BC Hydro, Fortis BC also offers Energy Savings Kits for Low-income Homes. This kit includes a water-efficient showerhead, weather-stripping, window film, outlet and plate sealers, furnace filter coupon, LED night light, and a thermometer for your refrigerator or freezer.
To apply for the program, download the application form and send it with the installation details (including your name and address where the work was performed); the contractor’s company name, address, and contact information (phone and/or email); and the brand, model number, and purchase date of the installed products.
Just in case you’ve already participated in the other rebate programs for other energy-efficient upgrades, or you’ve decided more insulation is required, Vancouver City Savings Credit Union has a loan that could help you out.
For qualifying upgrades, such as insulation, space heating, or ventilation, you can receive a personal loan at a prime+1% rate for up to 15 years. You can borrow as little as $3,500 or a maximum of $50,000 and pay it back through flexible payments options.
You can even apply online!
Interested in saving money and reducing your energy consumption? Then check out this program that offers a home energy evaluation, free energy-efficient products, and optional low-interest financing that comes directly off your bill.
Upgrades include improving insulation, reducing air leakage, and installing more efficient space and water heating systems.
You don’t need to utilize the financing to participate in the program; the flexibility of the program allows you to decide what options are best for you.
For more information or to apply, conta the program coordinator or call (250) 509-2021. ct

Manitoba Insulation Rebates
If you have a home that was built before 1999, it may not have enough insulation to meet today’s standards, so you may be eligible to receive a rebate of 50%of the cost of installing new insulation in your attic, walls, and foundation.
Other eligibility requirements are that you are a homeowner with a Manitoba Hydro account permanently living in your detached, semi-detached, or mobile/modular home on a permanent foundation with a permanent water supply.
You won’t qualify for the program if:
You can install the insulation yourself or choose to have a contractor do it for you. Once the work is finished, you or your contractor can submit the application form and calculation schedule along with all original receipts for the insulation.
If you used the Power Smart Residential Loan (below) to finance the work, your rebate will be applied to the loan; otherwise, you will see your money in approximately 8 weeks.
For homeowners who would like to make energy-efficient upgrades to their home, including insulation, Manitoba Hydro also offers a low-interest loan. The monthly payment is simply added to your bill.
The loan covers qualifying upgrades for these categories:
You can finance up to $7,500 per residence, with a minimum loan amount of $500, and the interest sits fixed at 4.8% for 5 years.
A registered program supplier (contractor or retailer) will work with you to determine if your project is eligible for financing and will help you complete the loan application.
If your household has a low income but you would like to improve your energy efficiency, Manitoba Hydro will do a free inspection to let you know what upgrades are available to you.
Through this program, you could receive free insulation, a natural gas furnace for $9.50 a month for 5 years, and/or a $3,000 rebate for the purchase of a high-efficiency natural gas boiler.
You will even receive these free energy-efficient items after your inspection:
Both homeowners and landlords qualify for this program. Renters are welcome to participate, but any costs and rebates will belong to the landlord.
You may qualify for this program if you meet these criteria:
If you qualify, just download the application form and follow the instructions for submission.
This program from Manitoba could be of interest to you if you live elsewhere in Manitoba or you’ve already reached the maximum rebate rates offered by the previous Manitoba programs.
This Manitoba Hydro financing program is a convenient and affordable financing option that could allow you to make energy-efficiency upgrades to your home. It lets you to use your estimated annual utility savings from an energy efficiency upgrade you made to pay for your upgrade (or a part of). Your annual savings are averaged out over 12 months and used to calculate your monthly payment, which is added to your energy bill. The interest rate if fixed at 4.9% for the first 5 years.
The best part is that the loan is attached to your home, so if you sell your house, the payments are transferred to the new owner; they don’t follow you.
Power Smart PAYS financing covers qualifying upgrades for insulation, but it must be new, purchased in Canada, and have a verifiable R-value as determined by the Canadian Construction Materials Centre. Any insulation work done must meet Power Smart levels.
The following may also qualify for the rebate if it is installed with the insulation:
All you need to do is be a Manitoba homeowner in a detached, semi-detached, or mobile home (on a permanent foundation with a permanent water supply) with an up-to-date water bill.
A registered program supplier (contractor or retailer) will work with you to determine if your project is eligible for financing and will help you complete the PAYS Financing Agreement.
Manitoba Hydro will send energy-efficiency specialists to work with Band Housing Managers to identify energy-efficient options and qualifying homes. Some identified measure could include insulation, LED light bulbs, insulated pipe wrap, draft proofing, faucet aerators, and low-flow showerheads.
They can provide trained community members to do the actual upgrades and can also arrange energy-saving seminars to provide community members with information and tips on what they can do to make their communities more energy efficient. Email them or call them at 204-480-5900 or 1-888-624-9376 (outside of Winnipeg) for more information or to apply.

