Is your power bill too high? Do you want to reduce your energy consumption? If you’re concerned about your environmental footprint – and your wallet – then the Canada Greener Homes Grant is for you!
Administered by Natural Resources Canada, this government program makes grants available for completing energy-efficient retrofits on your home. Its purpose is to help people improve their homes’ energy performance to make them more comfortable and “greener.” It’s a fact: increased energy efficiency helps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The grant in a nutshell
Under this federal grant, you can get up to $250 per rough opening up to a cap of $5,000 for eligible retrofits. You can also be reimbursed up to $600 toward the cost of having an EnerGuide evaluation completed. The amount offered per rough opening depends on the U-factor (overall heat transfer coefficient) or energy rating (ER) of the doors or windows you buy. Use the following table to calculate how much you may be able to get back for your retrofits:
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Options: |
Amount |
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Replace your windows or sliding glass doors with ENERGY STAR® certified models: · U-factor ≤ 1.22 W/m2•K or · ER ≥ 34 |
$125 |
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Replace your windows or sliding glass doors with ENERGY STAR Most Efficient models: · U-factor ≤ 1.05 W/m2•K or · ER ≥ 40 |
$250 |
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Replace hinged doors, with or without sidelights or transoms, with ENERGY STAR certified models: · U-factor ≤ 1.22 W/m²•K or · ER ≥ 34 |
$125 |
The program has no deadline date; instead, it will end when a total of 700,000 grants have been given out. It’s also retroactive, meaning that if an EnerGuide evaluation was conducted on your home between April 1, 2020, and November 30, 2020, you may use this evaluation to qualify for the program. However, the evaluation cost itself will not be reimbursed if your evaluation was completed before December 1, 2020. Evaluation and retrofit costs from after that date may be eligible for reimbursement. To take advantage of the grant, you must first have made one or more retrofits that are both eligible and recommended by your energy advisor. There are also some additional conditions to meet in order to qualify for the grant.
Eligibility criteria applicable to retrofits
For your retrofits to be eligible, you must have an EnerGuide evaluation of your home conducted before proceeding with any work. This gives you an idea of your current energy consumption and helps to determine what types of retrofits may be needed. When the work is completed, you then also need to book a post-retrofit evaluation. Both evaluations are mandatory in order to qualify for the grant.
Certain conditions for reimbursement apply:
- All equipment must be purchased in Canada.
- The doors and windows must appear on the list of eligible products.
- The ENERGY STAR label must be left on the products until after your post-retrofit evaluation.
Replacements of only the glass, sash or door without a frame are not eligible for the grant.
Procedure
To take advantage of this grant:
- Learn about the grant to ensure that you meet all the eligibility criteria.
- Register online on the Greener Homes Grant portal.
- Note that residents of Quebec need to apply directly through the provincial RénoClimat program to book their EnerGuide evaluation before proceeding with retrofits.
- After you receive your EnerGuide evaluation, review the recommendations and decide which retrofits work best for your home
- After you have completed your home retrofits, start the reimbursement process by booking your post-retrofit You then have 30 days to submit proof of completion of the work to the government.
- Receive a report from the government along with access codes to claim your grant. You should have your reimbursement in hand within 30 days.
With all these potential savings, there’s no need to skimp when it comes to your comfort. Contact us! Our professionals are here to guide you in selecting your doors and windows as well as provide additional information on the various programs.
