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On May 27, 2021 Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Natural Resources Minister Seamus O’Regan launched The Retrofit Program, a program that offers Canadians grants of up to $5,600 to pay for energy-saving home upgrades.
The goal of the Canada Greener Homes Grants is to encourage homeowners to make their homes more energy-efficient, create new jobs across Canada for energy advisors, grow domestic green supply chains, and fight climate change.
The federal government announced that $10 million will be provided to recruit and train 2,000 people as energy auditors.
“Buildings, including our homes, account for 18% of Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions. We want to help Canadians make where they live more energy-efficient. This means homes will be more comfortable and more affordable to maintain while also supporting our environmental objectives,” the initiative reads.
Here’s what you can claim from the new initiative:
- Reimbursement for pre- and post-retrofit EnerGuide evaluations
– Both evaluations are required for a reimbursement up to $600. However, you will not be reimbursed unless you follow through with the full Greener Homes Grant process. - Part of your completed home retrofits
– Reimbursement will not exceed $5,000 total. All equipment must be purchased in Canada, or from a Canadian distributor online.
Eligible upgrades for reimbursement:
| Home Insulation | Update your eligible attic/ceiling, exterior wall, exposed floor, basement or foundation, and crawlspaces | Up to $5,000 |
| Air-Sealing | Perform air sealing to improve the air-tightness of your home to achieve the air-change rate target | Up to $1,000 |
| Windows and Doors | Replace your windows or glass doors with ENERGY STAR® certified models | Up to $5,000 |
| Heating | Make the switch to more energy-efficient heating equipment to save on your utility bill and reduce your carbon footprint | Up to $5,000 |
| Renewable Energy | Install photovoltaic solar panels to convert sunlight energy into electricity | Up to $5,000 |
| Resiliency Measures | Incentives to protect your home and your family from environmental damages (must be combined with another retrofit) | Up to $2,625 |
| Thermostats | Add a smart thermostat to help improve your comfort and save money on your energy bill (must be combined with another retrofit) | Up to $50 |
The application starts with an energy evaluation of your home, to determine which energy-saving upgrades would be eligible for reimbursement. If you decide to proceed, you’ll need to hire a contractor to conduct the upgrades. You get reimbursed after the work is inspected.
It’s expected that the grants (worth about $2.6 billion over seven years) will help 700,000 homeowners lower their bills and keep homes warmer in the winter.
The federal government plans to launch an interest-free loan program this summer, as a way to provide $40,000 to homeowners looking to complete extensive retrofits. The loan program aims to make initiatives like the Canada Greener Homes Grant more accessible to homeowners.
Register to receive updates when the loan initiative becomes available.
