ecoenergy retrofit - Homes program

The Office of Energy Efficiency (OEE) ecoENERGY Retrofit – Homes program offers financial assistance to help homeowners make their homes more energy-efficient and reduce the burden of high energy costs. Owners of most houses, including four-season recreational properties and low-rise multi-unit residential buildings can register to be eligible.

A flat incentive amount has been calculated for each qualifying upgrade: the upgrades that save the most energy have the highest value. The maximum grant you can receive for a home is $5,000.

Four easy steps to receive a grant:

1. Registration: Before you undertake any renovation project, you must register with Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) at oee.nrcan.gc.ca/register and receive a registration number. If you do not have Internet access, you can call 1 800 O-Canada (1-800-622-6232).
2. Pre-retrofit evaluation: You must hire a local service organization licensed to deliver NRCan's residential energy evaluation service.. If the property has already been evaluated under this program since April 2007, a new pre-retrofit evaluation is not required.
3. Retrofit with receipts: Choose, purchase and install eligible measures described in this document, and keep your receipts for three years. The more upgrades you implement, the more money you can receive, and the more energy you can save.
4. Post-retrofit evaluation: Complete your renovations and obtain a post-retrofit evaluation no later than March 31, 2012. You must show all your receipts to your energy advisor during the final evaluation to verify that you purchased and installed eligible upgrades after June 6, 2011, and after a pre-retrofit evaluation.

You will receive a grant cheque from the Government of Canada within 90 days after their post-retrofit evaluation.

NRCan also transfers data to complementary incentive programs in certain provinces and territories that issue cheques according to their own criteria and deadlines.

To find out more about the ecoENERGY Retrofit – Homes program visit http://oee.nrcan.gc.ca/residential/personal/retrofit-homes/retrofit-qualify-grant.cfm?attr=4

Rénoclimat

Rénoclimat is the AEE (Agence de l’efficacité énergétique) energy efficiency renovation program whose mandate is to help home owners get an energy efficiency rating for their home (single-family, semi-detached or row house (town house)) and to help you get grants and tax credits for home improvement work.

Five easy steps to follow...

1. Before you start your renovations schedule an appointment for an evaluation of your home with a Rénoclimat energy efficiency advisor. To do so, simply dial 1-866-266-0008.
2. The advisor will provide you with an evaluation report that contains the list of recommended energy-saving renovations and the EnerGuide rating of your home.
3. Use it to plan and carry out the renovations
4. Get a post-renovation Rénoclimat energy evaluation no later than 18 months after your first evaluation. To receive financial assistance under the Rénoclimat program, your renovations must have increased your EnerGuide rating (measure that calculates the energy efficiency of your home) by two points or more.
5. Receive a financial assistance cheque by mail from the Minister of Natural Resources and Wildlife

Home owners who benefit from the Rénoclimat program may be eligible to these different grants:

• Grant from Hydro-Québec
• Financial assistance from Gaz Métro and from the Energy Efficiency Fund
• Financial assistance from Gazifère customers (Outaouais region)
• Financial assistance from the Federal Government (ecoENERGY Retrofit-Homes Program)

To find out more about the Rénoclimat program visit http://www.aee.gouv.qc.ca/en/my-home/renoclimat/

Heating & Cooling Incentive

The Ontario Power Authority HEATING & COOLING INCENTIVE runs from January 1, 2011 through to December 31, 2011. Incentives are available for Ontario residents who have purchased and installed eligible replacement central heating or cooling equipment through a participating contractor.

• $250 incentive when you have an existing furnace replaced with the purchase and installation of a high-efficiency furnace equipped with an Electronically Commutated Motor (ECM).
• $250 incentive when you have an existing central air conditioner (CAC) replaced with the purchase and installation of an ENERGY STAR qualified CAC system (NOTE: ENERGY STAR qualified criteria = minimum 14.5 SEER and 12 EER).
• $400 incentive when you have an existing CAC replaced with the purchase and installation of a stand-alone CEE "Tier 2" level central air conditioning system (NOTE: "Tier 2" level qualified criteria = minimum 15 SEER and 12.5 EER).

residential Energy Efficiency Program - Existing homes

Formerly known as the Existing Homes Energy Efficiency Upgrades Program the Residential Energy Efficiency Program is an upgrades program designed to help New Brunswickers make their homes more energy efficient.

The objectives of the program are to:

• Provide information to owners on the best practices for increasing Energy Efficiency in residential buildings and encouraging their application, and
• Assist owners to reduce their energy consumption, by focusing incentives on upgrades that have the most impact on Energy Efficiency.

