Gregory, Harriman & Associates LLP Blog

In May 2021 the Federal Government announced the new Canada Greener Homes Grant intended to provide grants of up to $5,600 for Canadian homeowners to cover the cost of certain retrofitting improvements aimed at improving the energy efficiency of their home.

The program does not provide funding up-front, but instead requires eligible applicants to cover costs out-of-pocket, which may be eligible for reimbursement of all or a portion of the costs incurred. Before applying for this new grant, here are a few important points to know about how this new program works:

 Eligibility Requirements

All homeowners in Canada will be eligible for the program, regardless of where they live, however, applicants will be required to provide proof of ownership as well as demonstrate that the improvements relate to their primary residence only. There are additional strict guidelines for costs to qualify for the program. All eligible applicants must:

• complete a pre- and post-retrofit EnerGuide evaluation
• complete at least one retrofit that is both eligible and recommended by your energy advisor in their report. Only homeowners who conduct at least one retrofit will be reimbursed.
• provide and keep copies of all of your documents until March 31, 2028.

 

Maximum Grant Amounts

Once you have completed your retrofits, you can seek reimbursement for:

1. up to $5,000 total for the implementation of eligible retrofits done after December 1, 2020.
2. up to $600 for the cost of your pre- and post-retrofit EnerGuide evaluations. You will not be reimbursed for the pre-retrofit evaluation unless you continue through the full Greener Homes Grant process. 

Timing of Costs and Application Deadline

Only retrofit work done after December 1, 2020 will qualify for a grant. Although the Federal Government has not indicated an end date for this program, eligible applicants can register for the program prior to completing the pre-retrofit EnerGuide evaluation, and are encouraged to apply for their eligible reimbursement as soon as the post-retrofit evaluation has been completed.

For homeowners that are already in the process of making retrofit upgrades to their home, and have already obtained an EnerGuide evaluation, the existing evaluation can be used as the pre-retrofit evaluation for this grant program, however, the evaluation must have been conducted after March 31, 2020, and the cost of the evaluation will not be eligible for reimbursement unless it was conducted after December 1, 2020.

 

Specific Eligible Retrofitting Costs

It is important to note that not all Energy Efficiency related retrofitting costs will be eligible for reimbursement, and different maximum reimbursement amounts apply based on the type of retrofit completed. The following table of eligible retrofits is provided on the official government webpage for the program:

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
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
Space and water 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

 

One important exclusion to note is that the program does not cover any retrofitting costs relating to the installation of a new furnace or hot water heater that is powered by fossil fuels (i.e. natural gas), even if the retrofit does significantly increase the energy efficiency of the home.

New homes are also not eligible for the grant. Newly built homes are defined as homes that are six months old or less, based on the date of occupancy by the first homeowner. This will apply to homeowners at the time of application.

 

For more information on this grant and how to apply, visit the link to the government landing page below.

https://www.nrcan.gc.ca/energy-efficiency/homes/canada-greener-homes-grant/23441

 

Disclaimer

The information in this publication is current as of July 30, 2021.

This publication has been carefully prepared, but it has been written in general terms and should be seen as broad guidance only. The publication cannot be relied upon to cover specific situations and you should not act, or refrain from acting, upon the information contained therein without obtaining specific professional advice. Please contact Gregory, Harriman & Associates LLP to discuss these matters in the context of your particular circumstances. Gregory, Harriman & Associates LLP, its partners, employees and agents do not accept or assume any liability or duty of care for any loss arising from any action taken or not taken by anyone in reliance on the information in this publication or for any decision based on it.