It is not a secret that there are many grants for people to use, and there are specific requirements that must be met before someone can qualify for this grant. The requirements include: being an owner-occupant of your own home, having made significant energy efficiency improvements or additions on your property, and living in Canada with permanent residence status (or a permit). Unfortunately, these aren’t always easy to meet, so it’s best if you do some research before applying. Your first step should be to check whether or not your household qualifies by looking at the basic eligibility criteria listed above and seeing which one applies to your specific situation.
The grant amount can be up to $5,000 per household, and the work must meet Canadian Standards Association (CSA) or National Energy Code of Canada for Buildings (NECB) requirements. The best part about this grant is that it doesn’t have to be repaid, as long as you live in the home for five years after the work is completed.
If you consider making some energy efficiency improvements to your home, the greener home grant may be a great option. Make sure to do your research and meet all of the eligibility requirements so that you can apply for this grant and start saving money on your energy bills right away!
What Are Greener Home Grants?
The Canadian Greener Homes Grant is a multi-faceted effort that attempts to increase the energy efficiency of our homes while also encouraging job growth in the field of Energy Advisor. Over 700,000 grants have been given as part of this project, encouraging Canadians to make energy-efficient home renovations to their existing homes, with each household receiving up to a $5000 retrofit grant. Homeowners will get an additional $600 for pre-and post-retrofit evaluations. These reviews aim to provide expert guidance to Canadians on how to make the most significant use of the retrofit subsidies and enhance Canadians’ awareness of how to be more energy-efficient. The second component of the Canadian Greener Homes Grant is to promote careers for Energy Advisors, particularly for under-represented groups such as Indigenous and racialized peoples, LGBTQ+ people, and people living in underserved areas such as Canada’s less populated provinces and territories, as well as rural, remote, and Indigenous communities.
Why Is the Canadian Government Providing Greener Home Grants?
Climate change is a critical issue that everyone must address. While automobile emissions and food are hot concerns, they do not tell the complete story. The homes we reside in are estimated to be responsible for 18% of Canada’s total greenhouse gas emissions. The Canada Greener Houses Grant comes at an ideal time. It has the potential to assist thousands of homeowners in making their homes more energy-efficient, which is both cost-effective and environmentally friendly.
Buildings, including our homes, are responsible for 18% of Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions. The Canada Greener Homes Grant is designed to assist Canadians in making their homes more energy-efficient. It means homes will be more pleasant and cost less to maintain while still contributing to our environmental goals. This Government of Canada initiative includes a free home energy evaluation and a $5,000 grant to cover the cost of energy-efficiency renovations.
What Is the Aim of the Greener Home Grants?
The “Canada Greener Homes Grant Initiative,” launched by the Canadian government lately, intends to provide subsidies to help you make your home more energy-efficient. Thousands of people have already applied for the program: Canadians have noticed, with so many people accessing the official website that it was down for several hours.
The Canadian government has pledged to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, introducing the Canadian Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act in late 2020, which, if passed, “formalizes Canada’s 2050 target, and establishes a series of interim emissions reduction targets at 5-year milestones toward that goal.” Regardless of the Act’s long-term purpose, now is the moment to consider our emissions.
What Is a Home Energy Evaluation?
Certified Energy Advisor assesses your home to establish its energy efficiency and identify areas for improvement that will benefit your electricity bills and overall home comfort. An Energy Advisor is a licensed energy professional who can assess the energy efficiency of a home during your Home Energy Evaluation
What Are the Eligibility Criteria for the Greener Home Grant?
You must own the home, be your primary residence, produce proof of ownership by providing the property tax bill during the evaluation, and the home must be an approved home/building type to be eligible for the Canada Greener Homes Grant. You must register with the federal government to obtain the Canada Greener Homes Grant, and you must have an Energuide Evaluation conducted before any work begins.
The federal government will provide you with more information on the eligibility criteria when you register. There are no exemptions for the new building. Even if you have received or are receiving efficiency per rebates, you may be eligible for Canada Greener Homes Grants and vice versa. The total amount of financing from both programs cannot exceed the cost of the equipment or installation. Each program’s eligibility and upgrade types may differ.
How to Apply for Greener Home Grants?
You can apply for greener home grants in three basic steps:
Step 1: Request an Energuide Energy Assessment: To be eligible for the award, you must first have an EnerGuide certified energy advisor (one of our experts) perform an EnerGuide home energy evaluation.
Step 2: Put the Recommendations into Action: Following that, homeowners must put the measures identified in the home energy assessment into action.
