Durham adds more incentives to home energy retrofit program

Whitby, Ontario – The Durham Greener Homes Program continues to grow, making it easier and more affordable for Durham residents to retrofit their homes.

The Region of Durham recently introduced the Deep Retrofit Rebate, which provides participating residents with up to $10,000 in incentives for reducing their home’s greenhouse gas emissions. This rebate can be combined with other incentives from Enbridge Gas and the Canada Greener Homes Grant program. When combined, up to $20,000 in cash rebates are available to Durham residents.

The Region is also partnering with the Canadian Home Builders’ Association (CHBA) to launch the Towards Net Zero Renovations Project to further develop the Durham Greener Homes Program. The project is seeking participants in Durham who want to upgrade their home to Net Zero Energy or Net Zero Energy Ready. Net Zero Energy homes are known for their improved comfort, indoor air quality as well as noise reductions and durability, while reducing energy loads/costs and associated greenhouse gas emissions. Participant benefits include:

• Homeowners’ projects receive expert guidance from a CHBA Qualified Net Zero Energy Advisor, who will work with your renovator to optimize your retrofit project for performance and cost. This represents up to a $4,000 value over the course of the project, paid through CHBA. This is in addition to the Deep Retrofit Rebates available under the Durham Greener Homes Program.
• Renovators, trades and other key retrofit stakeholders get access to industry leading building science training and both the CHBA Net Zero Builder and Renovator Training courses at no cost, valued at approximately $2,500. Learn more and register at chba.ca/nztraining.

The Durham Greener Homes Program is delivered in partnership with the Windfall Ecology Centre and is a key part of the Region’s implementation of climate action initiatives in response to Durham Regional Council’s climate emergency declaration. Funding is provided through a $3.4 million investment from the Community Efficiency Financing initiative, which is offered through the Green Municipal Fund and delivered by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) and funded by the Government of Canada.

For complete information on home energy upgrades, access to a home energy coach, an interactive web-portal, financing incentives, including the Deep Retrofit Rebate, visit DurhamGreenerHomes.ca.

Quotes:

“Making more incentives available to Durham Region residents will help ensure that this popular program continues to be an effective option to help reduce greenhouse gases. The expert advice and guidance from the Durham Greener Homes team addresses a lot of the potential confusion that can accompany home renovations. We continue to be grateful to the FCM and Government of Canada for their support of this program.”
– John Henry, Regional Chair and Chief Executive Officer

"Windfall’s expert team is pleased to provide Durham homeowners with free independent advice on home energy renovation options. Our personalized service reduces renovation anxiety, ensures incentive opportunities are maximized, and results in higher energy reductions. A recent study determined that homeowners who received independent expert coaching achieved 24 per cent higher average energy savings than non-participants."

– Brent R. Kopperson, Founder and Executive Director, Windfall Ecology Centre

Quick Facts

• Since declaring a climate emergency on January 29, 2020, Durham Region has taken important steps to accelerate the transition towards a low-carbon, climate-resilient community.
• The Durham Community Energy Plan identifies programs that will allow Durham to reach its long-term greenhouse gas emissions reduction target while making Durham an even better place to live, work and play.
• The Durham Greener Homes Program supports energy-efficiency upgrades such as high-efficiency HVAC equipment, thermal envelope upgrades, lighting upgrades and high-efficiency appliances. Additional eligible measures include heat pump installation, renewable energy and energy storage systems, electric vehicle charging infrastructure, water conservation measures, and indoor air quality measures. The Durham Greener Homes Program is hosted by the Regional Municipality of Durham and administered by Windfall Ecology Centre.

– 30 –

For media inquiries, contact Corporate Communications.