Program Steps

1. Contact a service provider and have a pre-upgrade assessment completed. A report and summary will be provided by the energy advisor who conducts the assessment.

2. Upgrades are planned based on the information contained in the report. Upgrades must be completed and documented within 18 months of the pre-upgrade report. While owners are encouraged to implement as many of the upgrades as possible, program participation does not require a specific completion level.

3. Contact a service provider and schedule a post upgrade assessment. The service provider does not have to be the same company as the one who conducted the pre-upgrade assessment. A report and summary will be provided by the energy advisor, who conducts the post-upgrade assessment.

4. The energy advisor will assist with the completion of the paperwork necessary for application to the Residential Energy Efficiency Program. The information will include some detail regarding project costs. The application package will be submitted, with the owner’s consent, to Efficiency NB.

5. The application package will be processed at Efficiency NB and the Residential Energy Efficiency Program incentive cheque will be mailed.

Direct Entry – Central Heating Systems

For single family home owners who are only interested in upgrading their central heating system, it is possible to access an incentive without undertaking a pre-upgrade assessment. Such applicants are still considered to be program participants and as such, the equipment installed must meet the same eligibility standards.

Paperwork detailing the equipment installed as well as the equipment being replaced must be completed by the registered heating Contractor. That confirmation along with a completed application form must then be submitted by the building owner to qualify for an incentive.

Program Timeline

Upgrades must be completed and a post-upgrade assessment scheduled within 18 months of the date on the pre-upgrade report.

There is no expiry date for Residential Energy Efficiency Program. It is intended the program will accept continuous entry of new participants.

Efficiency NB also offers the Residential Energy Efficiency Program - New Constructions. For more information about both programs, visit.Efficiency NB

Certified energy advisors

Contact a licensed service provider to book an energy assessment of your home.

• Amerispec 1-866-922-6607
• Enercheck Solutions 1-866 990-2499
• Legacy Technical 1-888 545-1882
• Sustainable Housing 1-877-722-2842
• Enerplan Consultants 1-866-363-7752

The Nova Scotia government (Efficiency Nova Scotia) offers grant programs to owners of single-family homes and of residential rental properties who want to improve the energy efficiency of their home.

The EnerGuide program for Existing Houses allows owners of single family homes to receive up to $1,200 for installing an EnergyStar approved heat pump.

The EnerGuide program for Multi-Unit Residential Buildings allows owners of residential rental properties to receive up to $2,500 for installing a geothermal heat pump system certified by the Canadian Geo Exchange Coalition (CGC).

For more information about the EnerGuide program for Existing Houses visit http://www.efficiencyns.ca/for_homes/energy_savings_programs/energuide_existing/

1. Québec
2. New-Brunswick
3. Nova Scotia

Québec

Whether you own a new home (new construction) or an existing home, you can get a grant from Hydro-Québec.

For existing detached houses, additional financial assistance is available through the Rénoclimat program offered by Québec's Agence de l'efficacité énergétique, as well as the ecoENERGY Retrofit program offered by Natural Resources Canada.

Financial assistance available:

New home construction

• Hydro-Québec grant for a geothermal system¹: $2,800

Existing house, heated solely by electricity before renovations

• Grant from Hydro-Québec for a geothermal system¹: $2,000
• Grant under the Rénoclimat program²: $1,300

¹ The geothermal system must be certified by the Canadian GeoExchange Coalition (CGC).
² Certain conditions apply. Rénoclimat is a program offered by Québec's Agence de l'efficacité énergétique. Certain fees apply for home energy audits under the Rénoclimat program (suggested price: $149.95, plus taxes, for a medium-sized single-family home).

New-Brunswick

As well as the ecoENERGY Retrofit – Homes grant program, the Residential Energy Efficiency Program – Existing buildings for energy efficiency upgrades from the New Brunswick government offers financial assistance up to $5,000 to homeowners looking to install a geothermal system.

The Residential Energy Efficiency Program - New constructions offers financial assistance of up to $5,000 for a geothermal system.

For more information about this program, visit www.efficiencynb.ca
 

Nova Scotia

Efficiency Nova Scotia offers financial assistance up to $5,000 to owners of single-family homes or residential rental properties looking to install a geothermal system.

For more information about the EnerGuide program for Existing Houses, go to http://www.efficiencyns.ca/for_homes/energy_savings_programs/energuide_existing

For more information about the EnerGuide program for Multi-Unit Residential Buildings, go to http://www.efficiencyns.ca/for_homes/energy_savings_prog/energuide_for_multi_unit_residential_buildings_murbs2