ecoENERGY Retrofit

April 11, 2007

Using energy wisely has major benefits: consumers save money on their energy bills, while business and industry can increase their profits and be more competitive. Because it means less air pollution and fewer greenhouse gas emissions, being more energy-efficient is also good for our environment and good for our health — in other words, we can live better by using less.

To help Canadians achieve these benefits, ecoENERGY Retrofit offers financial assistance to help cover the cost of making homes and buildings more energy-efficient. There are two parts to ecoENERGY Retrofit: one for homeowners and one for small and medium organizations in the commercial, institutional and industrial sectors.

ecoENERGY Retrofit expands and improves on previous programs by offering Canadians incentives to invest in a much broader range of energy-efficiency improvements. For example, unlike previous programs, ecoENERGY Retrofit includes incentives to upgrade air conditioning equipment and also applies to renewable energy technologies, such as solar water heating systems. ecoENERGY Retrofit grants are also available to homeowners who take steps to reduce their water consumption, such as the installation of low-flow toilets.

As well, because more than 90 cents of every dollar in the program will go directly to retrofits, the average grant to homeowners under ecoENERGY Retrofit is expected to be close to $1,100, compared to $800 under the previous program.

ecoENERGY Retrofit — Homes

ecoENERGY Retrofit for Homes provides homeowners with grants of up to $5,000 to offset the cost of making energy-efficiency improvements.

ecoENERGY Retrofit grants apply to a host of measures that reduce energy consumption and provide for a cleaner environment, from increasing insulation to upgrading a furnace.

To be eligible for a grant, a home must first undergo an energy assessment by an independent energy advisor certified by ecoENERGY Retrofit. Names of certified advisors across Canada are listed on the ecoACTION Web site (www.ecoACTION.gc.ca) and are also available by calling 1-800-O CANADA (1-800-622-6232). The cost of an energy assessment may vary, because in some regions other levels of government and/or private sector partners may contribute some of the cost of the service.

After determining a home's energy-efficiency rating, the energy advisor will discuss the changes the homeowner can make to improve its efficiency and which upgrades offer the best return on investment.  The advisor will also give an estimate of the ecoENERGY Retrofit grant that the homeowner could expect for each of the suggested improvements. The homeowner decides what upgrades to make.

Once the work is done, the energy advisor does a second evaluation, gives the home a new energy-efficiency rating and helps the homeowner complete and submit an application for an ecoENERGY Retrofit grant.

The amount of the ecoENERGY Retrofit grant is based on how much the efficiency of the home has been improved. The amount is based on how effective that upgrade is in saving energy, not on the cost of the upgrade. The average grant is expected to be about $1,070.

Detached homes, row housing, dupl2007-09-05 qualify for ecoENERGY Retrofit for Homes. Some small apartment buildings of three storeys or less may also qualify for grants.

ecoENERGY Retrofit — Small and Medium Organizations

ecoENERGY Retrofit will cover up to 25 percent of the cost of a project, to a maximum of $50,000. Projects can include improvements to buildings or upgrades to equipment. Recipients of funding in this category may also qualify for funding support from utilities and/or other levels of government.

To qualify, eligible organizations must submit an application detailing the energy-efficiency project, including the total budget, timeframe for

completion and expected results, based on a certified technical assessment of the organization's energy use.

ecoENERGY Efficiency Initiative

The Government of Canada has a series of ecoENERGY Initiatives designed to increase Canada's supply of clean energy, develop clean-energy technologies and encourage Canadians to use energy more efficiently. ecoENERGY Retrofit is part of the ecoENERGY Efficiency Initiative, a focused mix of information and incentives aimed at helping business, industry and individual Canadians make and implement wise choices that save energy, money and our environment.