CANADA GREENER HOMES GRANT INITIATIVE
NOTE FROM THE GREENER HOMES GRANT WEBSITE: The Canada Greener Homes Grant is no longer accepting new applicants in all provinces. Homeowners who are already participating are encouraged to proceed in a timely manner with their retrofits and will continue to be eligible for funding and support through the Canada Greener Homes portal. You can get more general information about the end of program funding by visiting the main page here.
ALSO NOTE: With the end of the Greener Homes program, we have secured manufacturers discounts that we will be including in our competitive pricing, going forward.
The Canada Greener Homes Initiative will help homeowners save money. The program is designed to help Canadians upgrade the energy efficiency of their home, reduce their carbon footprint, and save money on energy costs (natural gas & electricity) as they rise.
Typical grant amounts available based on starting insulation values of attic insulation. Please consult with your energy auditor for exact amounts that you may qualify for.
The Process
Please note: we are not affiliated with the administration of the program. Contractors have to have an arms length relationship. Please confirm all information about the process with your energy evaluator or with Natural Resources Canada.
Register at the Greener Homes Initiative Website (click here). You can check your eligibility for the program [HERE]. You can also contact Natural Resources Canada directly at 1-833-674-8282
Set up an appointment with an approved energy auditor to conduct your initial home assessment. We have partnered with grant rebate and NRCAN approved Energuy and have found them to be very professional and reliable. You can set up an appointment call directly by clicking [HERE] Note: There is a fee for the evaluation, but there is also a grant available to cover most/all of the cost. Your evaluator will be able to confirm the details of the evaluation fee & available grants.
Once you have your evaluation, contact a contractor like us to get you a quote to complete the items on the suggested upgrades list that can be done in a cost effective way. It is as simple as sending us a copy of your “Renovation Upgrade Report” and your “Homeowner Information Sheet”. These documents will contain enough information to build a quote for your insulation upgrade(s).
Once you have your quotes in place, simply select a contractor (we hope it’s us) and get the work done, then follow up with your evaluator for the next steps. This will usually involve a post upgrade inspection to verify the improvement.
Is This Program for Me?
The program is designed for older homes, with a sliding scale that favors poorly insulated homes. There are many homes in the goldilocks zone in between, who could still benefit from upgrading their insulation but would not qualify for significant rebate amounts.
If your attic has an existing R25 or more, your rebate will be minimal once the costs of the evaluation(s) are factored in, and likely not advantageous. You would still benefit significantly form upgrading from R25 to R50/R60 in terms of energy savings (natural gas and electricity costs are rising) but it would probably be best to do an upgrade outside the grant program, if you are only looking for a quick attic upgrade to make your home warmer in the winter, and cooler in the summer.
If you have an older home with R12 or less in the attic, the program is very beneficial. It will pay for a significant portion of your upgrade costs, and save you significant heating and cooling costs, as R12 or less is a very minimal standard. For example, if your attic has only the original wood chips in it, you are below this R12 threshold and would benefit from an upgrade regardless, but it may be beneficial to go through the program.
For those who wish to take a whole home approach, and consider upgrades to many areas like windows, heat sources, and resiliency measures, this program is likely for you. The evaluation process will give you a breakdown of all of the related areas of your home, and give you a good indication of which to improve for maximum benefit. Check with your evaluator as there may also be a interest free government loan option available for significant upgrade projects.
Air Sealing
Most modern homes have an adequate vapor barrier in the ceiling (behind your drywall but under your attic insulation). Older homes will have a compromised vapor barrier (2mm instead of today’s standard of 6mm) or have no proper vapor barrier at all. Homes built before the mid 1980’s begin to enter this territory. There is grant money available for improvements in your air sealing (between $550 - $1000). Addressing this level of weak air sealing is not a simple process however. Typically, if your home has no vapor barrier or a very poor one, the only solution is to remove all of the insulation and use spray foam to the entire surface of the attic or spot spray all of the penetrations, then re-install new upgraded insulation. We can offer quotes on both of these options. An integral part of air sealing is weatherstripping and properly insulating your attic hatch (included in our quotes).
There are also some DIY options to do air sealing if you wish to do so. You can purchase gaskets for your ceiling fixtures and exterior wall electrical outlets online or from home improvement stores, and install them yourself.