It’s that time of year again!

You spent a lot of time indoors over the winter, and you’ve noticed that your costs are getting higher and that repairs need to be made around the house sooner rather than later.

Well fortunately, there are plenty of incentives offered by the provincial government, City of Winnipeg, Manitoba Hydro, and more to encourage you to make Earth-friendly renovations to your home!

So here are the grants, rebates, and tax credits that Manitoba homeowners should know about this year!

FEDERAL and PROVINCIAL GRANTS & REBATES for MANITOBA HOMEOWNERS

RRSP Home Buyers’ Plan

This program allows you to withdraw up to $25,000 from your RRSP to buy or build a new home.

You can also use it to buy or build a home for yourself or someone you know with a disability.

Home Buyers’ Tax Credit

The THBTC is a non-refundable tax credit that helps homeowners recover closing costs such as legal expenses and inspections. First-time buyers can claim up to $5,000 for the purchase of a qualifying home on their personal tax return on the year of purchase. However, you cannot have lived in another home you or your partner owned in the previous 4 years.

If you have a disability (i.e., you are eligible for the disability tax credit) or if you bought the house to improve accessibility for someone who is disabled, you do not have to be a first-time home buyer.

GST/HST New Housing Rebate

The GST/HST new housing rebate gives back some of the GST or the federal part of the HST you paid – up to $1,500 – for a new or substantially renovated house that is your primary place of residence provided you meet all the eligibility requirements.

Residential Rehabilitation Assistance Program for Secondary/Garden Suite On-Reserve

This program is open to First Nations and First Nation members owning residential properties that want to create affordable, self-contained rental accommodation (secondary, granny, or garden suites) within their primary residence.

Eligible households can receive fully forgivable loans that do not have to be repaid as long as you stick to the conditions of the program, such as renting the suite to low-income tenants. The most you can get is $60,000 per unit unless you live in a northern or remote community. In that case, the amount increases by 25%.

CMHC Green Home

If you buy, build, or renovate for energy efficiency using CMHC-insured financing, you could receive a 15% rebate for building a home to ENERGY STAR® standards or up to 25% for building a home to R-2000 building standards.

Genworth Canada Energy-Efficient Housing Program

Receive a 25% rebate when you build a home through one of Genworth Canada’s qualifying energy-efficient building programs or meet the prescribed minimum Natural Resources Canada EnerGuide requirements and fund it through a Genworth Canada insured mortgage.

Education Property Tax Credit

• checkAll Manitoban citizens are eligible for a $700 property tax credit.
• checkYou must pay at least $250 in property tax before you can apply for the credit, but in 2019, the $250 deductible will be eliminated.
• checkSeniors who earn less than $40,000 are also eligible for an additional $400 in tax credits, making their total $1,100.

Green Energy Tax Credit

Manitobans who are installing new, green forms of energy are eligible for rebates for the following forms of energy systems:

Geothermal Pump Systems

• check7.5% credit for geothermal heat pumps manufactured in Manitoba for use in Manitoba
• check15% on the remainder of the capital costs (excluding the heat pump) if the installer is certified by the Manitoba Geothermal Energy Alliance, Inc.

Solar Thermal Energy Systems

• checkIf you install a solar thermal energy system, you can receive a 10% tax credit on the capital costs for installation.

Biomass Fuel Energy Equipment

• checkIf you are planning to use biomass fuel energy, you can receive a 15% tax credit for capital costs associated with installation.

Manitoba Geothermal Energy Incentive Program

In addition to the above tax credit, if you live in a natural gas service area, you can receive a grant worth $2,600 for installing geothermal energy in your home.

Disaster Financial Assistance

• If your area has experienced a natural disaster, the Government of Manitoba may declare it eligible for Disaster Financial Assistance.
• Items considered for coverage includes Beds, essential furnishings, essential clothing, furnaces, water heaters, fridges, stoves, computers and, televisions.
• There is a deductible of 20% of the assessed damage.
• The maximum amount of assistance provided is $240,000.

Secondary Suite Program

If you are installing a secondary suite, you can apply for a loan that will cover up to 50% to a maximum of $35,000 for the costs.

The loan is forgivable after 10 years as long as the homeowner continues to follow the terms laid out in the agreement that must be signed upon project approval, such as ensuring that the rent stays at or below the maximum allowable rental rate and that utilities are included in the rent.

