The HER+ program is winding down four and a half years ahead of schedule. The Canada Greener Homes Grant was supposed to be available to homeowners across Canada for seven years when launched just two and a half years ago. The program provided incentives to Canadians to make energy efficiency improvements to their homes, and was a collaboration of NRCan Greener Homes and Enbridge Energy. Apparently the program has been successful beyond expectations and has run through its budget.
The program required a home energy assessment (a D audit) and a followup assessment (an E audit) done by a Registered Energy Assessor. Many Green Communities and businesses were involved in providing this service. Alan Leonard, and more recently John Appleby, were doing audits on REAL’s behalf. The last date for D file visits that will qualify for HER+ and Greener Homes incentive is February 29th. A final date for E visits has not been announced but it is expected there will be ample time to arrange any necessary renovations. Alan Leonard is already booked through February. John Appleby is busy completing E audits for his clients.
Following Feb. 29th, you may still book a home energy assessment to further your knowledge of your own home energy situation, but the audit cost will not be subsidized, nor will your renovations. Heat pumps have been the most popular renovation undertaken with the program.
The announcement is a very alarming on many levels. There was word that this would be happening, but it was hoped that a replacement program would be developed to maintain momentum. Enbridge is working on a program but it will likely only apply to Enbridge gas customers, not to Canadians who heat by other means.
Says Green Communities Canada: “we believe that successful climate-resilience programs that demonstrate clear greenhouse gas reductions should be improved and expanded, not closed. Greener Homes retrofits in 2022 were reducing GHG emissions by 26%.” Considerable resources have been put into training the next generation of home energy assessors in anticipation of a seven year program.
GCC has created a comment letter for homeowners to send. It is directed to Hon. Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Canada, Hon. Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, and Hon. Chrystia Freeland, Minister of Finance, and will go to your MP if you provide your address and postal code. Some links to other accounts of the announcement are included.
For more on the announcement see this CBC reference: https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/greener-homes-grants-energy-efficiency-1.702940
