Canada launches $2.6B of home improvement grants
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Natural Resources Minister Seamus O'Regan introduced the Canada Greener Homes Grants program this week - worth about $2.6 billion over seven years - to help homeowners improve their home insulation, upgrade heating systems to more efficient ones like heat pumps, install solar panels and replace old and leaky windows and doors.
"As a country, every effort counts to keep our air clean and our environment healthy," Trudeau said Thursday. "We know that these retrofits can sometimes be out of reach, so our government is now making them more affordable for Canadians."
- Up to 700,000 grants of up to $5,000 to help homeowners make energy efficient retrofits to their homes, such as improving insulation, more efficient heating systems and replacing old windows, etc.
- EnerGuide evaluations (worth up to $600) and expert advice to homeowners so they can begin to plan their retrofits based on priorities (because while shiny new windows look nice, insulation is the gift that keeps on giving)
- Recruitment and training of EnerGuide energy advisors to meet the increased demand; this will create new jobs across Canada, and help training establishments too!
Trudeau said the grants will help 700,000 homeowners lower their bills and keep their houses warmer in the winter.
How to apply for The Canada Greener Homes Grant 2021
As much as Canadians are able to apply online starting now, the Government admitted that the landing page for applications has been on and off due to high demand (go figure). We did manage to get on, but we found the information is a little scattered so if you're interested in finding out more details, we've created a step by step guide on how to claim the 2021 Canada Greener Homes Grants here.
An application starts with an energy evaluation by a certified adviser who visits an applicant's home and assesses which energy-saving measures should be prioritized, and which will qualify for the Greener Homes grant. Be sure to read our how-to guide as we also have some ideas as to how the $5000 can make the biggest difference to home efficiency. We also have a great guide that explains How much insulation is too much?
If the homeowner chooses to proceed, a licensed contractor would then be hired to conduct the retrofits. After an inspection of the completed work by the adviser, the homeowner is reimbursed to the limits set for the improvement carried out.
It's estimated that private homes and buildings are among the largest sources of carbon emissions in Canada, contributing about 18 per cent of the country's emissions, so we do like this initiative!
Now you know about the 2021 Canada Greener Homes Grants retrofit program. Find more pages about energy efficient home renovations and improvements on the pages below and in the EcoHome Green Building Guide pages.
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Does anyone know if there is anything like this in the US?