Need-to-know advice before you start home energy renos
With winter approaching and a potential nine percent electricity price hike forecast for spring, many people are thinking about how to save on their electricity bills.
Heat pump installers and energy efficiency advocates say it’s a good time to make energy-saving home improvements.
CBC News spoke to the people who run government incentive programs to find out what help is available and how to get it.
Here’s the flow.
Extended energy saving program
Who can get it:
Resident homeowners with total household income less than $70,000.
It doesn’t matter if:
- You receive social development benefits.
- You have already used the Total Home Energy Savings program or started an application for it.
What it covers:
- Insulation.
- air sealing.
- heat pumps.
All as recommended by the energy consultant working for the program, Greenfoot Energy Solutions.
How much it pays:
The total cost of the upgrades. It is budgeted for around 2,000 households per year.
How to get it:
- Apply through the saveenergynb.ca website or call NB Power.
- An energy consultant will recommend upgrade options and NB Power must agree.
- Greenfoot will take care of the rest.
Total Home energy saving program
Who can get it:
Every homeowner in the province with every income level and every type of heating system.
The house:
- Can be a single family home, detached, side by side, townhouse or mobile home on a permanent foundation.
- Must be finished with paneling and covered walls and have a kitchen, bathroom, insulation and heating system.
- Must be three stories or less and less than 6,458 square feet.
The program can be used:
- Multiple times.
- In addition to the Enhanced Energy Savings Program, either before or after the completion of that program.
What it covers:
- Space heaters with heat pump.
- Energy Star oil or gas boilers or stoves.
- High efficiency pellet stoves, boilers, stoves and fireplace inserts, propane or natural gas fireplace inserts and wood stoves.
- Energy Star gas water heater.
- Drain water heat recovery.
- Water heater with heat pump.
- Energy Star windows, doors and skylights.
- Heat recovery fans.
- Energy Star variable speed pool pumps.
- Solar water heater.
- solar power systems.
- air sealing.
How much it pays:
A set amount to cover part of the cost of each eligible item.
Examples:
- $0.40 to $3 per square foot of insulation, depending on house section and resulting R-value improvement.
- $50 for a window.
- $400 for a mini split heat pump.
- $500 for an oil stove.
- Up to $550 for a 25 percent reduction in air leakage.
- $2,000 for a geothermal heat pump.
The average homeowner who goes through the program makes about $1,700, said Beth Pollock, senior manager of efficiency services at NB Power, but there’s no set limit.
Some get $10,000 based on how much work is done.
How to get it:
- Complete an application at saveenergynb.ca or contact NB Power. You can choose between the three approved EnerGuide home appraisal providers (Enercheck Solutions, Homesol Building Solutions and ThermalWise Green Building Co-operative) or choose “no preference”.
- Within about two weeks, someone will come to your home to see what upgrades are needed. The exam costs $100 to $200 depending on whether you are applying at both the provincial and federal levels.
- Choose your upgrades and your contractor and get the job done.
- Get a follow-up audit to measure improvement and show your receipts. A rebate will be sent to you by e-bank transfer, direct deposit or mail.
Canada Greener Homes Grant
Who can get it:
Homeowners living in Canada who:
- Get an EnerGuide evaluation before you start any retrofits, or have one done after April 1, 2020.
- Do you have a home that is more than six months old?
- Do you live in a single-family house, a semi-detached house or an apartment building.
*Note: If you received a previous federal credit for a heat pump, you may still qualify for a grant to upgrade your system.
What it covers:
- air sealing.
- Insulation.
- Windows and doors.
- Smart thermostats (in combination with another improvement).
- Space heaters with heat pump.
- Water heater with heat pump.
- Solar power modules and inverter systems.
- Batteries for storing solar energy.
- roof sheeting.
- basement wall waterproofing.
- Crawl space moisture protection.
*Multi-unit residential buildings larger than two units are not covered for heat pumps or thermostats.
How much it pays:
Grants range from $125 to $5,000, with smaller caps for some of the different types of improvements.
Examples:
- Up to $250 for each door or window.
- Up to $1,000 per kilowatt of solar power system capacity.
- Up to $2,500 for a mini split heat pump.
- An additional payment of up to $600 for the before and after energy assessments.
The program is budgeted for seven years with 700,000 grants. By last winter there had been more than 182,000 applications.
How to get it:
- Complete an application on the Natural Resources Canada website or call 1-833-674-8282 or TTY: 1-800-465-7735 if needed.
- Have your EnerGuide evaluation conducted through the province’s network of energy consultants.
- Complete at least one action that is recommended to save energy.
- Request an energy assessment for your home after the conversion.
- Submit your receipts but keep copies.
Canada Greener Homes Loan
Who is eligible:
- The same group eligible for the Greener Homes Grant program (see above).
- indigenous groups.
*Note that you cannot be approved if work has already started.
What is covered:
The same type of upgrades listed in the Canada Greener Homes Grant program as recommended in an EnerGuide evaluation.
How much is available:
An interest-free loan ranging from $5,000 to $40,000, repayable over 10 years. A maximum of one loan is available per eligible property. Up to 15 percent may be available upfront for contractor deposits if required, 25 percent for indigenous groups.
How to get it:
- Start through the Greener Homes Grant portal on Natural Resources Canada’s website or call 1-866-292-9517.
- After your home energy audit is completed, you have the option of applying for a loan through Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, or a grant, or a combination of both.
- After completing the work, have an energy audit carried out.
- Upload your receipts.
If you’ve already gone through the grant program, you can still apply for a loan in a few months to complete other recommended upgrades, said Abla Hanna, director general of energy efficiency. .
Insider tips for the best experience and highest returns
First fill out the provincial form to trigger the energy assessment process for your home. You can use the same audit for the federal program. And you can apply for both at the same time.
If you buy consumables or devices, make sure they’re approved for each program you plan to use:
- For the federal programs, all equipment must be purchased in Canada.
- For heat pumps, there may be some on the federal list that are not on the provincial list.
- For the federal Greener Homes programs, heat pumps must be able to heat the entire house.
Make sure you hire a licensed installer for electrical work and heat pumps.
For a grid-connected solar system, you need a declaration of consent from your energy supplier.
If you want to receive both the federal rebate and the provincial rebate, make sure you don’t start work until you are in the approved phase of the Greener Homes process. And check your messages regularly when waiting for approval. Program staff may request additional information.
Take advantage of your EnerGuide home assessment provider for advice on the best upgrades and help navigating the system, said Louise Comeau, director of climate change adaptation at the New Brunswick Conservation Council.
Do as much of the recommended work as possible, Comeau said. The process isn’t as easy as it could be, so you probably don’t want to have to go through it again. And the greater the energy savings, the more the renovation protects you from inflation and pays off over time.
If you would like access to the Enhanced Energy Conservation Program, apply as soon as possible. There are about 35,000 homes that could use it, Comeau said, and at the current level of funding, they won’t all be able to get it.
Applications are approved as they’re processed, Pollock said, with a new batch sent to the contracted service provider every few days. She hopes that all incoming applications can be approved in the next few years.