Newfoundland & Labrador Insulation Rebates
This program offered by Newfoundland Labrador Hydro and Newfoundland Power gives residents a rebate of 75% of the cost of insulation for your basement ceiling or walls up to $1,000 and a rebate of 50% of the cost of insulation for your attic up to $1,000.
If you heat your home electrically (If an additional heating source is used, your home must have a minimum annual electricity usage of 15,000 kilowatt hours), your home was built and connected to the electricity system before January 1, 2014, you are the homeowner who uses the home as their primary residence, and you have an active electricity account, you could qualify.
But while you can install the insulation yourself or hire a contractor to do it, make sure the R-Value of the insulation materials meet the minimum and maximum R-Value requirements after the insulation is installed.
Apply online or download the form and mail it with your sales receipt to the address on the form.

Northwest Territories Insulation Rebates
Nowhere in Canada is it more important to have a warm, well-insulated house than in the northern territories, namely the Northwest Territories. Letting the cold in here would not only be uncomfortable, it could be deadly. Not to mention, extremely expensive!
That’s why the Energy Efficiency Incentive Program was created by northerners for northerners. Those who purchase new, more energy-efficient products they use every day can qualify to receive money back in their wallets. Save money, stay warm!
Just complete the application form, work with an Arctic Energy Alliance representative to choose the correct insulation and fill in the application form, and then send it with your receipt to the Arctic Energy Alliance at the address given on the form. Make sure form is signed and dated, the sales receipts (proof of purchase) clearly indicate payment in full, the amount paid, the date of purchase, and the type and quantity of insulation. Pre-approval is required for this one!
You can use this program to buy 2 qualifying products per household per year, but only products bought from a NWT vendor will get you a full rebate. Any products purchased outside of the NWT will only receive a 50% rebate.
But depending on the type and location of the insulation you choose, you could get back anywhere from $225 to $1,875, and more if you buy and install insulation in more than one location.

Nova Scotia Insulation Rebates
Thanks to this new, innovative program to make Nova Scotia more energy efficient and easier on the environment, you stand to get a lot of money back when you work to make your home greener. While you do have to have a home assessment done to take advantage of these rebates, the benefits are certainly worth it.
This particular program is composed of two parts: instant rebates and service rebates. Included in the service rebates are those for insulation in 14 different places of your home! Now that’s warm!
If your home is electrically heated and not a multi-family unit, just book a home assessment from any partner on the list, complete the insulation installation, and then have the installation inspected. Once that process is complete, you can send in your documents and receive your rebate!
Call an energy solutions advisor at 1-877-999-6035 to apply or for more information.

