Canada Greener Homes Loan

Application closure: You can no longer apply for the Loan. October 1, 2025 was the last day to apply.

The Canada Greener Homes Loan (CGHL) has been successful throughout Canada. As a result, the program’s funding will soon be fully allocated, and the application intake is now closed.

EnerGuide evaluation requirement

• Pre-retrofit EnerGuide evaluation results must have been submitted to Natural Resources Canada by your service organization before applying
• Submitting an application does not guarantee approval or funding. Funds for eligible applications are subject to availability at the time of decision
• Applications will be processed in the order they are received until all funding has been allocated. Your loan status can be found by logging into your account through the loan portal
• Homeowners who have already received loan approval may continue with their retrofit projects, and funding requests

Important reminders

• The cost of an EnerGuide evaluation is the responsibility of the homeowner and is not covered by the CGHL program
• It is strongly recommended that homeowners do not begin retrofit work or sign binding contracts until a loan decision has been communicated

Jump to:

• Loan details
• Eligibility
• Loan application information
• Next steps after loan approval
• What you need to know

Loan details

The Canada Greener Homes Loan offers interest-free financing to help Canadians make their homes more energy efficient and comfortable.

Maximum: $40,000
Minimum: $5,000
Repayment term: 10 years, interest-free
Loan type: Unsecured personal loan on approved credit

A maximum of one loan is available per eligible property and homeowner.

The maximum eligible loan amount is calculated based on the retrofits selected in the application and the quotes for this work. The eligible amount is capped based on industry standards and market norms. The maximum eligible loan amount may be less than your quoted cost, in which case you will be responsible for funding any difference.

Once approved, a portion of the loan can be delivered up front to assist in paying any deposits required by your contractor. The balance of the loan will be delivered after the retrofits have been completed and verified through a post-retrofit evaluation.

Eligibility

All loan applicants

Eligibility requirements for the loan

• You must be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or non-permanent resident who is legally authorized to work in Canada 
• You must own the home, and it must be your primary residence
• You have a pre-retrofit evaluation and have not yet had a post-retrofit evaluation
• Your pre-retrofit evaluation was completed on or after April 1, 2020
• You have a good credit history and are not in:
  • a consumer proposal
  • an orderly payment of debt program
  • a bankruptcy or equivalent insolvency proceeding

Not eligible

Loan applications are not accepted for the following:

• work that has already been started or completed
• retrofits that were not recommended in your pre-retrofit evaluation
• retrofits that are not included in your application (that is, you must not add additional retrofits to your loan application after it has been approved)
• retrofits that are not eligible for a Canada Greener Homes Grant

As part of the application process, borrowers will be assessed to confirm their ability to repay the loan alongside their other financial obligations. Applicants will be asked to provide income documents for this review. Total monthly housing costs and other debt payments should not exceed 44% of gross monthly income.

Low-rise multi-unit residential buildings

Individual homeowners living in a low-rise multi-unit residential building (MURB) must meet the additional eligibility criteria for MURBs.

Indigenous group applicants^{Footnote 1}

• You must be eligible to register multiple homes
• You must own the home(s) or have a formal partnership to represent the owners, but the homes do not need to be the owner’s primary residence
• Your home must be occupied by an Indigenous household
• You must have selected at least one eligible retrofit for each property subject to the loan

Northern and off-grid communities

Canadians living in northern and off-grid communities face specific challenges when it comes to completing home retrofits, including higher equipment and labour costs. To help with this, all retrofit amounts have been adjusted to provide an additional 30% for northern and off-grid communities.Additionally, homeowners living in northern and off-grid communities are eligible for replacements of existing fossil-fuel burning equipment. Further, homeowners living in a northern community are eligible for additional insulation measures (attic, ceiling, and exposed floor insulation).

