On March 30, the Canadian Minister of Natural Resources, the Honourable Lisa Raitt, announced that for a limited time, grants under the ecoENERGY – Retrofit Homes program will increase by 25 percent. The program will provide homeowners with grants of up to $5,000 to offset the cost of making energy-efficient improvements. Grants apply to a range of measures that reduce energy consumption and provide for a cleaner environment, from increasing insulation to upgrading windows and doors.

To qualify for the program, homeowners must first have a pre-retrofit energy evaluation by a certified evaluator and a post-evaluation following the renovations. Funds are available for a limited time (to March 31, 2011) and are subject to availability.

Homeowners who retrofit their homes to make them more energy efficient could also qualify for the government of Canada’s new Home Renovation Tax Credit, worth up to $1,350. The home renovation tax credit has yet to receive royal assent. The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) indicated that as long as the product is a “permanent fixture in the home” it would qualify.

For more information on the ecoENERGY Retrofit – Homes program, visit http://oee.nrcan.gc.ca/residential/personal/grants.cfm?attr=4. For more information on the Home Renovation Tax Credit, visit www.cra-arc.gc.ca/gncy/bdgt/2009/fqhmrnvtn-eng.html#q6.

Publication date: 04/06/2009