Kingston homeowners are now eligible for a zero-interest loan for home energy efficiency improvements.

Better Homes Kingston is a local improvement charge (LIC) financing program to encourage homeowners to undertake deep-energy retrofits.  Homeowners who participate in the program will qualify for up to $40,000 loans at 0 per cent interest, with the option for an initial 30 per cent upfront to pre-pay contractors for your services. This project is carried out with assistance from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities’ Green Municipal Fund, an endowment created by the Government of Canada.

How it works

Home renovations are expensive. The Better Homes Kingston Program makes it easy and affordable for homeowners to retrofit their homes and pay for the improvement over a period of up to 20 years.

Better Homes Kingston Program is a no-interest property loan program, which residents can repay via their property tax bill over a period of up to 20 years. There is no penalty for paying your loan off early. Planning to move? The loan is tied to your property and remains with the home. This means the next owner will inherit the loan—and benefit from the retrofits it helped realize.

Through the Better Homes Kingston Program, homeowners can access a no-interest loan of up to $40,000 (or 10 percent of the current value assessment of the home, whichever is less), to cover the cost of home energy improvements.

Improvements might include upgrades to the following:

• Thermal envelope such as basement/attic/exterior wall insulation, window/door replacements)
• Mechanical systems, such as thermostats and controllers, air/ground source heat pumps, high-efficiency water heaters, solar hot water systems etc.
• Investment in renewable energy, such as solar photovoltaic systems, EV chargers (Level 2).

Through Better Homes Kingston, the City aims to help realize 25 - 50per cent of pre-1991 constructed one-family homes by 2040, achieving an average carbon reduction impact of 30per cent per home.

Was your home built after 1991? This does not preclude you from applying to the Better Homes Kingston program! So long as your home has potential GHG emissions / energy consumption savings of 20 per cent or more you may be eligible to participate.

How it works

Better Homes Kingston requires a minimum of 20 per cent reduction of GHG emissions and/or equivalent reduction in energy consumption for electrically heated homes to access loans and incentives.

All participants in the Better Homes Kingston Program will require an EnerGuide Home Energy Evaluation, completed by a Certified Energy Advisor or equivalent as certified by Natural Resources Canada. Not sure where you would find an Energy Advisor or “Coach”? Through the Better Homes Kingston Program, you will be put in direct contact with a qualified professional to get you started.

In cases where the applicant does not qualify for existing rebates for their home energy evaluation from a utility provider or senior government energy retrofit incentive program(s), they will be eligible to receive a $600 rebate from Better Homes Kingston, with 75per cent upfront to establish a base case for their home.

Alternate arrangements are also available for low-income applicants if the upfront cost of the home energy evaluation is prohibitive. Learn more by asking our Energy Coach

The following incentives offered to the first 500 applicants

• 20per cent to 25per cent reduction in emissions or energy consumption= $1,000
• 26per cent to 30per cent reduction in emissions or energy consumption= $3,000
• Greater than 30per cent reduction in emissions or energy consumption= $5,000

Eligibility Requirements

Participation in the program is voluntary and homeowner initiated. Eligibility criteria:

• The dwelling is a single-family residential building: detached houses, semi-detached houses, or row houses.
• All registered owner(s) of the property must consent to participate in the program.
• The home must have a property tax account with the City and all property taxes, utility bills and other payment obligations to the City must be in good standing.
• The homeowner must notify its mortgage lender (if applicable) of its intention to participate in the Better Homes Kingston Program.

Eligible home improvements

Applicants may receive financing for approved improvements with an expected useful life of five to 20 years and for measures that are permanently affixed to a property. Maintenance costs are ineligible. Eligible measures for financing must be Energy Star certified, where applicable.

Below, is a non-exhaustive list of the types of improvements eligible under the Better Homes Kingston Program, subject to permitting and regulations:

• Thermal envelope upgrades: attic, walls, foundation, and basement insulation and associated requirements such as attic ventilation, foundation drainage and waterproofing; air barriers; window, skylights and exterior door replacements; tubular daylighting devices and exterior window shadings or films; air-sealing and weather stripping.
• Mechanical systems (space heating, cooling and ventilation): thermostats and controllers, energy or heat recovery ventilators, air source heat pumps, ground source heat pumps, biomass wood-pellet heaters, heat distribution systems, duct sealing, fans, associated electrical equipment as required.
• Mechanical systems (water heating): high-efficiency water heaters (i.e. heat pump, electric water tanks, etc.), drain water heat recovery systems, solar hot water systems.
• Renewable energy, energy storage and EV chargers: solar photovoltaic systems, electric vehicle charging stations (Level 2), battery storage devices, associated electrical and load management equipment, including but not limited to, electric thermal storage.
• Health and safety measures: this might include items like electrical wiring and panel upgrades that are required undertakings to permit energy improvements.
• Climate adaptation improvements: such as back-flow prevention valves, sump pumps and basement waterproofing.
• Other: Permanently affixed lighting, lighting controls, new energy efficient (certified) products will be considered as additional eligible technologies.