Due to overwhelming success, the Better Homes Kingston program is no longer accepting applications. Join the waitlist below. 

Join the waitlist

Sign up/log in to MyKingston to complete your waitlist application and ensure we can fulfill your request effectively. Require an alternate format? You can Contact Us.

Join Waitlist

Step 1: Apply for the Better Homes Kingston Program. If you have questions regarding your home’s eligibility, contact us. Applications are currently not being accepted. Join the waitlist above.

Step 2: Obtain your Notice to Proceed. Once it has been determined that you meet all the requirements of the program, the City will issue you (the homeowner) a Notice to Proceed with their Home Energy Assessment. This typically takes 1 - 2 weeks. In the Notice to Proceed you will learn:

• The maximum loan amount you're entitled to receive
• Your Better Homes Kingston File Reference Number
• Details about the next steps in the program

If you have received a Notice to Proceed, you cannot proceed with paying for or completing any energy improvements to your home until you have done the following:

1. Met with the Energy Coach and completed a valid Funding Request form with their assistance
2. Received direct confirmation from the City that this has been accepted
3. Signed, submitted, and received a fully executed Property Owner Agreement

If you proceed in with paying for or completing any energy improvements to your home before completing these requirements, the paid-for/installed measures will not be eligible for loan funding under Better Homes Kingston. If you are nearing this point in the process, please reach out to seek any clarification if you are unsure of next steps.

Step 3: Register on the Better Homes Kingston Portal. You will be prompted to create an account and will need your Better Homes Kingston File Reference Number (which you will receive with your Notice to Proceed with your Home Energy Assessment). Once registered, a Better Homes Kingston Energy Coach will work with you to book a pre-retrofit EnerGuide evaluation with a registered energy advisor. Following this evaluation, you will receive an NRCan EnerGuide Rating for your home and recommended improvements.

Access Portal

*If you have already had a pre-retrofit EnerGuide evaluation, you may still be eligible to participate, provided it was completed on or after Dec. 1, 2020.

Through our program, you may be eligible for a rebate of 75 per cent of the cost of your pre-retrofit evaluation where you do not qualify for other existing rebates from Enbridge or the Greener Homes Grant. Alternative arrangements are available for low-income applicants.

Step 4: Apply for other rebates and obtain quotes. Homeowners who participate in Better Homes Kingston Program may still apply to rebate programs offered by others and receive quotes from contractors for the home energy improvements that have been identified in their pre-retrofit EnerGuide Evaluation.

The Better Homes Kingston Program Energy Coach is available to guide you through this process, including helping with detailed planning for your retrofit and maximizing cost savings and incentives.

Step 5: Submit your Funding Request Form. Once you have planned your retrofits and you are ready to get started, submit your Funding Request Form. At this stage in the process, a homeowner can choose to request 30 per cent of their funds upfront to cover contractor pre-payments. You will then be required to sign the Property Owner Agreement and wait to receive the fully executed agreement signed by the Mayor and City Clerk before proceeding. This can take 3-5 weeks to process.

Step 6: Retrofit your home.

Step 7: Complete a post-retrofit EnerGuide Evaluation. After the retrofits are complete, participants are required to have a post-retrofit EnerGuide Evaluation completed by a registered energy advisor back to their home to complete a. This evaluation provides an updated EnerGuide rating for the home. This will verify if your home has met the 20 per cent minimum reduction in GHGs and/or energy consumption.

Step 8: Submit a Project Completion Report.

Step 9: Await final loan payment. Once the Project Completion Report is received, the City of Kingston will provide you with the balance of the loan. This can take 3-4 weeks before you receive your final loan disbursement.

Step 10: Begin to repay the loan. You will have the option to repay your property loan over a period of up to 20 years through your property tax bill. A homeowner can choose to repay the loan in full at any time without penalty.