Get an ecoENERGY assessment
The Canadian government has been giving grants away to homes that qualify for energy renovations. However, there are several essential steps that home owners must go through before qualifying. Ottawa Move has compiled all the information below to make the process easier to understand.
What is an Energy Audit?
An Energy Audit is basically a home inspection geared towards determining how much energy a particular property is using. They are usually conducted to find out ways to conserve and save energy.
What is an Energy Renovation?
An Energy Renovation is the improvement or upgrading of certain appliances, insulation, or fixtures in a home with the goal of reducing energy consumption.
In Ontario, there are two energy audits necessary to determine if a home owner is eligible to collect grants from the government. The first assessment will cost $350 and will take a certified ecoENERGY advisor 2 to 3 hours to complete. You can receive a rebate of $150 from the Ontario government’s Home Energy Audit program, even if the advisor does not find any energy-saving opportunities in your home.
After the first audit, if it has been established that your home could use some energy upgrades, you can either hire a contractor to complete the upgrade installations, or finish them yourself. Of course, it is entirely at your discretion whether you want to complete some of the upgrades or all of them. You can also choose to not upgrade anything at all. You can always delay the renovation work, but it must be completed within 18 months from the date of the assessment. Make sure you document all work done with product literature, photographs and receipts. Failure to do so could comprise your ability to collect your grant.
The second assessment is performed after the energy renovations are finished and costs $195. This evaluation is to confirm that all upgrades are installed correctly and are in-line with the ecoENERGY report from the first assessment.
Grant cheques are sent out 90 days after the second assessment is complete. The rebate cheque of $150 will follow afterwards. Ontario residents can qualify for grants up to $10,000.
For more information, or to schedule an assessment, go to homeperformance.com.
To find out more about OttawaMove and their realty services, contact Chris Coveny at OttawaMove.com