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2009-04-01 - ecoENERGY Retrofit – Homes Grants

ecoENERGY Retrofit – Homes Grants

What's New?
Existing grants are now increased by 25%!
How do I apply?
Is there a deadline?
How much can I get back?
Can I claim the Home Renovation Tax Credit and receive an ecoENERGY Retrofit – Homes grant?
If I claim the Home Renovation Tax Credit will I automatically get the ecoENERGY Retrofit – Homes grant?
Where can I get more information?
Example 1: Eligible for Grant
Example 2: Not Eligible for Grant

What's New?

As part of the Government of Canada's Economic Action Plan, the ecoENERGY Retrofit – Homes program has been expanded to help 200 000 more homeowners cover the cost of making energy-efficiency retrofits to their homes. The expanded time-limited program includes a $300-million increase in funding over two years.

Existing grants are now increased by 25%!

ecoENERGY Retrofit – Homes provides home and property owners with grants up to $5,000 per unit to offset the cost of making energy efficiency improvements. Small mixed-use buildings are also eligible as long as they meet the size requirements and 50% or more of the floor space is used as permanent residences.

How do I apply?

Before you undertake any energy efficiency renovations, hire a Natural Resources Canada certified energy advisor to perform an energy evaluation of your home. The advisor will give you a pre-retrofit evaluation report and an EnerGuide rating label for your home.
Select your improvements and implement the recommended energy upgrades, leaving time to ensure your post-retrofit evaluation is completed within 18 months or before March 31, 2011, (whichever comes first and subject to available funding).
Call your energy advisor to perform your post-retrofit evaluation, to confirm your new energy rating and to submit your grant application. Be sure to keep your receipts to claim expenses that could be eligible under the Home Renovation Tax Credit.
Wait 90 days from the date of your post-retrofit evaluation to receive your cheque.

Is there a deadline?

You have 18 months or until March 31, 2011, (whichever comes first) from the date you receive your pre-retrofit evaluation report to complete the post-retrofit evaluation in order to receive a grant, subject to available funding.

How much can I get back?

ecoENERGY Retrofit – Homes provides home and property owners with grants of up to $5,000 to offset the cost of making energy-efficiency improvements. The amount of your grant will depend on the upgrades you complete. There are incentive amounts for each qualifying upgrade. In addition, most provinces and territories have complementary programs offering additional financial assistance based on the results of your ecoENERGY post-retrofit evaluation. The maximum grant for property owners with multiple properties is $500,000.

Can I claim the Home Renovation Tax Credit and receive an ecoENERGY Retrofit – Homes grant?

Homeowners participating in the ecoENERGY Retrofit – Homes program are eligible to receive the temporary Home Renovation Tax Credit in addition to the ecoENERGY Retrofit – Homes grant for some of the improvements made.

If I claim the Home Renovation Tax Credit will I automatically get the ecoENERGY Retrofit – Homes grant?

No. To qualify for an ecoENERGY Retrofit – Homes grant you must first have an energy evaluation performed on your home by a Natural Resources Canada certified energy advisor. This evaluation must be done before starting your energy upgrades, and you must perform the improvements according to the recommendations in the pre-retrofit evaluation report you received from the energy advisor.

Where can I get more information?

For more information regarding the ecoENERGY Retrofit – Homes grant, please visit our Web site at www.ecoaction.gc.ca/homes or call 1 800 O CANADA (1-800-622-6232) or TTY 1-800-926-9105. Additional information is available on the Government of Canada's Economic Action Plan Site at actionplan.gc.ca.

For more information on the Home Renovation Tax Credit, visit the Canada Revenue Agency's Web site at cra-arc.gc.ca/hrtc or call 1-800-959-8281 (TTY 1-800-665-0354).

Example 1: Eligible for Grant

You are interested in saving money by improving the energy efficiency of your home.
Since you must have an energy evaluation conducted to qualify for a grant under the ecoENERGY Retrofit – Homes program, you hire the services of a Natural Resources Canada certified energy advisor in your area.
Based on the evaluation report you received from the advisor, you decide which energy upgrades you want to do and determine that you could receive a grant of up to $3,000. You proceed with your energy retrofits.
Once you have completed the work, you contact your energy advisor to perform a post-retrofit evaluation to confirm your home's new energy rating and to submit a grant application on your behalf.
You keep your paperwork, including receipts, to claim expenses that could be eligible under the Government of Canada's temporary Home Renovation Tax Credit.
Within 90 days of your post-retrofit evaluation you receive your ecoENERGY Retrofit – Homes cheque.

Example 2: Not Eligible for Grant

You have heard there are grants available to improve the energy efficiency of your home.
You decide to replace your windows and a patio door where you think your home is losing heat.
You have them installed and you call Natural Resources Canada to apply for an ecoENERGY Retrofit – Homes grant.
You learn that you are not eligible for a grant because a pre-retrofit energy evaluation was not performed before the windows and door were installed.
However, you are still eligible to claim the Home Renovation Tax Credit. You should keep your paperwork, including receipts, to claim expenses that could be eligible under the Government of Canada's temporary Home Renovation Tax Credit.