How does the program work?

A . The first step is to call for a professional energy assessment provided by an energy advisor of a company that performs home energy audits and serves your community. There are several companies working in Ontario. A full list of licensed energy advisors are available through Natural Resources Canada.

• Step 1 : Visit the Natural Resources Canada site to get a list of licensed home auditors (energy advisors) in your community. Enter the first three digits of your postal code or your province/territory to find an energy advisor near you.
  
   
• Step 2 : Get quotes from several licensed home auditors and book the audit. The auditor will provide a thorough basement to attic assessment of the home’s energy use and will provide a written report on ways to save energy and information on grant amounts available for various measures.
  
   
• Step 3 : The report is submitted by the auditor to Natural Resources Canada and on notification that a qualifying audit has been completed, Ontario reimburses the homeowner 50 per cent of the cost of this first audit up to $150. The homeowner has up to 18 months to complete work on the recommendations.
  
  Examples of possible measures include installing a solar-powered domestic water heating system, installing a high-efficiency gas furnace or replacing an old central air conditioner with an Energy Star model.
  
   
• Step 4 : When work is completed, contact your licensed auditor to book a verification audit. The auditor returns and verifies which of the recommended measures have been installed and measures the efficiency improvement in the home. There may be a cost for this audit, which must be covered by the homeowner.
  
  The auditor completes the paperwork to apply for the grants and submits it on behalf of the homeowner.
  
  The maximum grant is $5,000 for a home from the province, and $5,000 from Natural Resources Canada.

To qualify for the Home Energy Retrofit Program, the post-retrofit verification audit must be completed after June 20, 2007.

For more information or to book an audit please call 905 403 0510  More questions and answers on Government rebates and ecoenergy audits, including retofits.