Take advantage of the Ontario Home Energy Savings Program and the federal ecoEnergy Retrofit program. Homeowners can receive up to a combined maximum of $10,000 in grant money. Only homes that have had a residential energy efficiency audit performed by a certified energy advisor will be eligible for these grants.
Here’s what you need to know:
You must complete 2 assessments. One will take place pre-renovation and the second post-renovation. Only renovations that begin after the first assessment will qualfy and the work needs to be completed by the earlier of either 18 months of your pre-retrofit evaluation or by March 31, 2011.
The typical audit consists of a walk-through assessment of the home’s insultation, heating and cooling systems and other energy uses. Leaks and drats are identified using a blower door depressuriazation test. The advisor provides an EnerGuide rating label for your home and will submit the file to NRCan, who will then tranfer the file to Ontario to process the audit grant cheque.
Following the audit, you can choose which of the recommendations you would like to implement. Once your renovations are complete, you need to contact the advisor to perform the post-retrofit evaluation and to submit the grant application. You should receive a grant cheque within 90 days of this second evaluation.
All renovations should be documented with receipts, photos and product literature to ensure that you receive full credit. After participating and completing the program, you can register for another eligibility period in the program anbd continue with additional renovations.
Information about licensed advisors can be found on the NRCan website at www.nrcan-rncan.gc.ca. You can also find a table of grants at nrcan.gc.ca.
In addition to the rebates associated with this program, participants typically reduce their energy use by up to 30%. This translates into a savings of $450 on a $1500 annual heating bill. Got an older home or heating system? What are you waiting for…