Since January 2022, an additional 39,000 Canadian homeowners have applied for the Canada Greener Homes Grant. That is almost 300 new homeowners each day, committed to making their homes more energy-efficient and resilient to climate change.
As of June 8, 2022, just over a year since the grant’s official launch on May 27, 2021, over 171,000 applications have been received through the national portal, with tens of thousands of additional applications being processed by our partner programs in Quebec and Nova Scotia. The Canada Greener Homes Initiative has also issued $38 million in grants to 10,300 homeowners. That represents grants in the hands of three-quarters of all homeowners who have completed their retrofits to date. We have worked hard to issue payments within our service standard of 40 business days from the time we receive the final receipts and required documentation from the homeowner. Right now, we are meeting this standard 92% of the time, surpassing our 90% target, and we are getting faster as we go.
The Canada Greener Homes Initiative has been extremely popular since its launch, helping homeowners across the country retrofit their homes while creating good jobs for Canadians. This initiative demonstrates how investing in climate action decreases carbon emissions, reduces energy bills for homeowners and creates middle-class jobs across the country.
How we’re serving you better
1. Energy advisor access
We are taking action to close the gap in access to energy evaluations so that regardless of where homeowners live, they have access to an EnerGuide home evaluation. To date:
- Energy advisors have travelled to rural and remote communities in Nunavut, Newfoundland and Labrador, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, northern Ontario and British Columbia.
- We have helped connect almost 200 homeowners with an energy advisor in rural and remote communities across the country, reducing their wait times for an EnerGuide evaluation.
- Over the coming months, we will be sending advisors to additional rural and remote parts of Canada.
Since the program’s launch in May 2021:
- 446 new energy advisors have been trained and added to the roster, which now totals 1,400 advisors across the country, including 274 new advisors added in the last three months.
- 17 additional agreements have been signed to support the recruitment, training and mentorship of new energy advisors, and 1 more is being negotiated.
- Once all 18 agreements have been signed, we anticipate recruiting, training and mentoring up to 850 new energy advisors from under-represented groups and/or for underserved areas through contribution agreements with governments and organizations across Canada.
Together, these actions have made and will continue to make important contributions toward reducing the wait times for EnerGuide evaluations.
Did you know?
So far, heat pumps are the top retrofit taken up for the grant. Almost 3,200 Canadian homeowners have received $13.2 million in grants for undertaking this measure. Other top retrofits? ENERGY STAR® windows and doors, attic insulation and solar panels!
2. Process for homeowners
We have been listening to homeowner feedback and have made some changes to our portal to simplify the process. New features focus on helping homeowners self-serve online, including:
- a new option allowing homeowners to change service organizations and delete duplicate accounts;
- additional information accompanying each status window explaining current actions that a homeowner must take, what happens next and expected time frames; and,
- a new Canada Greener Homes Grant pre-screener tool that helps homeowners determine their eligibility before they apply.
We will continue to roll out more changes to make your retrofit journey as easy as possible.
3. Greener Homes Loan
Major home retrofits through grants and interest-free loans to make your home more energy-efficient
On June 17, 2022, the Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion and Minister Responsible for Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) announced the launch of the new Canada Greener Homes Loan.
The Canada Greener Homes Loan helps Canadians make their homes more energy-efficient and comfortable. The loan is offered in conjunction with the Canada Greener Homes Grant under the Canada Greener Homes Initiative to help Canadian homeowners across the country. Make sure you understand what types of retrofits are eligible before you apply. To apply for the loan, you need to submit an application and be approved for the Canada Greener Homes Grant.
Help us help you
Here are 3 tips for homeowners applying for the Canada Greener Homes Grant:
- If you access the Canada Greener Homes Grant portal using a GCKey, create a username and password that you can remember – and keep the information somewhere safe! If you are having trouble signing in, please look at our Frequently Asked Questions.
- Check out the Eligible grants for my home retrofit page to see how much grant money you might get for your retrofits. And remember, some retrofits under the Canada Greener Homes Grant require that you choose an eligible product from the approved list. So make sure your new heat pump and windows are on the list!
- The wait times and costs associated with EnerGuide home evaluation services vary, so reach out to one or more service organizations to find a provider that works best for you. Visit our website to find licensed service organizations in your area. If you cannot find a service organization in your area, please contact Canada Greener Homes Grant for assistance.