More information for northern and off-grid communities

Loan application information

1. If you included retrofits in your application that you later decide not to complete, these will be subtracted from your loan before final funding. The adjusted loan amount must be at least $5,000 to remain eligible.
2. Retrofits that were not included in your loan application cannot be added later.
3. Quotes from contractors must be clear and show the cost of the eligible energy efficient retrofits.
4. Applications will be processed in the order they are received until all funding has been allocated.
5. It is strongly recommended that homeowners do not begin retrofit work or sign binding contracts until a loan decision has been communicated.

Upfront costs

Once approved, up to 15%* of the loan can be delivered up front if a deposit is required by your contractor. The initial advance is only available for retrofits that require a deposit. The balance of the loan will be delivered once the retrofits have been completed and verified through a post-retrofit evaluation.

You can request the initial advance during your application by uploading the quotes from contractors and entering the deposit amounts required to do the retrofit.

*The initial advance is increased to 25% if your property is located in the North or off-grid.

Required documents for the loan application

Submitting an application with incomplete or inaccurate information will cause delays. A complete application includes the following:

• Pre-retrofit evaluation file number
• Government issued photo identification (ID) with your address (for example, a driver’s license). If the photo ID does not show your address, you must also provide a utility bill that shows your current address
• Property tax bill or assessment
• Detailed quotes from contractors or a complete material and rental estimate from suppliers
• Proof of income and employment. Two of the following documents are required:
  • Most recent pay stub(s) dated within 60 days
  • Letter of employment dated within 60 days
  • Bank statement(s) showing direct deposit for the most recent two-month period
  • Most recent T4 or Notice of Assessment

Login to the Canada Greener Homes Loan portal

Next steps after loan approval

1. Complete your retrofits

Make sure to keep copies of all your receipts and invoices along the way.

Only costs directly related to retrofits recommended in your pre-retrofit evaluation are eligible for the loan. The maximum eligible loan amount may be less than your quoted costs in which case you will be responsible for paying any difference.

Important: Be aware of high-pressure sales tactics. Take your time to plan your retrofits, gather quotes and interview contractors.

Do-it-yourself (DIY) retrofits

Before you begin, know which retrofits require a licensed and trained professional. You are responsible for ensuring that retrofits completed are eligible for the program. Whenever possible, we recommend that you have a licensed and trained professional working on your home.

If you are completing any retrofits yourself, you must provide a detailed summary of all materials excluding labor. Personal labour costs are not eligible. All products must be purchased in Canada and online purchases are eligible only if they are ordered from an online distributor located in Canada. You will be required to provide all receipts later.

2. Get a post-retrofit evaluation

Once all planned retrofits are complete, contact your service organization to request a post-retrofit evaluation.

You can visit the directory of service organizations to find one in your area:

• Find service organizations for existing homes
• Residents of Nova Scotia
• Residents of Quebec

An energy advisor will visit your home and provide you with a new report showing the impact of your retrofits. 

Your service organization will upload the results of your post-retrofit evaluation confirming which retrofits have been completed. This can take up to 30 days.

3. Request final loan advance

After your service organization submits the results of the post-retrofit evaluation, you must sign back into the loan application portal and choose “Request Funding”. You will be asked to upload all final invoices for the completed work.

The loan will be reviewed again based on the actual completed retrofits. If the final costs are higher than the initial estimate, the loan amount will not increase.

4. Receive your loan amount

You will receive an email confirming the final loan amount after your funding request has been approved.

The final approved loan amount (less the initial advance if you received one) will be deposited into your bank account within approximately 10 days of funding request approval.

5. Repay your loan over time

Shortly after your loan is funded, you will receive detailed information on the repayment of your loan over the 10-year period.

What you need to know

Will this loan appear on my credit bureau?

Yes, the loan and its performance will be reported to the credit bureau.

What other resources are available for sustainable and affordable housing?

The Government of Canada has other resources to support more sustainable and affordable housing:

• Explore financial incentives by province and territory
• Federation of Canadian Municipalities – sustainable affordable housing initiatives
• Discover energy-efficiency resources for your home retrofit
• CMHC Eco Plus – Energy-efficient housing made more affordable with mortgage loan insurance

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