The Canadian government is offering up to $5,600 to homeowners across the country to retrofit their homes and make them more energy efficient.
At a cost of $2.6 billion over seven years, the Canada Greener Homes Grant will be made available to 700,000 Canadians. An additional $600 will be made available to cover the cost of an EnerGuide home energy evaluation.
Possible retrofits could include solar panels, smart thermostats, a heat pump, more efficient windows or doors, LED lighting, air sealing and better insulation, or a more efficient, furnace, air conditioner or fridge.
When asked whether the program was a political move to gain favour in the lead up to an election, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters that the program was in the works since 2019 and “we’re going to continue to do what’s necessary to bring down our emissions.”
Last month at a virtual summit of world leaders, Trudeau promised to cut emissions over the next nine years by 40 to 45 per cent from 2005 levels, up from a previous target of 36 per cent.
While at the time, he gave few specifics on how to meet the more ambitious goal, the latest announcement is meant to create 110,000 jobs over the coming years, lead to less pollution and lower people’s energy bills, said the prime minister Thursday.
“Not only can you save money with this grant, it can also help make a real difference in the fight against climate change,” said Trudeau.
Eligible properties include: single and semi-detached houses, row housing, townhomes, mobile homes on a permanent foundation, permanently moored floating homes, mixed-use buildings (residential portion only) and small multi-unit residential buildings (up to three storeys with a footprint of up to 600 square metres).
Homeowners can apply for the grant through an online application.