Ontario Insulation Rebates
If you book a home energy assessment, this program offers low-interest loans of up to $75,000 to qualifying homeowners interested in improving the energy and water efficiency of their home, including insulation. The loans are paid back over time via installments on your property tax bill. These loans are attached to the house rather than the homeowner, so if you move, the payments are taken over by the new owners.
Eligible upgrades include:
This loan helps homeowners avoid the high upfront cost of renovations and access up to $2,250 in incentives from utility companies. Once the loan is approved, homeowners can hire the contractor of their choice from the list of approved contractors and complete their renovations. The maximum amount of the loan can’t be worth more than 10% of the value of your home or $75,000, whichever is less. This includes a 2% administrative charge.
You may qualify for a low-interest loan through HELP if:
Click here to apply now. For more information on the program, contact
Sarah Rodrigues, Program Coordinator
Home Energy Loan Program
Environment & Energy Division
City of Toronto
55 John Street, 2nd Floor
Toronto, ON M5V 3C6
416-392-1826
[email protected]
This program will give you free upgrades to prepare you for the harsh winters we all dread.
You qualify if you are low-income (a four-person household can have a maximum income of $62,588 or less) homeowner, your house was built before 1975 and needs more insulation, and you are a Union Gas customer.
Apply online.
This rebate program offers up to $5,000 (or up to a $5,800 rebate when you install an air-source heat-pump system) for their customers, plus additional electric appliance rebates, if you meet certain requirements, including having an energy assessment conducted before and after renovations.
You could get a $1,750 rebate per insulation type if you participate in this program. And you’ll learn a lot of other ways to stay warm and save money with the home assessment they do!
To apply, simply enter your postal code to find a list of approved energy advisors. Once you book an appointment, you can apply for your rebates.If you have a modest or low income (a four-person household can have a maximum income of $43,546) and meet a few other qualifications, Toronto Hydro will supply and install energy-efficient upgrades, free of charge, such as a refrigerator, freezer, or lightbulbs, among other things, to save money and make your home more comfortable. You’ll even get additional insulation in your attic or basement if it’s needed—for free!
Call the IESO at 1-877-797-9473 for more information or to apply.
Identical to the Toronto Hydro program, qualifying low-income HydroOne customers can receive free energy-efficient upgrades that can make your home more comfortable and save you money. Upgrades can include insulation with this program as well.
You qualify if:
Call 1-877-797-9473 to apply.
If you are a First Nations customer living in a First Nations community, make sure you take advantage of this program. HydroOne will do a complete energy assessment of your home and install all necessary upgrades—at absolutely no cost! You could even receive free attic and basement insulation if your home needs it.
Call 1-844-349-8972 or email [email protected] for more information or to apply.
If your home is need of more or better insulation, this program could net you anywhere from $250 to $1,750 back depending on the type and location of the insulation you install. You need to book a home energy audit before you qualify for the upgrades, but the money you save is definitely worth it.
You can even get incentives for up to $2,100 for retrofitting or up to $5,000 for installing 2 or more eligible measures and completing the pre-energy audit through the Home Energy Conservation Program if you are a qualified homeowner.
And there are additional incentives available as well. Book an appointment with a certified energy advisor to get started.
If you have a house built before 1980, your income is below a set threshold, and you are an Enbridge customer, you could have your house winter proofed for free by certified contractors.
This in turn could save you 30% off your energy bills for winter. You even get free draftproofing and additional insulation!
If your home is heated by natural gas, you are an Enbridge customer, you pay your own gas bill, and your income is below the allowable threshold (or you participate in one of Ontario’s social benefit programs for low-income families), just complete the online application form or download it and mail it with your proof of income, your last tax assessment or benefit statement, and your gas bill account number to one the Enbridge service centres. Or, call one of their service centres, but have all your information handy.
For low-income homes that qualify (for example, a family of four’s income must be less than $61,028), you can receive new appliances and other conservation devices and products and have them installed for free.
This would include everything from lightbulbs to bigger items such as programmable thermostats or a window air conditioners. You even get additional insulation added to your attic and/or basement as needed—at no cost to you.
The program also includes a detailed in-home energy assessment and advice on steps that you can take to save even more energy. Saving energy means saving money!
Call the IESO at 1-877-797-9473 to learn more and apply.
This program offers low-interest loans of up to $75,000 to qualifying homeowners interested in improving the energy and water efficiency of their home. The loans are paid back over time via installments on your property tax bill.
If you need new insulation, consider participating in this program. It has a 2% interest rate and you can take as long as 15 years to pay it back. All you need to do to get started is download and complete your application form, book a home energy assessment with a certified energy advisor registered by Natural Resources Canada, send in your funding request form with estimated costs, complete your project, have a post-assessment done, and then submit your project completion report. Your funds will be released as needed.
Contact Sarah Rodrigues, Program Coordinator at 416-392-1826 or [email protected] for more information.

