Home Efficiency Rebate Program in Ontario

The Home Efficiency Rebate Program is an initiative that aims to award homeowners with refunds for home improvement jobs. Under this program, homeowners will receive up to $5,000 in rebates for home efficiency improvement jobs.

It’s a great opportunity for people who want more affordable and comfortable housing. But the program isn’t for everyone. This rebate is offered to people who upgrade their insulation, airtightness, boiler, and furnace. People who want to upgrade their doors, windows, and skylights are also eligible.

Eligibility:

Before you apply for the rebate program, you must meet the following criteria:

If you want to renovate and upgrade your house’s efficiency.
You haven’t yet begun renovation work.
If you are a customer of Enbridge Gas or Union Gas.
You have a mobile, detached, semi-detached, or row townhouse home.
Your home has a natural gas furnace or boiler.

After you have applied for the program, you must:

Keep all energy upgrade receipts with you.
Have performed at least 2 upgrades eligible for the program.
Have completed an energy assessment before and after the renovation.
The delay between the initial and final assessments isn’t more than 120 days.

Procedure

So, what’s the procedure? Here’s how things will do down:

First, contact a Service Organization to perform energy audits. Then, conduct a pre-renovation home energy audit.
Then, using that information, opt for at least 2 energy upgrades under this program. Keep in mind the maximum rebate amount is $5,000.
Next, have any professional contractor or Insu4u perform the upgrades you chose.
Now, perform another home energy audit after your renovation is complete. Again, ensure the delay between this audit and the pre-renovation one is not more than 120 days.
Finally, you will receive your refund check by post in approximately 2 months.

What Are Home Efficiency Upgrades Covered Under This Program?

Choosing the most cost-effective rebate upgrade is a tricky task. However, the home energy audit you will perform before the renovation helps assess which upgrade option is the best for you.

Additionally, you can get advice from your Service Organization on which energy upgrades will be most in your favor.

One of the best parts of applying to the rebate program this year is that you can now get bonus rebates. Although the rebate amount is fixed at $5,000, you can acquire additional bonus rebates. Here’s what you must do to get the bonus rebates:

$150 – for performing 3 energy upgrades.
$500 – for performing 4 energy upgrades.
$750 – for performing 5 energy upgrades.
$500 – for crawlspace/basement wall insulation, provided there is 100% coverage. Additionally, a 5% minimum total foundation exterior is required to be insulated. This amount is added to the rebate amounts already acquired through basement rebates.

Besides that, the following upgrades are eligible for this program:

Basement Insulation

$1,250 – basement walls 100% covered with at least R23.
$750 – basement walls 100% covered with R12.
$1,000 – crawlspace walls 100% covered with at least R23.
$500 – crawlspace walls 100% covered with R12.
$1,000 – the floor above crawlspace floor 100% covered with at least R23.

Attic Insulation

$750 – attic insulation increased from R35 or less to R60 or higher.
$750 – cathedral or flat roof insulation increased by R14 or higher.

Exterior Wall Insulation

$3,000 – R20 or higher applied to 100% of the building.
$1,750 – R9 or higher applied to 100% of the building, achieving R12 or higher.
$1,000 – R3.8 or higher applied to 100% of the building, achieving R12 or higher.

Air Sealing

$150 – at least 10% above base air sealing target is achieved.
$100 – base air sealing target is achieved.

Furnace/Boiler Upgrades

$1,000 – 90% or less AFUE natural gas boiler replaced with at least a 90% condensing natural gas boiler.
$250 – 96% or less AFUE natural gas boiler replaced with at least a 96% condensing natural gas boiler.

Water Heater Upgrades

$400 – water heater replaced with 0.9 EF (tankless) or 0.8 EF (tanked) natural gas heater certified by ENERGY STAR.

Windows/Skylights/Doors Upgrades

$40 – For every door, window, and skylight replaced by an ENERGY STAR qualified equivalent.

Book Your Pre-Renovation Audits Today

The pre-renovation audit is the most important step of the procedure. It allows you to assess which parts of your building require upgrades and of what nature. Without this audit, you are neither eligible for the program nor would you know the right decision to make.

The policies and rebate programs might change, which can result in a potentially different rebate amount. You should ask for consultation from a home energy audit advisor to get the latest estimates.

And that’s where we come in. We’re a spray foam insulation company based in Canada. We can work on the insulation part of the job and connect you to the most reliable home energy auditing companies that can audit your project.

So, give us a call, and our representative will get back to you and discuss your options.