Canada Expands Home Retrofit Support to Help Families Cut Energy Bills
Latest news on WhatsApp أجدد الأخبار على واتساب
Canada is expanding the Canada Greener Homes Affordability Program to Quebec, British Columbia, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, in a move aimed at helping low- and median-income households lower their monthly energy bills through no-cost home energy retrofits. The announcement builds on the existing partnership with Manitoba and was made in Montreal during the International Energy Agency’s Global Energy Efficiency Conference.
According to Natural Resources Canada, more than $500 million in funding will be directed to the expansion, including $300 million from the federal government. The funding is expected to help more than 35,000 households install heat pumps, improve insulation, seal air leaks and complete other energy-efficiency upgrades at no cost to eligible participants.
The federal government says the upgrades could help participating households save between $300 and $1,700 a year in energy costs, while also reducing household greenhouse gas emissions by about 1.5 tonnes annually. The program will be delivered in coordination with the four provinces, as well as partners including Hydro-Québec, BC Hydro, FortisBC and EfficiencyOne.
Unlike traditional rebate programs that often require families to pay upfront and wait for reimbursement, the Canada Greener Homes Affordability Program uses a direct-install model. Natural Resources Canada says selected organizations will handle the logistics and costs of planning and delivering eligible retrofits, making the program more accessible for households that may not be able to afford major upgrades on their own.
The program is designed for low- to median-income homeowners and tenants, and may include upgrades such as insulation and heat pumps. However, households must apply through the relevant provincial or territorial program once available; the federal government is not accepting direct household applications for this program.
Natural Resources Canada also warned residents to be cautious of fraud or high-pressure sales tactics. The department says the Government of Canada, NRCan, ENERGY STAR and EnerGuide do not make unsolicited phone calls, send door-to-door representatives, or pressure homeowners to buy or rent heating and cooling products.
For Canadian families facing high energy bills, the expansion is both a cost-of-living measure and a climate policy. It targets older and less efficient homes, where better insulation, cleaner heating and reduced air leakage can make a real difference in monthly expenses, comfort and long-term household resilience.