Quebec Insulation Rebates
This program also includes a home energy assessment, so not only can you receive a rebate for upgrading your insulation, but you can learn about all the possible options to save energy and money around your home.
Once you have your first assessment done and know what upgrades you should follow through on and where, make those upgrades—including or just your insulation—and finish your post-assessment to verify the upgrades and receive a new Energuide rating for your home, then you can apply for the rebate.
To qualify, you must meet the following criteria:
And the home being upgraded needs to meet the following requirements:
The amount of the rebate is dependent on the type of work carried out and the property type, and there are 2 different types of funding: one covers 50% of the home energy assessment and the other is for the actual renovation work completed. You could receive anywhere from $35 to $2,400—more if you upgrade insulation in more than one location.
To participate in the program, call 1-866-266-0008 to apply. They will book a home assessment appointment with you and send you a report. Then you can purchase and install the insulation and have a post-assessment done once the work is complete. The advisor will give you a new Energuide rating and all you have to do is hand over your Social Insurance Number or Quebec Enterprise Number and wait for your cheque!
If you’re lucky enough to live in the City of Longueuil, you can take advantage of this program that will give you financial assistance equivalent to 25% of the financial assistance granted by the Rénoclimat program, with an additional $25 rebate for the home assessment evaluation. The maximum you can receive from this program is $3,000. You can only participate in this program if you’ve already utilized the Rénoclimat program.
To apply, download the application form and send it to
4300, chemin de la Savane
Saint-Hubert (Québec) J3Y 9G4
[email protected]

Prince Edward Island Insulation Rebates
PEI also offers a rebate program to ensure you have all the protection from the cold and heat as you can get.
Upgrade your insulation and get money back! The amount is dependent on the type and location, but you could get as much as $5,000.
Almost every house qualifies provided it is your primary residence, it is more than 6 months old, and it is registered with the Taxation and Property Records Division of the PEI Department of Finance.
To participate in the program, just download the application form and send it to the address on the form, schedule a pre-retrofit inspection or submit an EnerGuide Rating System audit report, and then wait for your acceptance letter before you start the work. Then after the work is complete, just send your receipts to the same address, and wait for your money!
You could also use this program to not only receive rebates for installing insulation but to discover all the energy- and money-saving opportunities for the rest of your house. And, if you go this route and schedule a $99 home assessment, your upgrade amounts from the Envelope Upgrade Rebate Program will be enhanced by as much as $100 per household!
To access this program, contact HomeSol Building Solutions to book your home evaluation. Then complete the assessment and receive an evaluation report with recommendations for your home. Once that’s done, contact efficiencyPEI to receive your enhanced rebates.

