Canada Greener Homes Loan Program

Take advantage of up to $40,000 in interest-free financing to renovate your home and make it more energy efficient.

About the Loan

Homeowners in Canada may be eligible for energy-efficient retrofits that can make their home updated, along with reducing energy use.

The loan is administered by the Canada Greener Homes Initiative, a government program. It works together with the Canada Greener Homes Grant.

Who is Eligible?

Applicants must meet these requirements before applying:

Have good credit history, and are not in a debt payment program, bankruptcy, or consumer proposal
Must first be eligible for the Canada Greener Homes Grant or a similar provincial program
Canadian homeowner and the subject home must be your primary residence
Have completed a pre-retrofit evaluation since April 1, 2020

What Types of Work do not Qualify?

Already completed or started work
Retrofits that are not recommended by an energy advisor
Retrofits not eligible for the Canada Greener Homes Grant
Upgrades that aren’t included in your loan application

In addition, low-rise and multi-unit residential buildings have additional requirements in order to qualify.

If you are a member of an indigenous group, there are certain allowances that are accepted if you live in one of these buildings.

How to Apply for the Loan

Applying for the loan requires several steps. Also completing the steps to receive the funding are essential.

1. Start by applying to the Canada Greener Homes Grant

In order to apply for the loan, you must first apply and be eligible for the Canada Greener Homes Grant.

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2. Obtain a pre-retrofit evaluation

One of our local service organizations will contact you to schedule an EnerGuide pre-retrofit evaluation. This energy advisor will inspect and evaluate areas of your home that can use retrofits. This list will be used for what you can qualify for.

3. Get quotes

Review the pre-retrofit report’s recommendations and choose which retrofits you want. Speak with contractors and get at least 1 to 3 price quotes for each of the retrofits in the plan.

4. Apply for the Loan

Once the first three steps have been performed, log in to your Canada Greener Homes Grant (or Loan) account. Inside the portal you’ll upload documentation such as your property taxes, IDs, income documents and quotes from contractors.

At this point, your application will be processed, and the program will calculate how much you are approved for. You’ll then be given a chance to review the loan details and accept it.

Residents of Ontario will apply for the loan through the Canada Greener Home Loan portal, only after they have first applied for the grant through a provincial local organization.

5. Complete the retrofits and retain all receipts and invoices

Once your work starts, make sure to track and keep all invoices and receipts.

6. Obtain a post-retrofit evaluation

Once completed, contact your local service organization and request the post-retrofit evaluation. An EnerGuide energy advisor will come to your home and verify the work has been performed successfully. They will also update your loan and grant portal account.

7. Receive the final loan balance

After the post-retrofit evaluation, you’ll upload any final invoices and recipes. The loan amount will be evaluated again based on the actual cost.

If the actual costs are lower than the estimates, the loan amount will be decreased
If the costs were higher, the loan amount would not increase. So financially plan accordingly, just in case

8. Repay the loan

Your loan is now active. You can now repay the loan over time, during the 10-year period.

Frequently Asked Questions about the Loan

This program recently started, and there are many frequent questions homeowners are asking. The initiative is eager to issue this financing, and so have made it easy to address any questions you may have. Here are just a few of the top questions homeowners are asking:

How Does the Loan Pay Out?

The loan can pay a portion (up to 15%) of the loan amount up front such as deposits and down payments. The remaining amount will be paid after the post-retrofit evaluation has verified the successful completion of the retrofits.

To request the upfront portion, you must upload your final contractor quote, and input the requested deposit amount, into your loan portal.

What Retrofits Qualify for the Canada Greener Homes Loan?

Retrofits can include qualified versions of:

New doors
New windows
Insulation
Air-Sealing
Renewable energy and solar panels
Smart thermostats
Heating
And more

These items must be of a certain rating and installed by a qualified contractor. Windows and Doors must be EnergyStar certified. More details can be found with Natural Resources Canada.

What is not eligible?

Any retrofit that was performed before the pre-retrofit evaluation
Skylights
Performed before December 1, 2020
Leased or Rented
Storage and tankless water heaters other than heat pump water heaters
Several other elements

What is the difference between the loan and grant?

The grant provides funds that do not have to be repaid. This can be up to $10,600 per home, to cover both the evaluations and parts of the retrofits. Both the loan and grant require the same accountability program and work together. Pre and post-retrofit evaluations are required.

The loan, however, can be up to $40,000 in interest-free payments, paid over 10 years.

I applied for the grant already. How do I apply for the loan?

It’s simple. If you live in Ontario, you’ll be given access to a similar, but separate portal for the Canada Greener Homes Loan. For some provinces, it is directly part of the grant portal.

If I’ve already started my retrofits, can I apply for the loan?

You must first have a qualified pre-retrofit evaluation performed before any retrofit work can start or be completed. Any retrofits already completed do not qualify, but additional retrofits recommended by the EnerGuide advisor from the evaluation can qualify.

Can I get the loan without the grant?

No. First, you must apply for the grant and be qualified. Then you are eligible to apply for the loan. This allows the grant to be fully used and reduces the costs to the loan program.

Will this loan appear on my credit?

Yes, Equifax Canada will track the performance of your loan payoff.