Province Offers Matching ecoENERGY Grants
The McGuinty government is making it easier for Ontarians to save energy, save money and help reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The Ontario Home Energy Retrofit Program provides homeowners with grants of up to $5,000 for home energy improvements. Here's how Ontarians can access the program:
A report is submitted by a licensed service organization such as Hearthmakers Energy Co-operative to Natural Resources Canada and on notification that a qualifying audit has been completed, Ontario reimburses the homeowner 50 per cent of the cost of this first audit up to $150. The homeowner has up to 18 months to complete work on the recommendations.
Examples of possible measures include installing a solar-powered domestic water heating system, installing a high-efficiency gas furnace or replacing an old central air conditioner with an ENERGY STAR model.
When work is completed, contact your licensed auditor to book a verification audit. The auditor returns and verifies which of the recommended measures have been installed and measures the efficiency improvement in the home. There may be a cost for this audit. The auditor completes the paperwork to apply for the grants and submits it on behalf of the homeowner. The maximum grant is $5,000 for a home from the province, and $5,000 from Natural Resources Canada.
Ontario reimburses the homeowner based on the measures undertaken and the rebate amount allowed for each component. Natural Resources Canada also provides reimbursement for the measures covered under its program.
More information regarding ecoENERGY, please see our dedicated ecoENERGY page.