ecoENERGY

ecoENERGY – an ecoACTION initiative

The Government of Canada has renewed the ecoENERGY Retrofit Grants Programs for existing houses. From June 6, 2011, until March 31, 2012, homeowners are eligible to receive grants of up to $5,000 to make their homes more energy-efficient. Homeowners who participated in the program to date have saved 20 percent on their energy bills.

There are two important changes to the program. First, there is a requirement for participants to register directly with the program before booking their evaluation. Second, homeowners will now be required to provide receipts to their energy advisor at the time of the post-retrofit evaluation to confirm eligibility for the grant.

Who is eligible?

Owners of:

• Single-family homes
• Detached single-family homes
• Semidetached homes
• Low-rise multi-unit residential buildings (MURBs) that are 3 stories high or less

Steps to obtain federal grants for your energy-efficiency upgrades:

• Get an NRCan-Certified Energy Advisor (CEA) such as Ecofinity to make an onsite assessment of your property BEFORE PERFORMING ANY RENOVATIONS. The energy advisor then provides a detailed, personalized report of recommended retrofits to improve the energy efficiency of your property. The report also lists the grants for all the possible upgrades that you can carry out.
• Make the necessary energy efficiency improvements.
• Get your post-retrofit audit done by one of Ecofinity’s Certified Energy Advisors. They will then apply for the grants for you. (Note: You have until March 31, 2012 to perform your renovations and get your post-retrofit audit done to be eligible for federal grants).

Typical Energy Efficiency Improvements:

• Replacing furnaces, cooling systems and hot water tanks
• Upgrading insulation (basement, attic and exterior)
• Making the house more airtight
• Replacing windows, doors and skylights with ENERGY STAR products

For more information about the ecoENERGY program and it’s associated grants, please visit http://oee.nrcan.gc.ca/corporate/retrofit-summary.cfm or call our office today at (403) 699-9700.