What you need to know about the Greener Homes Initiative

The Canada Greener Homes Loan offers interest-free financing in addition to the Canada Greener Homes Grant to help you complete some of the major retrofits recommended by your energy advisor.

Canada Greener Homes Loan Details

Only homeowners who are eligible for the Greener Homes Grant can apply for the Canada Greener Homes Loan.

The Canada Greener Homes Grant provides:

Up to $5,000 of the eligible, recommended retrofits that you complete
Up to $600 towards your eligible evaluations.

The Canada Greener Homes grant and loan funds are available once the:

Retrofit and post-retrofit evaluation is complete
Final invoices have been provided
Natural Resources Canada has completed the final assessment of the grant amount

Who is Eligible for the Canada Greener Homes Loan?

There are a few eligibility requirements to meet before applying for the loan:

You must apply and be eligible for the Canada Greener Homes Grant or provincial program for Nova Scotia & Quebec.
You must be a Canadian homeowner and your home must be your primary residence.
You have completed the pre-retrofit evaluation of your home dated April 1, 2020, or later.
You have a good credit history and aren’t under:
- A consumer proposal.
- An orderly payment or debt program.
- A bankruptcy or equivalent insolvency proceeding.

You may be eligible to receive a portion of your loan funds in advance to pay for eligible up-front costs.

Indigenous Group Applicants:

You are eligible to register multiple homes.
You must own a home(s) or have a formal partnership to represent the owners, but the homes do not need to be the owner’s primary residence.
Your home must be occupied by an indigenous household.
You must select at least one eligible retrofit for each property subject to the loan.

Applying as an Indigenous Government or Organization?

Find dedicated support for your application by contacting 1-866-292-9517.

How do you Apply for Canada Greener Homes Grant?

Apply to the Canada Greener Homes Grant. Check your eligibility and submit an application.
Get a pre-retrofit Ener Guide evaluation. They will evaluate the home and make recommendations on how to make it more energy efficient and resistant to climate change.
Plan your retrofits and get quotes from contractors. You can ask for a bigger loan if you decide to do more retrofits later, so plan your work in advance before applying for the loan.
Submit an application for the loan. Based on your application, the program will calculate the max amount you are approved for.
Complete your retrofits and keep receipts and invoices.
Get a post-retrofit Ener Guide evaluation. An energy advisor will evaluate the impact of your improvements and a new report that estimates how much you can receive for your grant.
Receive your loan amount. The loan amount will be reviewed again based on the actual cost of the completed retrofits, less the recommended grant amount.
Repay your loan over time. You will receive detailed info on the repayment of your loan over the 10-year period.

If you have already applied for the Greener Homes Grant and are planning on being energy efficient by installing solar panels in your home, here is how you apply for the Greener Homes Loan:

Apply for and be eligible for the grant.
Book a pre-retrofit evaluation of your home.
Decide which retrofits you’d like to complete from your Energy Advisor’s Renovation Upgrade Report.
Seek out quotes from solar energy contractors for the recommended retrofits that you plan to complete (at least one quote is mandatory, 3 quotes are optimal).
Submit an application for the loan, including your quotes, through the Greener Homes portal (or your Greener Homes Account).

You must be approved for the loan before you start your retrofits. You won’t be able to submit an application for the loan if you’ve already started or completed the retrofits that were included in your pre-retrofit evaluation report.