Expanded program will help more homeowners save money and create new jobs

Brockville – April 9, 2009 - More homeowners in Leeds-Grenville will save money by making their homes more energy-efficient thanks to the Conservative government’s improvements to the ecoENERGY Retrofit – Homes program, announced Member of Parliament Gord Brown. The Conservative government is expanding this program with an additional $300 million in energy-efficient home improvement grants.

“Expanding this program will create jobs and help families cut their costs, while reducing energy consumption at the same time,” says Brown. “Families in Leeds-Grenville are already taking advantage of this program, and thanks to our government’s new investment, many more will be able to as well.”

The ecoENERGY Retrofit — Homes program provides homeowners with grants of up to $5,000 to offset the cost of making energy-efficiency improvements. Grants apply to a range of measures that reduce energy consumption and work for a cleaner environment; from increasing insulation to upgrading a furnace. To be eligible for a grant, a home must first undergo an energy evaluation by a certified energy advisor.

Effective April 1, 2009, Canadians completing approved energy-efficiency renovations on their home will be eligible to receive a 25 per cent larger grant to help cover their expenses. For example, Canadians who upgrade to a high-efficiency gas furnace will be eligible to receive a $625 grant; up from $500, the maximum they would have received before.

“We expect that for every $1 a Canadian homeowner receives through their ecoENERGY Retrofit grant, they spend $10 on various products and services to continue making their home more energy-efficient,” said Brown 

“This new investment will help stimulate our economy today  while improving the environment for tomorrow.”

Homeowners who are interested in learning more about the program can visit www.ecoaction.gc.ca/homes or call 1-800-O-CANADA.

Backgrounder

The ecoENERGY Retrofit Program

Canadians who want to save money on their bills through energy efficient home renovations deserve their government’s encouragement and support. That’s why the Conservative government launched the ecoENERGY Retrofit – Homes program. Since its launch on April 1, 2007, this program has provided $91 million worth of grants to Canadian homeowners for more than 85,000 energy saving retrofit renovations; with the average retrofit grant totalling $1,088.

By expanding this initiative in Canada’s Economic Action Plan, we are putting more money in the pockets of Canadians at a time when they need it most. Energy efficiency remains one of the easiest and most effective ways for homeowners to save on their bills while contributing to a healthier environment. In addition to the retrofit grant, homeowners end up saving an average of $500 per year on their energy bills.

Creating and securing jobs for Canadians
Encouraging more Canadians to retrofit their homes for greater energy efficiency will create and secure jobs for thousands of Canadians and generate new economic activity in all regions of the country.

It is estimated that expanding the ecoENERGY Retrofit – Homes initiative and increasing the amount of the grants available will encourage up to 200,000 additional Canadian homeowners to invest in these renovation programs.

Performing these retrofits will create new job opportunities in home renovation and construction. They will also benefit the manufacturing of windows, doors, insulation materials, and heating, ventilation and air conditioning equipment by protecting and creating jobs.

Generating economic activity

For every dollar our Conservative Government invests in the expanded ecoENERGY Retrofit – Homes initiative, it is expected that Canadian homeowners will invest approximately $10 in products and services to increase the energy efficiency of their homes. Consequently, our recent investment will generate $2.4 billion in economic activity across Canada.

Since the majority of the products and virtually all of the services that homeowners will purchase are manufactured and based in Canada, much of the economic activity will be in the same community where the homeowner lives, supporting local contractors, tradespeople and suppliers.

How it works

In addition to increasing the overall funding for the program, which will allow more homeowners to participate, our government has increased the grants available for home energy-efficiency retrofits by 25 percent.

The eligibility requirements of the expanded program have not changed. Homeowners will need to have a pre-retrofit evaluation completed by a certified energy advisor. Homeowners will then have until March 31, 2011, or 18 months from the date of their pre-retrofit evaluation report (whichever comes first) to complete the post-retrofit evaluation in order to receive a grant at the increased level, subject to available funding.

Homeowners who have had a pre-retrofit evaluation completed under the ecoENERGY Retrofit – Homes initiative, but have not yet had their post-retrofit evaluation, will receive grants based on the new rates. No adjustments will be made to grants for homeowners who have already received grants or who have already had their post-retrofit evaluation completed. However, homeowners may reapply by: using their post-retrofit evaluation as a new baseline; implementing more energy-efficient measures; and having another post-retrofit evaluation completed under the new higher-grant tables.

Access to the program continues to be on a first-come, first-served basis; and grants are subject to the availability of funds.

A new class of residential buildings is also being added to the eligible property list: small semi-commercial/semi-residential buildings where 50% or more of the floor space is being used as residences.

Links to details on the application process, the types of retrofits that qualify for grants and the names of certified energy advisors across Canada can be found on the ecoACTION Web site at www.ecoACTION.gc.ca/homes. More information about the program is also available by calling 1-800-O CANADA (1-800-622-6232).

Provincial and territorial government incentives

A number of provincial and territorial governments have already launched their own programs to complement the ecoENERGY Retrofit – Homes initiative and are providing further financial incentives and support to homeowners to make their homes more energy-efficient.