ecoENERGY - One Year to Go
KINGSTON, ON, March 30, 2010 – A local non-profit is getting the word out that homeowners only have one year left to take advantage of ecoENERGY, a popular government program to encourage energy efficiency retrofits. Hearthmakers Energy Cooperative is trying to get as many local homeowners as possible to participate in the program before it expires on March 31, 2011 “Kingston has so many older homes that could benefit from energy retrofits, so we are encouraging homeowners to enroll in the ecoENERGY program to access the generous grants available before they are gone” says Steve Walker, Executive Director of Hearthmakers.
Homeowners participating in the program are eligible to receive up to $10,000 in combined federal and provincial grants by improving the energy efficiency of their homes. Grants may include; $1,580 for a high efficiency furnace, $80 per Energy Star-rated window and up to $3,750 for insulation. The governments are also trying to encourage renewable energy retrofits through grants of $2,500 for a solar hot water system and $8,750 for a ground source heat pump.
“These types of retrofits tend to be the smartest home improvements you can make because they have several paybacks,” says Walker. “These include reduced energy costs, improved home comfort and increased home resale value. When government grants are factored in, going ahead with retrofits is an easy decision for many homeowners.”
The recent federal budget included an additional $80 million towards ecoENERGY, but this is considered a “top-up” of existing funds so that the program does not run out of grant money before the 2011 deadline. There is some hope that the government will commit more resources to expand the program in the future, since it is considered by many to be a successful program with impacts on many fronts. By retrofitting their homes to make them more energy efficient, Canadians are reducing greenhouse gas emissions, reducing the strain on our energy generation systems, and keeping local contractors busy.
To qualify for a grant, homeowners must have an energy assessment performed before and after their retrofits by a licensed ecoENERGY service organization such as Hearthmakers. Homeowners typically have eighteen months to complete the retrofits before the follow-up assessment, which verifies the improvements and quantifies the size of the grant. With the March 31, 2011, deadline, that end-date has shrunk to twelve months and closing. The combined cost of the assessments is roughly $400 and includes a custom report on energy use, a home energy-use rating on a scale of 1-100, and a list of recommended cost-efficient upgrades for the homeowner. Eligible properties include principal residences, rental properties, and four season vacation homes.
Natural Resources Canada launched ecoENERGY in spring 2007 to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The province of Ontario announced its support for the program shortly thereafter in the form of matching grants and a $150 rebate to offset the cost of the initial home evaluation.
It’s estimated that 15% of all greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in Canada come from homes. Locally, Hearthmakers’ 4500 clients – some of which participated in a previous government program, EnerGuide for Houses – have reduced their collective emissions by an estimated 4000 tonnes per year, the equivalent of taking 500 cars off the road.
