Welcome to the PCSH Retrofit financing page. We’re still working to find out about the new policies that will be coming out in spring of 2025. Please see our updated listing of financial resources at the end of this page.
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How will the Canada Greener Homes Affordability Program benefit low-income households?
See Also: Canada Green Buildings Strategy The Canada Greener Homes Affordability Program (CGHAP) will significantly benefit low-income households in several ways: No-cost home retrofits: CGHAP will provide free energy-efficient upgrades to low-to-median-income...
Canada Green Buildings Strategy
/ The Canada Green Buildings Strategy (CGBS) is a comprehensive plan unveiled by the Canadian government in July 2024 to decarbonize buildings by 2050. This strategy aims to improve energy efficiency in homes and buildings across Canada, focusing on addressing...
WHAT WE KNOW about the new Canada Greener Homes Initiative as of December, 2024
The new phase of the Canada Greener Homes Initiative, which is set to replace the previous Greener Homes Grant Program, will differ in several key ways:
- Income-targeted approach: The new program will focus on providing support to Canadian households with low-to-median incomes, making energy cost-savings more accessible to those who need them most.
- Upfront funding: Unlike the previous program, which required homeowners to pay for retrofits and then be reimbursed, the new phase is expected to provide public funds upfront.
- Inclusion of renters: The new program aims to help tenants as well as homeowners, with a mechanism to ensure energy cost savings are passed on to renters in low-rise buildings.
- Simplified process: The government intends to streamline the grant awarding process, making it simpler and faster for applicants1.
- Potential for larger grants: The new phase may offer more generous grants to participants.
- Climate resilience focus: The program may shift to include heat pumps as a climate resilience measure, in addition to energy efficiency upgrades.
- Complementary programs: The new phase will work alongside other initiatives like the Canada Greener Homes Loan and the Oil to Heat Pump Affordability (OHPA) program, providing a more comprehensive approach to home energy improvements.
These changes are designed to address criticisms of the previous program, particularly its accessibility for lower-income households, and to align with the forthcoming Canada Green Buildings Strategy.
This listing of financial resources is not complete
Program Transition:
The original Greener Homes Grant program stopped accepting new applications in early 2024. The government is now preparing to launch a new phase of the initiative, focusing on supporting low-to-median income households. Learn more here.
SAVE ON ENERGY PROGRAM: Offers energy-saving upgrades tailored to your home’s specific needs. For homeowners and renters. The type of support provided will depend on your household income level from the previous year and how many people live in your home, or on your receipt of a qualifying government or energy-support benefit. Residents of social housing may also be eligible.
- The 2021-2024 Conservation and Demand Management (CDM) Framework concluded on December 31, 2024.
- A new 12-year electricity energy efficiency (eDSM) framework was set to launch on January 1, 2025. This new framework includes:
- A budget of up to $10.9 billion for the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) to design, coordinate, fund, and deliver a portfolio of energy efficiency programs2.
- An expanded scope of eligibility and range of programs compared to the previous framework.
- The Retrofit program, a key component of Save on Energy, continued to accept applications through December 31, 2024. Projects that received pre-approval by this date were still eligible to participate in the program.
- New energy efficiency programs were planned to launch in 2025, including:
- Rebates for energy-efficient appliances such as refrigerators and freezers, scheduled to be introduced later in 20253.
- Continuation of programs like the Energy Performance Program (EPP), which rewards customers for making behavioral and operational changes to support capital investment projects.
- The IESO had been making semi-annual updates to the Retrofit program throughout the 2021-2024 period, with the final update likely occurring in late 20241.
This transition marks a significant expansion of Ontario’s energy efficiency efforts, aimed at helping families and businesses reduce energy usage and save money on bills while addressing the province’s growing electricity demand
As of December 31, 2024, the status of the Canada Greener Homes Loan program is as follows:
- The program remains active and continues to provide support to Canadians for energy-efficient home retrofits.
- The government has increased funding for interest-free loans through the Canada Greener Homes Loan Program, as announced in the 2024 Fall Economic Statement6.
IMPORTANT: You should not start any retrofit work before your loan application has been submitted. Any retrofits started before submitting your loan application are ineligible.
LEAP Program
The Ontario Electricity Support Program helps lower-income customers with their electricity bills. It is also available to people living in homes that have sub-meters (apartments, condos, co-ops, trailers) See this page to apply
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If your home is heated by oil, and you are at or below the median after-tax income level, you may qualify for to $10,000 for the purchase and installation of eligible cold climate air source heat pump systems. Eligible measures related to installation are also included (removal of oil tank, upgrades to electrical and mechanical systems, eligible backup electric heating system, other household systems as necessary (hot water heater).
As of December 31, 2024, the Oil to Heat Pump Affordability (OHPA) program in Canada is active and continues to provide significant support for homeowners transitioning from oil heating to electric heat pumps.
Canada Green Buildings Strategy - not yet in effect
Key components of the CGBS will probably include:
- The $800 million Canada Greener Homes Affordability Program (CGHAP), set to begin in the first half of 2025.
- A goal to retrofit and upgrade 16 million homes and half a million other buildings by 2050.
- Emphasis on building energy-efficient, climate-resilient, and affordable new structures.
- Promotion of lower carbon building materials and technologies, including a push for taller mass timber buildings up to 24 stories.