To make Canadian homes greener and more energy-efficient, the Canadian government has introduced the Canada Greener Homes Grant, a home retrofit program. Canada aims to offer homeowners greener home grants to help reduce greenhouse gases and be a leading global actor in the fight against climate change.

Not only does this program help the environment, but if you’re eligible, you can create a more comfortable living space and significantly cut the costs of your energy bills. The Greener Homes Grant is therefore a win-win situation.

If you’re interested in reducing energy consumption costs and want to know how to build a green home using this program, read on. We’ve compiled all the necessary information to help you discern whether or not you are eligible for the grants.

Who is eligible?

To be eligible for the Canada Greener Homes Grant, you need to meet the following criteria:

• Be a homeowner in Canada and be able to prove your homeownership.
  
• Show that the property you wish to register is your primary place of residence.
• For both of the above criteria, you’ll need to provide property tax bill numbers and a form of ID with the relevant address on it.

The type of property you own also plays a role in your eligibility. Most types of homes are eligible, including semi-detached houses, townhouses, cottages, and even floating homes. However, owners of new homes (up to six months old) will be unable to claim the grant.

Which products are covered? 

Many products are covered by the Canada Greener Homes Grant. If following a home evaluation, you’re eligible for retrofits, you may be able to get any of the following services covered:

• Home insulation work of up to $5,000. This can reduce heat loss, meaning you spend less and waste less energy on heating your home.
• Air-tightening worth up to $1,000. The Canadian government recommends air sealing as an immediate solution when it comes to building a greener home. 
• Energy-efficient window and door replacements worth up to $5,000. Any door and window replacements need to be purchased in Canada.
• Energy-efficient heating systems worth up to $5,000. You can get a new heat pump (no furnace) to reduce energy consumption.

Solar panels are worth up to $5,000. This option would allow you to install panels that directly transfer sunlight into electricity in your home.

What can you claim? 

There are limits when it comes to the amount you can claim under the Canada Greener Homes Grant. You can claim up to $5,000 total when making changes to your home, meaning that all retrofits you undertake may not be fully covered by the rebates available.

It’s worth mentioning that homeowners can also claim back up to $600 for a professional home evaluation, which will help you plan any ‘green’ changes to your home. Therefore, you can claim up to $5,600 overall.

What grants do you have access to? 

There are two grants available. As mentioned above, the first grant is for a professional home evaluation, and the second is to make energy-efficient and climate-friendly retrofits to your home.

The Canadian government has recently announced the addition of an interest-free loan of $40,000 for homeowners wishing to fully revamp their homes to make them greener. While this loan will need to be paid back, unlike the grants, it may be helpful for individuals who need extra financial assistance.

Start planning your retrofits today

At Foam Comfort Inc., we provide insulation services to help make your home greener and more energy-efficient, thereby reducing the costs of your household bills. 

In combination with Canada’s new home retrofit program, we can assess your home and make the necessary changes, the cost of which you may be able to claim back through the home retrofit program.

To book an assessment or get a quote for insulation services, contact us today at 416-410-0961 or through our website.