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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.
Eligible upgrades
Building envelope
- Thermal insulation
- Air-sealing
- Window and door repair/replacement, and more!
Heating systems
- Air source heat pumps and cold climate air source heat pumps
- Heat pump water heaters
- Heat recovery systems
Control systems
- Smart or programmable thermostats (eligible only if combined with any other eligible home improvements)
Renewable energy systems
- Solar photovoltaic systems
- Solar hot water systems
Home improvements may require a building permit. Visit guelph.ca/building or contact Building Services (519-837-5615 or [email protected]) for more information.
Program streams
The following are the two program streams under the Guelph Greener Homes program:
“Loan program”
- 10 years payback term (added to the property tax bill and the Guelph Greener Homes loan repayment collected with property taxes through a twelve-month pre-authorized payment plan)
- 0% interest.
- $0 administration fee
- $50,000 maximum loan
- Deposit down payment: 20% up to $10,000
- No income threshold
- NEW! Starting April 7, loan applicants will have three months to complete and submit their Funding Request Forms once registration is approved. This includes submitting a pre-project energy audit report and contractor quotes. • If the applicant does not submit the forms by the three-month deadline, the application will be canceled. Applicants can reapply if there is still funding available.
“Grant” program (low income households)
- No payback
- For air-source heat pump only (grants up to $15,000)
- Eligible low-income household
- $0 administration fee
- Deposit down payment: 50% of project cost
- Property owners must be primary residents
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
| Number of people in the home | Before-tax household income |
|---|---|
| 1 | $47,090 |
| 2 | $66,595 |
| 3 | $81,561 |
| 4 | $94,179 |
| 5 | $105,295 |
| 6 | $115,345 |
| 7+ | $124,586 |
The Guelph Greener Homes program Low-income grants are limited and subject to availability.
Application stages
Please do not start the installation until your application has been approved.
Stage 1 – Register
- Property tax roll number
- Address and contact information
Stage 2 – Request funds
- Pre-retrofit energy audit report
- Contractor quotes
- Amounts of other loans/grants
initial loan released (if requested).
Stage 3 – complete project
- Post-retrofit energy audit report
- Invoices
- Amounts of other loans/grants
Final loan released.