Energy Upgrade Rebate Programs

June 22, 2010

Over the past few months, there have been several changes to the various rebate programs for homeowners regarding home energy efficiency upgrades.

As you may already know, the Federal ecoENERGY Retrofit Program has been cancelled.

If you had a pre-retrofit audit performed before the program was cancelled, you are still eligible for incentives under that program. If you did not have the pre-retrofit audit performed prior to the program cancellation, you are not able to participate in the program.

However, there are several incentive programs available at the Provincial level, which we will outline for you in this article.

Ontario - Home Energy Savings Program

The Ontario Home Energy Savings Program is an energy conservation program from the Government of Ontario. As part of the program a Home Energy Audit shows you how your home uses energy and where it is being leaked. It identifies improvements you can make to your home’s heating, cooling, hot water heating and other energy uses that could result in hundreds of dollars in energy savings each year.

You’re 3 steps away from up to $5,000 in government rebates. The first step is to find an auditor in your area and book your Home Energy Audit. The second is making the energy saving upgrades. You could qualify for up to $5,000 in Ontario rebates.

For guidelines
Click Here

For rebate information
Click Here


Manitoba - Power Smart

If you reside in Manitoba, Manitoba Hydro has the Power Smart Program which provides low-interest loan options to customers who would like to upgrade aspects of their home involving energy efficiency.

For details on Power Smart Programs in Manitoba, please visit

Manitoba Hydro


Saskatchewan EnerGuide for Houses

The program was developed in cooperation with the Government of Canada to help homeowners make choices that improve the comfort and energy efficiency of their home. The program is available until March 31, 2011.

To Apply

1. Contact a licensed SEGH service organization to book a
pre-retrofit evaluation ("D" audit). There is a cost for the evaluation, please discuss the evaluation costs with the service organization including mileage if applicable. The provincial government subsidizes half of the cost of the pre and post evaluation.

2. The service organization will come to your house and complete the evaluation. The evaluation will tell you how certain upgrades or new equipment will reduce your energy and/or water consumption saving you money over the long term. The evaluation also provides information on how much of a grant you will be eligible to receive for each recommended improvement you make.
3. You have until March 31, 2011, to complete the recommended improvements and the post-retrofit evaluation. You can complete any or all options outlined in the recommendations.

4. A post-retrofit evaluation ("E" audit) must be completed to qualify for a grant. Book an evaluation with the same SEGH service organization that completed your initial evaluation prior to the March 31, 2011 deadline. Make sure to call your Service Organization early to book your post-retrofit evaluation to ensure that they can schedule your appointment prior to March 31, 2011.

5. The service organization will submit the file to Natural Resources Canada who calculates the grant amount and then sends this information to SaskEnergy. You don't need to do anything else - the grant will be mailed to you within 90 days of your post-retrofit evaluation from SaskEnergy, who is administering the program on behalf of the Government of Saskatchewan.

For a list of eligible upgrades visit
SaskEnergy


Alberta - Climate Change Central

All Albertans who participate in the federal government’s ecoENERGY Retrofit Program are eligible for a provincial rebate. While the federal government announced on March 31, 2010 the removal of the grant portion, the program will continue to be administered under its existing budget until March 31, 2011. The

Alberta rebates tied to this program (home energy evaluations, insulation and domestic hot water) remain unchanged.

For an outline of the possible rebates, please visit.

Climate Change Central


LiveSmart BC: Efficiency Incentive Program


In April the BC 2010 budget announced a further investment of $35 million for the LiveSmart BC: Efficiency Incentive Program, which provides financial support to households for energy assessments and energy efficiency building retrofits. These incentives are being provided in partnership with provincial utility providers, Terasen Gas, BC Hydro, and FortisBC.

The LiveSmart BC: Efficiency Incentive Program supports homeowners to undertake an energy efficiency assessment by a certified energy advisor, which provides information on home energy usage and the most effective home upgrades to save energy, increase comfort, and reduce costs and greenhouse gas emissions.

The program provides incentives for qualifying heat pumps, high efficiency furnaces and water heaters, insulation, draft proofing, windows and doors, and renewable energy. Program participants have saved an average of 31 per cent annually on energy and an average of over 2.5 tonnes per year of greenhouse gas reductions by making their homes more energy efficient.


Program information and incentives are posted at
LiveSmart BC