Addressing climate change through home improvements is not something that every homeowner thinks about. But there are certainly effective ways through which you can do your part to reduce the carbon footprint.
Ontario Rebate Programs for 2021 offered by the Government of Canada will help you with that. With these programs, you can renovate your home insulation and maintain a perfect home climate plan.
Insulation and the energy efficiency that comes with it are key if you want to reduce energy consumption. Energy efficiency can be explained in a very simple way. An energy-efficient home will consume less energy. That on the other hand will reduce emissions of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.
Home energy audits have shown that air conditioning and water heaters require a lot of energy. We insulate our homes to keep us warm during the winter and cold during the summer. Efficient home insulation will preserve more of the building’s energy. This will help consume less energy and decrease energy costs.
Non renewable energy resources are very important for our planet. We have to increase the efficiency of how we use them. Also, we should turn our focus towards clean energy, such as electric vehicles. That will surely reduce our impact on the environment.
A more dramatic fact estimates that by 2050 there will be some 200 million climate change forced migrants.
Ontario Rebate Programs that Can Help you Save Money for 2021
The detrimental effects that global warming is having on the planet has led the federal government to take different measures. One of these measures is the energy savings rebate program.
These programs aim to reduce the costs of your home renovation projects. Renovation projects supported by these programs include:
- home insulation renovation
- geothermal heating
- windows and doors replacement
- fire safety, etc.
The GreenOn Rebate Program
The greatest benefit of improving your home’s insulation is that it will improve the energy efficiency of your home. An average home can be one of the biggest consumers of energy. On the other hand, it will produce lots of harmful emissions each year.
The government of Ontario is addressing this by offering different rebates through the Green Ontario Fund. The eligible retailers are families who want to cooperate in lowering the carbon emissions.
The easiest way to tackle climate change is to improve your home insulation. Home insulation is crucial to the energy consumption of the building and your energy bills.
AHome insulation that does not function properly will not preserve the air conditioning. Your HVAC system will work extensively in order to maintain the required indoor climate. That will result in more energy consumption. Your HVAC system will degrade more rapidly and there will be more repair and maintenance costs.
These issues can be a real burden on your budget. On the other hand, if you improve your home’s insulation, it will be easier to maintain a stable indoor climate. Your HVAC system will work less and have a longer lifespan. The reduced burden on your electrical appliances will reduce your utility bills and save you money all year around.
The Benefits of the GreenON Rebate Program
Some of the benefits to participating in the GreenOn Rebate Program include:
- Rebates worth thousands of dollars will help you improve your home’s insulation, installation of new doors and windows
- Improvement of your home’s insulation has shown to reduce energy consumption by 15%
- The increased resale value of your home
- The decrease in the number of harmful emissions released from your home
- A gentler impact on the environment and the planet as a whole
What is the Home Efficiency Rebate?
With the Enbridge Home Efficiency Rebate program, you can receive back up to $5,000 for home improvements related to energy efficiency.
Energy upgrades that fall within the eligibility criteria of this program include:
- Home insulation
- Air sealing
- Window replacement
- Heating and cooling
- Hot water, etc
Main Home Efficiency Rebate Changes as of September 21, 2020
- There is a one time offer as of October 15, 2020: an Emergency Heating and Replacement rule for customers with “no heat” for the period October 15, 202 until March 31, 2021.
- In the case of natural gas furnace replacement, as part of your upgrades, you will need 3 or more upgrades to be considered eligible.
- The new rebate amount for furnace upgrades is now $250.
- The requirement for furnace replacement is that the old furnace has a 95% Annualized Fuel Utilization Efficiency or lower, while the new furnace has to be 96% or higher.
- The rebate amount for boilers is $1000.
- There is a bonus of $500 if you achieve 100% insulation of the foundation exterior walls. This bonus applies to basement and crawl space exterior walls.
- You must upgrade a minimum of 20% of your basement totals walls area in order to be eligible. That minimum can be lowered to 5% if you are to complete 100% of your basement insulation.
Eligibility Criteria to participate in the Enbridge Home Efficiency Rebate
- You have to live in a detached, semi-detached, or row townhouse.
- The building has to be heated by natural gas.
- The building must be located in the Enbridge Gas Service Area.
- An energy assessment of the residency needs to be performed before and after the renovations.
- At least two eligible upgrades need to be completed.
Home Energy Loan Program (HELP)
With the Home Energy Loan Program (HELP) now you can get a low interest loan to support your home energy improvements. The amount of the low interest loan you can get is up to $75,000. This program is now expanded to cover the whole city of Toronto.
This program is offered by the City of Toronto. It is designed to help you improve your home energy efficiency. In combination with the Home Efficiency Rebate program, it will save you a lot of money.
This program helps you to cover the costs for the following home energy improvements:
- Furnaces, boilers, and air conditioning
- Air source heat pumps
- Windows and doors replacement
- Basement, attic, and exterior walls insulation
- Air sealing
- Geothermal heating
- Water heaters
- Toilet replacement
- Solar water heating systems
- Rooftop solar panels
- Battery storage
Eligibility Criteria to participate in the HELP program
You might be eligible for a low interest loan financing if:
- you live in a detached, semi-detached, or row townhouse.
- all property owners give consent to participate in the program.
- you have no debts to any third parties regarding property taxes and utility payments.
- you submit written consent from your mortgage lenders, if applicable.
Save Energy and Lower your Environmental Impact
These programs can really help you save money, improve your home energy efficiency and at the same time decrease your carbon footprint. New and efficient insulation is the best home improvement you can do. In the long run, you will be rewarded with lower utility bills and repair costs, home comfort, better health conditions, etc.
Give us a call today at +1 (416) 860-6664 or send us an email at [email protected] with your insulation requirements and we will be happy to assist you.
