Ontario insulation funds equal $1 to $2 per square foot
January 24, 2018
Green Ontario Fund incentives to make home renovations more energy efficient work out to from $1 to $2 per square foot for adding insulation. The maximum for additional insulation on a home is $7,200, and 2018 is expected to see the largest take-up under the four-year $600 million funding program.
Homeowners can receive $1 a square foot up to $1,500 for upgrading attic insulation; $2 a square foot for up to $1,900 to update basement insulation; and $2 a square foot up to $3,800 to upgrade their home’s exterior wall insulation. Homeowners can also receive rebates of $100 by filling tiny gaps and cracks to air seal their home, explained Rob Parker, a registered home inspector (RHI) with the Ontario Association of Home Inspectors.
While the incentives are expected to expand energy-saving projects as part of Ontario home renovations, homeowners must hire renovation contractors who are screened and registered with the Green Ontario Fund to qualify for the funding.
Other incentives include a rebate of $100 for the purchase of a smart programmable thermostat. Since August, when the Ontario government offered to provide free smart thermostats, 1,000 of the devices have been installed. The goal is to have about 140,000 smart thermostats installed this year, according to Chris Ballard, Ontario’s environment minister.
Homeowners can also receive $500 for each high-performance window they have installed, to a maximum of $5,000 per renovation contract.
A $20,000 rebate is allowed for the installation of ground-source heat pumps, and $5,800 in rebates can be awarded for air-source heat pumps, which use heat exchanges to bring fresh air into the home without losing heat.