Thinking of making some improvements to your home? By planning your renovation with an eye to cutting energy and water usage, you’ll reduce your impact on the environment and save money.
But how do you start? You’ll get the most from your renovation dollars if your first step is an energy audit.
Under the federal government’s ecoENERGY Retrofit program, property owners can receive up to $5,000 for energy efficiency improvements they make to their home or multi-unit residential building.
To be eligible for this grant, you need to hire an NRCan-certified energy advisor to perform an energy evaluation, or audit, of your home before you begin work and once you are finished.
What is an energy audit?
When you book an audit, the energy advisor comes to your home and conducts a detailed, on-site inspection from attic to basement.
The advisor provides you with a personalized report that includes your home’s energy rating and a checklist of recommended retrofits, such as increasing the insulation in your attic or replacing old windows with ENERGY STAR® models. The report also includes the grant amount for each eligible upgrade.
You decide which improvements to make, and you are responsible for doing the work or hiring a contractor.
Once the work is complete, call the advisor for a post-retrofit follow-up evaluation. The advisor will tell you your new energy rating and will submit a grant application on your behalf. (The advisor should also be able to tell you about other funding you may be eligible to receive.) You have 18 months, from the time of the first inspection, to submit the grant application. You should receive a cheque within 90 days.
Eco financing
Canada is the world’s second highest per capita energy consumer, so however large or small your eco-reno is, it will make a difference in helping the environment.
To help you get started on making your home as green as possible, we will give you a $300 Home Energy Audit Rebate when you open an RBC Energy Saver Mortgage with RBC Royal Bank.
This new mortgage, exclusive to RBC, helps ensure that you receive expert advice about your home. It will also help you make sure your renovation dollars work hard at saving money on utility bills and conserving energy.
Whatever your renovation plans, RBC can help you achieve your goals by providing the right financing solution for you:
- RBC Visa Card. A flexible way to pay for smaller items and services for your reno.
- Royal Credit Line. Accessible through cheques, withdrawals or an RBC Visa Card, this financing option can cover larger expenses.
- RBC Homeline Plan®. If you have at least 20% equity in your home, this option provides easy and cost-effective financing.
Visit our Mortgage Centre online to learn about your financing options, or visit your branch to discuss your plans in person with an RBC Credit Specialist.
 |
|
 |
One home at a time
We believe that no house is too large, too small or too old to go green. As a sponsor of the Now House™ project, we’re seeing that belief put into action.
The first Now House is a 60-year-old, World War II-era home in Toronto that’s undergoing a major eco-reno, with input from a team that includes architects, energy experts and product manufacturers, as well as the home’s owner and members of the community.
When completed, the 1,200 square foot detached house will be a nearly zero-energy home, which means that it will produce almost as much energy as it uses!
Learn how the Now House is being transformed into a home of tomorrow — and how it’s becoming a role model for a more and more homes just like it in Canada. Watch the renovation progress! |
|
|
|
Now House™ is a trademark of the Now House Project Inc. and is used under license by Work Worth Doing.
|