Step 3: Obtain a Post-Retrofit Assessment: Finally, homeowners must have a post-retrofit evaluation performed on their home by an EnerGuide certified energy expert to quantify the increased energy efficiency.
What Is the Complete Process for Applying for the Canada Greener Homes Grant?
The three sections of the Canada Greener Homes Grant are as follows:
- Retrofit grants of up to $5,000 are available.
- Up to $600 in grants for pre-and post-retrofit evaluations.
- The number of Energy Advisors in Canada is growing.
Homeowners who have lived in their new house for more than six months may be eligible for up to $600 in EnerGuide pre- and post-retrofit inspections. The pre-retrofit EnerGuide evaluations are designed to identify inefficiencies in your home and suggest ways to increase its energy efficiency.
After completing your EnerGuide pre-retrofit examination, you will receive a report detailing which retrofit solutions will be most effective in increasing your home’s efficiency. Then, based on the pre-retrofit EnerGuide evaluation, you can start retrofitting your home with at least one of the recommended retrofits. After completing the retrofits to the government’s regulations and restrictions, you’ll schedule your post-retrofit review, which will document the improvements in emissions and determine how much money you can be paid for your retrofits.
So, why should you consider renovating your home? Reducing carbon emissions is always a good idea, especially as the effects of global warming become more apparent. These retrofits, on the other hand, can help you save money.
The third component of this program is granted to promote training, recruiting, and opportunity for Energy Advisor roles across Canada, particularly for underserved communities and marginalized persons. The Canadian government has set aside $10 million over the next five years to help Service Organizations, Indigenous governments or organizations, and other legal entities apply for funds for projects that meet these criteria, boosting employment in the Energy Advisor industry.
Who Can Apply for This Grant?
Homeowners in Canada can apply to be a part of this program. You’ll need to show proof of ownership, such as your property tax bill number, as well as proof that the property is your principal residence, such as a government-issued ID with an address or a utility bill. Only one homeowner per household is eligible to apply for the grants.
Other owners of multi-unit residential structures, Indigenous governments or organizations, or other groups that own properties that house Indigenous households can apply for multiple home retrofits. Indigenous governments or organizations, as well as housing management bodies, representative bodies, or Indigenous service delivery organizations with formal partnerships with Indigenous governments or organizations, can apply for the grant for up to multiple homes, as long as the applicant owns the home and it is home to an Indigenous household.
This award is not available to new residences, which are defined as homes that are six months old or less based on the date of possession by the initial homeowner.
What Are the Eligible Home Upgrades You Can Use This Grant for?
The financing granted by the Canada Greener Homes Grant can reimburse a variety of financial opportunities and retrofits. All of the grants have requirements that must be met for the retrofits to be effective, such as any retrofit equipment purchased in Canada or through a Canadian online retailer if acquired online.
Thermostats: Smart thermostats have a significant impact: they reduce your carbon footprint while boosting comfort and lowering your heating costs by allowing you to set your temperature remotely. They are also reasonably priced. If you install a smart thermostat, the Canada Greener Homes Grant program can refund you up to $50. New heat pumps, which generally come with updated thermostats already installed, must be paired with another CGHG retrofit solution.
Heating: Because of Canada’s harsh winters, energy-efficient heating is essential. Space heating is estimated to account for 60% of the energy used in the average Canadian home each year. The cost of retrofitting your home to use more energy-efficient technology, such as heat pumps, is covered.
Home Insulation: The Canada Greener Homes Grant program allows homeowners to increase their home insulation, lowering heat loss and potentially saving money on their energy costs. This portion of the award attempts to increase the R-value or RSI (RésistanceSystème International) of your home’s insulation. While eligibility and compensation vary depending on the kind of insulation retrofit, Canadians can receive up to $5000 in reimbursement for increasing their attic/ceiling insulation, exterior wall insulation, exposed floor insulation, basement/foundation insulation, and crawlspace insulation.
To Sum It All up:
Buildings, including our residences, are responsible for 18% of Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions. We wish to assist Canadians in making their homes more energy-efficient. It means homes will be more pleasant and cost less to maintain while still contributing to our environmental goals. The Canada Greener Houses Grant will assist homeowners in making their homes more energy-efficient, create new opportunities for energy consultants across Canada, expand our domestic green supply chains, and combat climate change. The project offers a total prize pool of up to $5,600 to participants. Updates will be provided throughout the initiative’s lifespan to keep homeowners informed.
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