This loan initiative is offered alongside the Canada Greener Homes Grant. It helps homeowners finance and complete major retrofits to their home with an interest-free loan of up to $40,000 with a 10-year repayment term.
Eligibility requirements
All homeowners in Canada can participate in the initiative. Only one homeowner per home can register.
– You must prove ownership by providing a property tax bill number (This number can be found on municipal property tax documents.)
– You must prove the property is your primary residence using a valid piece of government-issued ID with the matching address, such as a driver’s license
The following groups are also eligible applicants under the initiative:
- Indigenous governments or organizations (e.g. band councils, land claim organizations)
- Housing management bodies and other representative or Indigenous service delivery organizations with formal partnerships with Indigenous governments or organizations
Eligible property types
- Single and semi-detached houses
- Row housing
- Townhomes
- Mobile homes on a permanent foundation
- Permanently-moored floating homes
- Mixed use buildings (residential portion only)
- Low-rise multi-unit residential buildings (three storeys or less with a footprint of 600m2 or less)
*The home must be greater than 6 months old based on the date of occupancy of the first homeowner.
How to apply
Before you can apply for the loan, you must:
- Be approved for the Greener Homes Grant
- Have a pre-retrofit evaluation done and have your renovation upgrade report uploaded to the portal (this is done by your service provider)
- Receive a quote from us for your personal solar system
1. Apply to the Canada Greener Homes Grant
Check your eligibility and submit an application to the Canada Greener Homes Grant. In order to apply for the loan, you must be eligible for the grant.
2. Get a pre-retrofit EnerGuide evaluation
A service organization will reach out to schedule a pre-retrofit EnerGuide evaluation of your home with an energy advisor. They will evaluate your home and make recommendations on how to make it more energy efficient and resistant to climate change.
3. Plan your retrofits and request a solar quote from us
Review the report’s recommendations and contact us for your very own customized solar system quote.
4. Submit an application to the loan
Log in to your Canada Greener Homes Grant account and click on the button to access the loan portal. 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
- a confirmation of income and employment (for example, a job letter or a T4 slip)
- The solar quote we have provided you with
5. Complete your retrofits and keep receipts and invoices
We can now install your customized solar array, all you have to do is make sure to keep copies of all your receipts and invoices along the way.
6. Get a post-retrofit EnerGuide evaluation
Once your brand new solar system has been installed, 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 the estimates of your final grant amount. You will also have to upload all your final invoices/receipts to the grant portal and receipts for the retrofits to the loan portal. The loan amount will be reviewed again based on the actual cost of the completed retrofits, less the recommended grant amount.
- If the actual costs of the completed retrofits are lower than the initial cost estimates, it will be adjusted downwards.
- If the actual costs are higher than the initial cost estimate, it will not increase.
The final approved loan amount will be deposited into your bank account (less the initial advance, if you received one) within 10 days.
8. Repay your loan over time
You will receive detailed information on the repayment of your loan over the 10-year period.
Extra info
Based on your application, the program will calculate the maximum loan amount you are approved for. To activate your loan offer, you will be asked to carefully review the information and accept the Loan Agreement.
A portion of the loan can be delivered to you up front in order to pay applicable down payments to contractors. The balance of the loan will be delivered upon successful completion of the retrofits, and verification through a post-retrofit evaluation.
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 located in the North or off-grid.
Program Contact Information
Phone: 1-866-292-9517
Email: Questions@cghli.ca
