Ottawa offers $5,000 grants for home retrofits

June 2, 2021

2,000 energy advisors to he hired. | NRCAN

Homeowners are being offered federal government grants of up to $5,000 to improve energy efficiency in their property.
The federal government is also looking to train and hire energy advisors—possibly providing an opportunity for residential contractors.
On May 27, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Natural Resources Minister Seamus O’Reagan launched the $2.6 billion Canada Greener Home Grants program. The funding can be used to upgrade home heating systems, install solar panels, replace windows and doors, and perform other retrofits to reduce energy use.
A licensed contractor would conduct the retrofits. After an inspection of the completed work, the homeowner would be reimbursed.
The federal government hopes to make up to 700,000 homes more energy efficient under the program, which is slated to run for seven years. Homeowners are also being offered $600 for EnerGuide evaluations.
“In the coming years, the program is expected to create over 110,000 jobs. This program will mean new opportunities for people in communities of every size and every part of the country, whether with jobs in the construction, and heating, and cooling industries, or the energy efficiency sector,” Trudeau said.
Through Natural Resources Canada, a total of $10 million over five years is being made available to support training approximately 2,000 energy advisors.
“We are looking for new ideas and experienced partners to support higher demand for EnerGuide evaluations in all regions of Canada and increase the diversity of the energy advisor workforce,” according to an NRC statement.
There appears to wide support for the retrofit grant program. On the first day that online applications were being accepted, the web page crashed due to high demand.