Homeowner Renovation Assistance Program

If you are looking to make some major renovations to your home, you can receive up to $20,000 ($23,000 if you live in a northern or rural community) for those renovations.

The renovations must be related to one of the following categories: structural, plumbing, fire safety, electrical, or heating. The loan is forgivable after 5 years.

Manitoba Emergency Repair Program for Homeowners

• If you have a low income and need to make emergency repairs to your home, you may qualify to receive up to $5,000 ($9,000 if you live in the northern community).
• All repairs must be completed within 90 days of approval and must belong to one or more of the following categories:

• Structural
• Electrical
• Heating
• arrow-rightWater supply
• arrow-rightRoof
• arrow-rightDisability and accessibility
• arrow-rightPlumbing

Rural Homeownership Program

• If you are looking to a buy a home in rural Manitoba, you can get two loans for down-payment assistance: one at 10% of the purchase price and another at 15% of the purchase price. The 10% is forgivable after 5 years and the 15% is forgivable after 15 years if you continue to live in the same home.
• You can also receive a $1,500 grant to pay for legal fees and other costs.

  Through this program, you will also have your Land Transfer Tax and Fees paid for by Manitoba Housing.

Farmland School Tax Rebate

To support the rural economy, Manitoba Agricultural Services Corporation provides farmland owners with school tax relief. After submitting an application, you can receive up to 80% of your school property tax.

Rental Housing Improvement Program

If you own a rental property, you can receive up to $24,000 per bed unit for repairs to the property. If the unit is located in a northern or remote community, up to $28,000 may be available to qualified landlords.

This grant does not have to be paid back unless you violate the terms of the agreement.

MANITOBA SENIORS HOMEOWNER GRANTS & REBATES

Homeowner School Tax Assistance

If you are over 55 and a homeowner, you are eligible to a tax credit of up to $175.

• Seniors School Tax Rebate

• If you are 65 or older, you are eligible for a tax rebate up to $470.
• If your income is below $40,000 you are guaranteed to get the full rebate.

• Primary Caregiver Tax Credit

• If you have acted as primary caregiver for a family member, neighbour, or friend for a minimum of 90 days, you qualify for a $1,400 annual tax credit.

MANITOBA GRANTS for PEOPLE WITH A DISABILITY

Residential Adaptations for Disabilities Program

• If you are a homeowner with a low income, or a homeowner who rents to someone with a low income, and are looking to make improvements to improve mobility in your home, you can receive up to $16,000 to cover the costs. If you live in a northern community, you may receive up to $19,000.
• This assistance does not have to be paid back as long as you do not sell the home within 5 years.

Bugs and Scrubs Program

If you have a disability and your home has become infested with bed bugs, this program will provide free cleaning services to help remove the bed bugs.

Municipal Grants & Rebates for Manitoba Homeowners

WINNIPEG HOMEOWNER GRANTS

The following is a list of programs that are available for Winnipeg residents:

Minimum Home Repair Program

• The City of Winnipeg provides this grant of up to $3,000 for emergency repairs.
• It is currently available for only the following areas: William Whyte, North Point Douglas, Spence, and Centennial.

Heritage Conservation Grant Program

• If you are planning at least $5,000 in repairs, you can receive a grant of up to 50% of the total approved project costs to a maximum of $20,000 per project.

Toilet Replacement Credit Program

City residents who switch out their old toilets (with a flush volume of 13 L or more) with a WaterSense labelled toilet can receive a credit of $60 per toilet on their utility bill. Remember to take your old toilet to an approved toilet recycling facility!

CITY OF BRANDON PROGRAMS

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Water Filter Rebate Program

• Because lead can have many adverse effects, the City of Brandon will give residents a $100 rebate when they purchase an NSF/ANSI-53 certified water filter or replacement filter cartridges, but you must receive confirmation that you have a lead service connection. Homes built before the mid-1950s typically need these.

CITY OF THOMPSON PROGRAMS

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Bleeder Rebate Program

Many homes have to run their water often between October and March to keep their lines from freezing in the winter. That’s why the City of Thompson offers a rebate to those residents. Eligible residents must register for the program by sending a letter with your contact information and the reason why you need the rebate.

