The Ontario Green Rebate is a new rebate program that was recently announced by the Ontario government in 2018. It will be run through a provincial agency called the Green Ontario Fund.
The rebate is aimed at residential homeowners who are interested in making green choices for their home. Homeowners can claim a variety of rebates through this program, including:
- Up to $7,200 for new insulation
- Up to $20,000 for installing an ENERGY STAR certified ground source heat pump (home geothermal) or up to $4,500 for repairing an existing heat pump
- Up to $5,800 off air source heat pumps that are ENERGY STAR certified or meet program requirements
- Up to $5,000 for replacement windows that meet program standards
- $100 for air sealing your home.
This new rebate program comes after an August commitment to provide thousands of free smart thermostats to homeowners, a promise that the environment minister acknowledged. This has rolled out more slowly than the government would have liked. Only 1,000 of the devices have been installed to date.
Who is Eligible to Receive The Rebates?
To be eligible for the rebates, you must be an Ontario resident who lives in a detached home, townhouse or semi-detached home. If you rent, you must have the written permission of your landlord to receive the rebate.
The major part of this program is that the renovations done to your home need to be done by contractors who meet the proper criteria, which includes:
- They must have an HST registration number and either a Master Business Licence or Articles of Incorporation valid for at least two years.
- $2 million dollars in liability insurance.
- $1 million dollars in auto insurance.
- A letter of clearance from WSIB.
To find out more about this program, if your contractor is qualified, and if you’re eligible to receive these rebates, visit GreenOn.ca.
The Rebate that Keeps on Giving
Getting a rebate will help homeowners fund their next home renovation project. This is a great benefit of the program, but there are other reasons to get involved in the new Ontario Green Rebate. You’ll also be able to:
- Reduce your heating and cooling costs.
- Decrease your carbon footprint.
- Increase your home’s resale value by upgrading to high-performance windows.
- Upgrading your insulation can help you save 15 percent on heating and cooling costs.
The Green Ontario Fund & Ontario’s Pledge to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions
The Green Ontario Fund is a not-for-profit provincial agency that invests proceeds from Ontario’s carbon market into climate change actions to help people and businesses reduce greenhouse gas emissions and use cleaner technology when powering their homes and workplaces.
Ontario has pledged to cut greenhouse gas pollution to 15 percent by 2020, 37 percent by 2030 and 80 percent by 2050. The Ontario Green Rebate is a key part of the province’s Climate Change Action Plan and will help the province meet these targets.
This not-for-profit agency takes consumer protection very seriously, which means that their agents will never come to your door without consent. To claim your rebate, you also need to ensure your contractor is qualified and screened, and they have signed up with GreenON.ca – check before you begin your project.
