Home Energy Audit - Get Qualified for Energy Rebates

Heating and cooling account for about 56% of the energy use in a typical Canadian home, making it the largest energy expense for most homes. This provides a big opportunity for energy savings. A wide variety of technologies are available for heating and cooling your home, and they achieve a wide range of efficiencies in converting their energy sources into useful heat or cool air for your home. In addition, many heating and cooling systems have certain supporting equipment in common, such as thermostats and ducts, which provide opportunities for saving energy.

You can reduce your home's heating and cooling costs and realize energy savings through proper insulation and air sealing techniques. These techniques will also make your home more comfortable.

Any air sealing efforts will complement your insulation efforts, and vice versa. Proper moisture control and ventilation strategies will improve the effectiveness of air sealing and insulation, and vice versa.

Water heating can account for 14%–25% of the energy consumed in your home. This is another opportunity for energy savings. You can reduce your monthly water heating bills by selecting the appropriate water heater for your home and by using some energy-efficient water heating strategies.

Energy-efficient windows, doors, and skylights can help lower a home's heating, cooling, and lighting costs and compound energy savings. Proper installation of windows and doors is critical to maximize efficiency and reduce heat loss. Poorly installed or improperly sealed window and door frames are major contributors to air leakage and heat loss. Significant energy savings are realized with properly installed high performance windows and doors. For more information, visit our energy savings rebates page.

We're making it easy and attractive for you to save energy. In addition to impressive financing options for energy-efficient home improvements, there are valuable grants and energy rebates also available to homeowners that can help offset the cost burden of making your home more energy efficient.

In addition, government incentives, such as the federal government’s ecoENERGY program, which offers grants for residential energy saving improvements, encourage Canadians to make changes. 66% of Canadians are interested in participating in an energy saving program and 11% are already participating in an energy rebate program. Two-thirds of respondents say they are more likely to make energy efficient upgrades if they benefit from tax credits and 59% say they are likely to consider an environmental assessment prior to home renovations.

You can make a positive impact on your wallet by reducing your impact on the environment. From taking transit or driving a fuel efficient vehicle, to making energy-efficient upgrades to your home, many of your eco-friendly actions can save you money. Search by province and discover green incentive programs available in your area and take advantage of some savings!

Pre-retrofit evaluation: Hire a local service organization licensed by NRCan. They will send a certified energy advisor to perform a pre-retrofit energy evaluation from the attic to the foundation.  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 ecoENERGY Rebates you can receive, and the more energy you can save.  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.

What Home Improvements Qualify for Grants?

To qualify for these home improvement grants there are certain criteria that the homeowner, and renovation job, must meet. Owners of single-family homes or homes that are at least 50% permanent residential space, detached, and semi-detached homes are eligible.

If you meet all of the above criteria you are then eligible to receive your ecoENERGY grant providing the renovation is on the list of eligible improvements, as outlined by the Canadian government, and also meets specified measurements. Be sure to check with the official list before doing your home repair, as there are specific products that need to be used, and varying grant amounts depending on the specific renovation you are doing.

Eligible Improvements

Some of the home improvements eligible for a housing grant include replacements to your:

• Heating system
• Cooling System
• Ventilation System
• Domestic Hot Water Equipment
• Ceiling, Exterior Wall, Foundation, Basement, Exposed Floor Insulation (overhangs and floors above an unheated space, excluding crawl spaces)
• Air Sealing
• Doors, Windows, and Skylights (heated space only)
• Water Conservation

As global warming becomes more of a concern, homeowners and developers are looking for ways to reduce their carbon footprints and make their homes more energy efficient. Making eco-friendly switches and improvements to houses can be costly, which might deter builders and homeowners who don't have the extra cash to invest. Fortunately, federal, provincial government and utilities sponsor home improvement grants for individuals and communities who make environmentally friendly improvements to their homes.

If you are planning on improving your home, there are a few things to keep in mind that might help pay for those upgrades, while making your home more energy efficient.  Home improvement grants are available today.  Total Home Energy Advisors can provide objective advice.  The report will assist you in upgrading your home to help the environment and save you money on your energy bills, from start to finish. 

As it happens, both the federal and provincial governments are offering healthy financial incentives - if you undertake certain recommended retrofits.

Most importantly, you need to contract with a licensed energy advisor who will conduct a detailed on-site assessment of your home's energy use including a "blower door" test to find air leaks. The advisor will provide you with the actual energy efficiency rating of your home along with a report and list of recommended retrofits.

After you have completed your energy upgrades, the advisor will conduct a second evaluation and calculate a new energy efficiency rating that indicates the improved energy use in your home.  From there, the advisor will determine exactly how much you can expect to receive, prepare the paperwork for you to sign, and submit the grant application(s).

There are many benefits to home renovations centered around energy savings.  In making energy saving improvements in your home.  These improvements can reduce your energy use, minimize moisture and condensation problems, limit outdoor noise and greenhouse gas emissions.  Energy-saving renovations can improve your indoor air quality, humidity levels, and your overall comfort level.

Home renovations can increase property value, reduce energy bills and improve comfort and esthetic, but they're not always easy to manage. Here's how to ensure your renovation goes smoothly.  Your home’s resale value depends on several factors, including the price of comparable homes in the neighbourhood, location and its overall condition.  Though well-planned renovations can dramatically increase the value of some homes, avoid renovating with only resale in mind: it’s impossible to know what buyers are looking for or if the market will change by the time you’re ready to sell. Instead, focus on keeping your home in good condition rather than following trends or blowing your budget on esthetics.

The survey also revealed that over half of all Canadians (51 per cent) are planning to undertake home renovations over the next 12 months. Of those planning renovations, 88 per cent want to learn more about how to make their homes greener, while 83 per cent are actively looking for ways to reduce their home energy bills. Canadians said that their renovations would include new windows and doors (48 per cent), toilets (36 per cent) and air sealing/draft proofing (34 per cent).

It’s true home renovations that make your home easier to heat or cool will maintain comfortable temperatures throughout the house and will save you money.  But there are additional savings you may not have thought about.  The air quality in your home is also improved because moisture, dust and other airborne allergens can be trapped and eliminated before anyone is impacted.  This adds up to health savings for you and your family.  Of course you can also feel good about home renovations that make for greater energy efficiency because it’s not just your indoor environment you’re affecting, those improvements area also good for the outdoor environment – less energy use equals fewer greenhouse gas being emitted and that helps reduce climate change.  Making your home energy efficient isn’t just a winter job.  Living in the northern hemisphere, particularly in Canada, it’s easy to get caught in the trap of thinking energy efficiency is only important in the winter. Because our heating bills shoot up during the colder winter months it’s easy to get fixated on this one aspect of energy use.  In reality having an eco-friendly home is a year round and a home round job.  Home heating is just one part of the picture. Learn about how to qualify for home renovation grants.