Ottawa has announced the launch of the Canada Greener Homes Affordability Program (CGHAP), aimed at assisting low- to median-income households with no-cost home retrofits to reduce energy bills and greenhouse gas emissions. Unlike its predecessor, the Greener Homes Grant, this revamped program includes renters and eliminates upfront costs.
The CGHAP will adopt a “direct-install” approach, with selected organizations managing all logistics and expenses associated with implementing home retrofits such as insulation, air sealing, heat pumps, solar panels, windows, and doors. Provinces and territories will oversee the program’s implementation instead of the federal department, Natural Resources Canada.
Efficiency Manitoba, a Crown corporation in Manitoba, will administer the program for Manitobans, receiving $29.8 million in federal funding until 2030, which the province will match. The program in Manitoba focuses on insulation, air sealing, and heat pumps, with solar panels not qualifying. While natural gas heating systems are ineligible for federal funding, other upgrade options are available through provincial programs.
Federal Energy and Natural Resources Minister Tim Hodgson emphasized the importance of local delivery to facilitate access to these programs and pledged continued collaboration with territorial and provincial partners as the program expands. Manitoba’s Minister of the Environment and Climate Change Mike Moyes highlighted the program’s role in fulfilling the government’s commitment to reducing energy costs and emissions, leveraging the province’s predominantly renewable electricity grid.
The previous Greener Homes Grant program, initiated in 2021, offered homeowners up to $5,000 for energy-efficient retrofits and home energy assessments, with additional financial assistance for evaluation costs. Homeowners had to pay upfront and then seek reimbursement. The program, originally intended to run until 2027, ceased in early 2024, prompting criticism from homeowners and industry stakeholders.
Buildings accounted for 13% of Canada’s total greenhouse gas emissions in 2023, making it the third-largest emission source following oil and gas production and transportation. Canada aims to reduce building emissions by 37% by 2030 and achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, aligning with existing climate targets. Prime Minister Mark Carney and Environment and Climate Change Minister Julie Dabrusin have reiterated their commitment to meeting these goals and are expected to unveil an updated emissions reduction plan soon.