Yukon Insulation Rebates
With this program, book a home energy assessment and you could qualify for a rebate when you upgrade your insulation. It’s easy!
Just book an appointment with a certified energy advisor and discuss any needed changes you should make and decide on a plan. Your advisor will tell what types of insulation you need where. Following their recommendations will get you your rebate. Then schedule a follow-up appointment for when the work is complete, and then you can apply for your rebate.
To apply, download the application form and send it with your advisor’s upgrade report detailing insulation upgrades and your materials and costs worksheet (optional) to the Energy Solutions Centre.
If you’ve already used the Good Energy program or you simply don’t want a home assessment done, consider this low-interest—and in some cases forgivable—loan to purchase and install your insulation.
Borrow up to $50,000 (loans for homes on leased or rented land only qualify for $20,000) at just 1% above prime and spread your payments out over 15 years to make getting that much-needed insulation affordably. If you have a low- or moderate-income, you could also qualify for a forgivable or subsidized loan.
To apply, download the application form and send it with your Notice of Assessment, any building permits, a Verification of Income form from your employer, your most recent property tax bill paid in full, and a Certificate of Home Insurance (if one exists) to
Yukon Housing Corporation
Box 2703 (Y-1)
Whitehorse, Yukon Y1A 2C6
For more information, contact Yukon Housing Corporation in one of the following ways:
Phone: (867) 667-5759
Toll-free (in Yukon): 1-800-661-0408 ext. 5759
Fax: (867) 667-3664
Email:
[email protected]
NEW HOME INSULAT ION REBATE
This program also offered by the Yukon Housing Corporation boasts a rebate of $10,000 when you insulate your new construction to the 50% thermal energy target.
If you’re thinking of building a new home in Yukon, you may want to look into this program. It may sound a bit daunting, but if you’re already building new, why not take advantage of the rebate and save energy and money longer than all the other homes on the block?
Should you choose to participate in this program, contact a certified energy advisor (contact Good Energy) and schedule a plan construction upgrade service to identify ways to meet the 50% thermal energy target. You must also schedule a return visit with the advisor to confirm that the final build meets the target. The advisor will provide you with a thermal energy report to submit with your new home rebate package and an energy label for your home.
Once you’ve met with the advisor, created your plan, built your home, and had your post-assessment completed, then you can apply for your rebate. Download and complete the application form and send it with your thermal target report and occupancy permit to the Energy Solutions Centre.
4 Great Reasons to Upgrade Your Insulation TODAY

Now that you’ve gotten this far, you’re armed with all the financial rebates and incentives offered for insulation upgrades across Canada. So now you ask, why would you want to undertake this task anyway? Let’s count the reasons:
Save energy and save money
Save energy and save money: you can reduce your energy usage by a good 30%, and that translates directly into savings on your utility bill.
Be more comfortable in your own home all year
Be more comfortable in your own home all year: you reduce drafts and heat loss, you keep the heat out when it’s actually too hot outside, and you keep the humidity out, saving yourself other issues such as mould problems.
Keep your home—and your family—healthier
Speaking of mould, you keep your home—and your family—healthier with better insulation: not only is keeping the humidity and mould out a great thing but so is keeping out the drafts that force you to throw on extra layers of clothes and contribute to those nasty winter colds and flus. This is so much more important for seniors, small children, and those with compromised immune systems, such as those with diabetes.
Increase in your home’s value
Better insulation equals an increase in your home’s value: a healthier and more comfortable home is very appealing to buyers—and to tenant’s should you choose to rent it out.
5 Ways to Maximize Your Insulation Grants & Rebates
If you’re convinced now, remember these few tips to help the process go smoothly and to save as much money as you can:
Keep your receipts and make copies
It’s repetitive, yes, but nothing could be more true. Keep your receipts and make copies of them and all other necessary documents. All programs require receipts. Without them or other documents such as Notice of Assessments; Verification of Income forms; or permits, plans, and reports; you’ll end up losing out.
Make sure you follow the steps for each program exactly
Make sure you follow the steps for each program exactly. They’re laid out the way they are for a reason, and if you leapfrog or miss one, or miss a deadline, you won’t get your rebate.
Have a home assessment done
Most programs require you have a home assessment done, so if insulation is your focus, tell them that and ask specific questions so you have all the information you could possibly need.
Have a professional install the insulation
Consider having a professional install the insulation since you’re getting money back anyway. They’ll ensure the job is done as well as it can be, and installing insulation isn’t always the easiest or tidiest of tasks, though you can do it yourself.
Reread this article!
Reread this article to see if you can participate in more than one program to optimize the money you get back. Knowledge is money!
Leave a Reply