Guelph Greener Homes

About the program

Helping Guelph go green, one home at a time

A greener future begins at home. In support of Race To Zero, the City plans to offer a zero-interest loan to residential property owners in Guelph to help cover the costs of residential energy efficiency upgrades. The launch of Guelph Greener Homes will help reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and make homes more energy-efficient, comfortable, and climate-friendly.

Program highlights

Reduce greenhouse gas emissions and make your home more comfortable.

Energy and utility cost savings.

More affordable low carbon retrofits for your home.

We are now accepting applications to the Guelph Greener Homes program.

Submit your application

Application stages

Eligibility

• Residential low-rise buildings in Guelph with a property tax account with the City;
• All registered owner(s) of the property must consent to participating in the Program;
• Properties with no back taxes or liens or title disputes;
• Property must be more than five (5) years old;
• The home improvements haven’t started yet;
• Upon acceptance to the Program and signing a Property Owner Agreement, enrollment is required in a twelve-month pre-authorized payment plan set up using the same bank account for deposit of fund disbursements under the Program and covering both property tax payments and the Guelph Greener Homes loan repayment.

How the program works

The following are the two program streams under the Guelph Greener Homes program:

Definition of eligible low-income household:  Current value assessment (CVA) of the property is equal to or less than $350,000. (This value can be found on your City of Guelph property tax bill). Household income fits within levels as defined in the table below

The Guelph Greener Homes program Low-income grants are limited and subject to availability.

Eligible upgrades

Home improvements may require a building permit. Visit guelph.ca/building or contact Building Services (519-837-5615 or [email protected]) for more information.

Other loan or grant programs

There are other energy grant and loan programs. The Guelph Greener Homes program is being designed to work with these other programs to make more supports available for homes in Guelph. Kindly note that some grant programs have paused their intake process. Please speak to your energy auditor to check if you are eligible to receive the grant under these programs. Here are some useful links:

• Enbrige Home Efficiency Rebate
• Canada Greener Homes Loan

Energy assessments

The EnerGuide home evaluation provides a standard measure of a home’s energy performance and is carried out by an energy advisor who is registered with Natural Resources Canada (NRCan). Under the Guelph Greener Homes Program, the property owner(s) is required to hire an energy advisor who is registered by NRCan to perform a pre-project EnerGuide home evaluation and, after the home improvements are complete, a post-project EnerGuide home evaluation. Please choose from the list of certified energy advisors. All eligibility and performance criteria for the Canada Greener Homes Grant and Enbridge Home Efficiency Rebate Plus requirements apply to the Guelph Greener Homes program.

Let’s fight fraud together!

Scams and fraudulent tactics can be quite believable and can happen to any of us. To protect yourself and others, we need to know the warning signs.

• Refuse any in-home inspection from a door-to-door salesperson
• Never sign anything
• Do your research and double-check everything
• Know your weaknesses
• Avoid giving out personal information, online, over the phone or in person
• Report suspected scams
• Help others

Privacy information

When you apply to the Guelph Greener Homes program your personal information will be collected and used to confirm your eligibility to apply for a loan, administer the Guelph Greener Homes Program, and communicate with you regarding related matters. For full details of how your personal information will be collected and used, we recommend reviewing the Guelph Greener Homes Program bylaw. In particular, please note that if your application is successful, you will enter into a Property Owner Agreement that includes consenting to the following:

• The Property Owner(s) acknowledges and agrees to the City making available, at the office of the City Clerk until the local improvement roll has been certified by the City Treasurer, copies of the proposed local improvement roll which sets out the cost of the work, the lot to be specially charged, the name of the lot owner, the special charges, when special charges are to be paid, and the lifetime of the work.
• The Property Owner(s) acknowledges and agrees to the City providing public notice of the special charge by-law to impose the special charge on the property in advance of its introduction and after its adoption with the publicly posted special charge by-law setting out the property roll number, the legal description of the property, the amount specially charged, the amount of each annual payment, and the lifetime of the work.
• The Property Owner(s) consents to the City or its agents accessing the Property with reasonable notice for the purpose of quality assurance of the Program and/or the Actual Home Improvements. By conducting such inspection, the City is not making any representations or warranties with respect to the Actual Home Improvements and is not liable for any aspect of the Actual Home Improvements.
• The Property Owner(s) consents to the sharing of photographs taken of their Actual Home Improvements for the purposes of marketing and/or education. No photographs displaying civic addresses, licence plates or other information that would disclose the identity of the Property Owner(s) will be used.
• The Property Owner(s) shall, during the term of this POA and for a period of two (2) years following the term of this POA, keep and maintain records of the Intended Home Improvements and the Actual Home Improvements (e.g., CEA invoices, Contractor(s) invoices, CEA reports, communications). The Property Owner(s) shall, at their own expense, make such records available for inspection and audit by the City at all reasonable times.
• The Property Owner(s) has the option to share and exchange data that is collected from existing metering or monitoring systems or from monitoring systems installed in the course of the Program. If the Property Owner(s) opts to share and exchange such information, then the Property Owner(s) consents to the sharing and exchange of this data between the Property Owner(s)’s utility providers for electricity, oil, propane, and natural gas, and the City for a period of four (4) years after the completion of the Actual Home Improvements. This information may be used for the purpose of research and evaluation of the Program and may include names, addresses, phone numbers, and utility usage (both historical and during the course of financing). Such information may be collected by the City and its agents and consultants for the purposes of quantifying program impact and service delivery. This information will not be shared with third parties without express prior consent from the Property Owner(s) or as required by law or court order.

The Property Owner(s) acknowledges that the City is subject to the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (Ontario) and that records in the custody or control of the City (including any records submitted by the Property Owner(s)) may be released to third parties in accordance with this Act, where applicable. For questions regarding the collection, use and disclosure of personal information please contact the City’s Information and Access Coordinator by phone at 519-822-1260 extension 2349 or email [email protected].

Contact us

For more information about the Guelph Greener Homes program contact [email protected] or 519-822-1260 extension 3984.