Save NOW with a home retrofit grant – Save later on your energy bills.

The Government of Canada has renewed the ecoENERGY Retrofit – Homes program from June 6, 2011, to March 31, 2012, to help homeowners make their homes more energy-efficient and reduce the burden of high energy costs.

The ecoENERGY Retrofit – Homes program can help you invest in energy-efficient upgrades. Owners of most houses, including four-season recreational properties and low-rise multi-unit residential buildings (MURBs of three storeys or less with at least 50 percent residential space), can register to be eligible.

The maximum federal grant is $5,000 for applications since April 2007. If you participated before April 1, 2011, and have not received the maximum amount for your current property, you can submit one more application for additional improvements after June 6, 2011. Owners of multiple dwellings and MURBs could receive up to $1,000,000.

Steps to apply for the grant

1. Registration: First, register with Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) and receive a registration number. If you do not have Internet access, you can call 1 800 O-Canada (1-800-622-6232).
2. 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. If the property has already been evaluated under this program since April 2007, a new pre-retrofit evaluation is not required.
3. 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 money you can receive, and the more energy you can save.
4. 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.

Most homeowners receive a grant cheque from the Government of Canada within 90 days after their post-retrofit evaluation. NRCan also transfers data to complementary incentive programs in certain provinces and territories that issue cheques according to their own criteria and deadlines.

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