MANITOBA HYDRO GRANTS, REBATES & LOANS

Manitoba Hydro offers many different programs that homeowners should know about! Here are all of them:

Power Smart Affordable Energy Program

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:

• Low-flow showerheads
• LED bulbs
• Faucet aerator

Both homeowners and landlords qualify for this program. Renters are welcome to participate, but any costs and rebates will belong to the landlord.

Power Smart Home Insulation Program

• If you have a home that was built before 1999, you are eligible to receive a rebate of 50%of the cost.

Power Smart for New Homes

• If you are building a new home and would like to make it energy efficient, Manitoba Hydro has incentives and rebates for you. There are two options to choose from, depending on which works for you.
• The Prescriptive Path will give you incentives for incorporating 10 energy-saving upgrades into your home, as long as your new home is 20% more efficient than the average home. Alternative technologies may also apply.
• The Performance Path will offer you a potential rebate between $1,500 and $12,000.

Power Smart Water and Energy Saver Program

Manitoba Hydro customers are eligible to receive a free kit containing low-flow showerheads, low-flow faucet aerators, water heater pipe-wrap insulation, plumber’s tape, and a thermometer for your refrigerator or freezer. You can choose to have a kit mailed to you and install it yourself, or you may qualify for free installation. For more information or to book an installation appointment, call 1-877-326-3488.

Power Smart PAYS Financing

For homeowners wishing to upgrade to more energy-efficient insulation, space heating equipment, or water heating and conservation devices, Manitoba Hydro has a formula that uses the amount of money you would save after installing these devices to provide you with a low-interest loan for buying and installing them.

The maximum finance term will vary depending on the type of upgrade but is never less than 20 years and is fully transferable should you sell your home. Your monthly payment will be part of your bill and will never be more than the amount you save after installing the items.

Power Smart Refrigerator Retirement Program

Would you like to save money on your energy bill and walk away with $50? Switch out your old, working fridge (if it’s more than 15 years old) and call 1-855-5FRIDGE (1-855-537-4343) and Manitoba Hydro will not only pick up your old, energy-sucking fridge but will also give you $50.

Power Smart Residential Loan

For homeowners who would like to make energy-efficient upgrades to their home, 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:

• Windows and doors
• Residential space heating equipment
• Insulation
• Air leakage sealing
• Ventilation
• Residential water heating equipment
• Electric vehicle chargers

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.

Solar Energy Program

As a Manitoba resident and Manitoba Hydro customer, you can apply for a loan up to $30,000 to purchase solar energy for your home. To sweeten the deal, Manitoba Hydro is even offering financial incentives for those who install solar panels. All applicable incentives will be applied directly to the amount financed to reduce the amount you have to pay back.

For every watt you install at your home, you can receive a $1 incentive up to the up to a maximum of 200 kw, or $200.

*Hurry if you want to be part of this one! Applications are only being accepted until April 30, this year.

Heat Recovery Ventilator Control Program

If you install a heat recovery ventilator for your furnace, you can receive a $150 rebate after purchase.

Customer Contribution Time Payment Plant

You can borrow up to $10,000 for a service extension or plant relocation or to move your power lines from overhead to underground.

Residential Earth Power Loan

Are you thinking of making your energy greener? This program will give you a low-interest loan spread over 15 years for the following upgrades:

• Geothermal (ground source) heat pumps (up to $20,000)
• Cold climate air source heat pumps (up to $10,000)
• Solar thermal water heaters (up to $7,500)
• Solar photovoltaic systems (up to $30,000)

The loan payments will be applied to your Manitoba Hydro monthly bill.

Energy Finance Plan

If you are thinking of making upgrades to your gas and electrical systems, the Energy Finance Plan will allow qualified homeowners a loan between $500 and $5,000 for the upgrades.

The current interest rate is 6.75% and is spread over 5 years, with your monthly payments applied to your bill.

Indigenous Power Smart Program

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.

Community Geothermal Program

Indigenous communities can take advantage of this energy-saving program by Aki Energy and Manitoba Hydro to learn how to install and maintain geothermal heat pump systems and to apply for affordable financing to cover the cost of installation.

And that covers it! That is everything that Manitoba homeowners should know about this year. Now you can use that extra money for investments, saving for a child’s college fund, or best of all, Jets season tickets!