Greener Homes Grant: Rebates for furnace upgrades and more

by Brandon Mayer

With home heating costs skyrocketing across the country, and predictions that it will only get worse from here, it is no wonder why homeowners are seeking ways to lower their bills. It turns out that there is government help available to do so.

The federal government has partnered with Enbridge Gas to bring rebates for a wide variety of home upgrades. Canada’s Greener Homes Grant provides rebates – some worth thousands of dollars – for upgrades including home energy assessments, home insulation, air sealing, new windows and doors, space and water heating, smart thermostats, solar panels, and weather proofing. The goal is to make Canadian homes “greener” by increasing heating and cooling efficiency, and switching to energy sources that are renewable and cleaner.

The Government of Canada has contracted Enbridge Gas as its delivery partner for the program. To participate, homeowners must schedule a home energy assessment, complete at least one of the recommended upgrades, and then schedule a follow up assessment before receiving the grant for the specific upgrade(s) they completed. Up to $600 can be reimbursed for the assess- ments themselves. Rebates vary in amount, with some as low as $125 for a smart thermostat or $325 for each qualifying window and door, and the highest possible grant being $10,000 for upgrades to home insulation.

Local expert Rick Buffham has been eager to share his knowledge on one particular side of these home energy upgrades – the HVAC side. He explained that the federal and provincial governments are strongly pushing toward upgrades to heat pumps, which is what the HVAC rebates are currently focusing on.

Rick explained that home heating costs are unmanageable for a lot of people right now. “Being a rural contractor for as long as I’ve been, I can say that this has been a horrible year,” he said. “The fuel cost, especially when natural gas isn’t available, is absolutely the highest it has ever been.” For many customers in our area, particularly those outside of the denser settlement areas, reliance on ever more expensive energy sources – such as propane – is a reality.

The province is currently working to an eventual goal of all-electric heating, but that concept can be scary for many people who have been told over the course of decades that electricity is the most expensive way to heat. However, heat pump systems work differently. While they do operate us-