Homeowners who live in Ontario can apply for a multitude of energy rebates. Ontario rebate programs make it more affordable for you to undertake home improvement projects that reduce household energy usage. Through these rebate programs, you can take certain steps to reduce the energy spent at home. Ontario rebate programs purpose is to fund safety upgrades, energy efficiency improvements, and accessibility repair to properties, which includes:
- Increased insulation
- Repairs to the foundation, walls, roof, floors, ceilings, and siding
- Door & window replacements,
- Plumbing, electrical, and well upgrades
- Chair & bath lift installation
- Structural improvements
- Heating system and chimney repairs and other safety system upgrades
Ontario Rebate Programs in 2021
Today are a number of different programs available that offer homeowners in Ontario Energy Rebate 2021. Maybe you have heard about the rebate programs even if you haven’t we will make things more clear. The rebate programs are a push-up for Ontario residents to renovate their homes even for those who may find them too expensive.
Below we have listed the most profitable programs, starting from Home Efficiency Rebate, AffordAbility Fund, Canadian Mortgage, Housing Corporation or CMHC, and Home Energy Loan Program or HELP.
Home Efficiency Rebate Program
The Home Efficiency Rebate is an energy rebate program, which offers homeowners in Ontario up to $5000 in home reno rebates. Enbridge Gas Home Energy Conservation runs this rebate program and is a great way to increase your home’s energy efficiency. By completing energy efficient upgrades to your home, you will find a comfortable living environment but also a reduction in your annual energy bills. You must be a consumer of either Enbridge Gas or Union Gas in order to apply for the rebate program.
How to get your Home Efficiency Rebate
- The first step is doing an energy audit before the renovations start. And of course, the audit should be done by a registered energy advisor who is capable of conducting a pre-renovation audit.
- Then the energy auditor will inform you of the problematic areas that should be improved and you can choose at least two applicable home improvements.
- Hire a professional contractor to perform the chosen renovations.
- 120 days after your pre-renovation energy audit, you should have the energy advisor conduct a post-renovation energy audit, in order to check the performance of the new upgrades.
- After a few days, you will receive the rebate cheque.
PLEASE NOTE: Home Efficiency Rebate Program due to COVID-19 has been suspended until February 10th, 2021 for all Ontario.
AffordAbility Fund
Funded by the Government of Ontario the AffordAbility Fund Program is offered to you by your local electric utility. And helps homeowners who do not qualify for low-income conversation programs reduce their electricity consumption and also ease the burden of electricity bills by providing free energy efficient upgrades.
How can you apply for the AffordAbility Fund
In order to calculate the level of support you may be eligible for, start by completing an online application at the AffordAbility Fund website. And when it is approved, the rebate amount will be added by your local municipality property tax department.
PLEASE NOTE: Due to COVID-19 pandemic the AffordAbility Fund has suspended its services since July 31st, 2020, news about reopening is expected to be seen in the future.
Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC)
The Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation or CMHC program is available to those who buy, renovate, and build for energy efficiency. This rebate program offers a refund of up to 25% off your premium energy efficient. So when renovating the refund amount is defined by the results of your energy efficiency house or project.
How can you apply for the CMHC Green Home Program
Same as the other government programs in order to qualify you must have an energy audit completed on your house by a registered energy advisor. The energy audits should be completed before the renovations and after all the renovations have been completed. Then you will receive 2 EnerGuide ratings, one before the renovation and another after, in this way you can see how much your house has improved from the renovations.
Home Energy Loan Program (HELP)
Home Energy Loan Program or HELP is a program initiated by the City of Toronto in order to help you improve your home’s energy efficiency and also reduce utility bills. This loan program assists homeowners who might not otherwise be able to finance the costs of home energy improvements. You can combine it with the Home Efficiency rebate program for even more savings.
How to apply for the HELP Program
You can start by completing the HELP online application. After the required documentation has been submitted and after the application has been approved then, you will enter into a loan agreement with the City of Toronto to initiate certain improvements. The improvement options are based on a home energy audit. After the energy audit, you must complete a funding request form, where you have to identify the improvements you intend to make. Then after your loan is in place the City of Toronto will impose a charge on the participating property which includes the cost of improvements, the interest, and an administration fee.
The obligation of paying the HELP loan is not attached to the owner but to the property. If the property changes owners the new owner continues to make payments until the loan is fully paid. The HELP loan can be repaid at any time with no penalty.
PLEASE NOTE: Home Energy Loan Program due to COVID-19 has been suspended until at least February 11th, 2021.
What is an Energy Audit / Assessment?
An energy audit also known as energy assessment is basically when an auditor comes to look at your home or building to see how energy efficiency is and identifies problematic areas that should be fixed or improved. As a homeowner, you don’t know how efficient your windows are, or your walls or why one room is colder than another. An energy audit can inform you whether your bills are high because of your own habits or because of energy inefficiencies in your home.
The insulation assessment plays an important role when it comes to the energy levels in your home. The auditor will look at the insulation in your exterior walls, attic, basement, and crawl space. This insulation assessment will pinpoint any air leakage areas, they will inspect the HVAC system in order to examine the performance of the system. The auditor will do a walk-through of the house and perform tests to assess where the house is losing energy.
Here’s what to expect during the audit:
- A blower door test will be conducted to detect air leaks and evaluates the airtightness of a home.
- An insulation test checks if all insulation levels meet the required R-Value also if there are any gaps or areas where the insulation should be.
- In the attic, the auditor looks for holes or light from the outside and for the dark areas on the insulation indicating air and dust are leaking through.
- In the unfinished basement or crawl spaces, the auditor looks for holes or light that may penetrate through any walls, holes, or cracks.
- During the energy audit, the auditor will give you recommendations for improvements that can help you maximize your home’s energy efficiency, increase comfort and reduce your energy bills.
Choose Eco Spray Insulation
Eco Spray Insulation has taken every safety precaution possible for our clients and employees during COVID-19. Our safety precautions include proper social distancing, ensuring protective equipment is utilized at all times. Our in-home estimators and crew members also sanitize any room they enter and our equipment between each job.
We can help you to make energy efficient upgrades that qualify for certain rebates. Our experts will guide you through the consultation to the execution stage. Here at Eco Spray Insulation we can help you determine what your house system is missing and of course recommend a solution to help you make your house environment healthier and more comfortable for you and your family.
If you would like to have one of our insulation experts inspect the insulation in your house, Eco Spray Insulation offers homeowners free insulation estimates to help you to get started. We install quality products and provide a fully comprehensive approach, that includes insulation and air sealing. Contact us at 1-416-860-6664, or by email at [email protected] and our Professional Team will be happy to assist you.
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