Canada Greener Homes Loan

Pay Your Home Upgrades with Canada Greener Home Loan

What is the Canada Greener Home Loan?

The Canada Greener Homes Loan assists Canadians in making their residences more energy-efficient and comfortable. In addition to the Canada Greener Homes Grant, it provides interest-free financing to help you complete some of the more significant retrofits suggested by your energy advisor.

How Much Can I Borrow?

The highest loan amount is determined by the retrofits chosen in the application and the quotes for this work. The eligible quantity is limited by industry and market norms. If the maximum eligible loan amount exceeds the quoted cost, you will be liable for funding the difference.

Each qualified property and homeowner is limited to one loan of a minimum of $5,000 and a maximum of $40,000

Only eligible products and installations that are part of a retrofit suggested by an energy advisor and eligible for the grant are eligible for the loan.

Who Is Eligible for Canada Green Home Loan?

Before applying for the loan, you must satisfy the following eligibility requirements:

You must be eligible for and apply for the Canada Greener Homes Grant or Ontario’s Home Efficiency Rebate Plus.
You must be a Canadian homeowner, and your primary residence must be in Canada.
You have finished a pre-retrofit evaluation of your home on or after April 1, 2020.
You have an excellent credit history and are not in the following situations:
- a customer suggestion
- a debt repayment plan in line
- a bankruptcy or similar liquidation procedure

The Canada Greener Homes Loan is now open to homeowners who wish to apply or have an active application (at the pre-retrofit stage) with the Canada Greener Homes Grant. This loan does not apply to the following work:

work that you’ve already started or completed
retrofits that an energy advisor hasn’t recommended
retrofits that are not eligible for a Canada Greener Homes Grant
retrofits that aren’t included in your application

How To Apply

1. Apply to the Canada Greener Homes Grant

To apply for the loan, you must apply and be eligible for the Canada Greener Homes Grant.

2. Get a pre-retrofit EnerGuide evaluation

Schedule a pre-retrofit EnerGuide evaluation of your home with an energy advisor. They will evaluate your home and recommend making it more energy-efficient and resistant to climate change.

Only retrofits recommended by an energy advisor and from the grant’s list of eligible retrofits and installations are eligible for the loan.

3. Plan your retrofits and get quotes from contractors

Schedule a pre-retrofit EnerGuide evaluation of your home with an energy advisor. They will evaluate your home and recommend making it more energy-efficient and resistant to climate change.

Only retrofits recommended by an energy advisor and from the grant’s list of eligible retrofits and installations are eligible for the loan.

4. Apply for the loan

To submit your application, you will have to upload documentation to the loan portal, such as:

your property tax statement
your driver’s license or other government-issued ID, together with a utility bill
confirmation of income and employment (for example, a job letter or a T4 slip)
your quotes from contractors

Based on your application, the program will calculate the maximum loan amount you are approved for. You will be asked to carefully review the information and accept the loan agreement to activate your loan offer.

Residents of all provinces except Nova Scotia, Ontario, and Quebec apply for the loan through the Canada Greener Homes Grant portal.

4. Upfront costs

You can access a portion* of your loan funds in advance to pay for upfront costs, such as paying a deposit to your contractor. You can request the advance on your loan during your application by demonstrating that an upfront payment is required. You can do that by uploading the quotes you received from contractors and entering the necessary deposit amounts to do the retrofit.

* Up to a maximum of 15% of the eligible cost of retrofits requiring an upfront payment. This amount is increased to 25% if your property is in the North or off-grid.

5. Complete your retrofits and keep receipts and invoices

Start your work, and keep copies of all your receipts and invoices.

6. Get a post-retrofit EnerGuide evaluation

Once the retrofits are complete, contact your service organization to request a post-retrofit EnerGuide evaluation. An energy advisor will evaluate the impact of your improvements and provide you with an updated EnerGuide label and a new report that estimates how much you can receive for your grants.

7. Receive your loan amount

The energy advisor will update the information related to your final evaluation in the grant portal, including your final grant amount estimates. You will also have to upload all your final invoices and receipts to the grant portal and receipts for the retrofits to the loan portal. The loan amount will be reviewed again based on the completed retrofit cost.

If the actual costs of the completed retrofits are lower than the initial cost estimates, the loan amount will be decreased.
If the actual costs exceed the initial cost estimate, the loan amount will not be increased.

The final approved loan amount will be deposited into your bank account (less the initial advance, if you received one) within ten days.

8. Repay your loan over time

You will receive detailed information on your loan repayment over the ten years.

Making energy-efficient upgrades to your home can help you reduce your energy bills, save money in the long run, increase your home’s value, improve indoor comfort, and contribute to a sustainable future. Energy-efficient upgrades can reduce the wear and tear on appliances and systems, leading to longer lifespans and lower maintenance costs.

Contact for Loan Questions

CMHC Customer Care team: 1-866-292-9517
Email: Questions@cghli.ca