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The Home Labelling Fund (HLF) will support the design, testing, and scaling of home labelling programs and associated labelling activities across the country. Home labels help us understand how our homes use energy and how we can make our homes more energy efficient. Reducing energy consumption can lower our energy bills, making our lives more affordable.
Objectives
NRCan's $11.96 million HLF will fund Projects to improve the accessibility and effectiveness of home labels in Canada by supporting:
- The deployment of home labels across the country
- Improvements to the way home energy efficiency information can be collected, used and disclosed/disseminated
- Home energy efficiency and labelling initiatives in Indigenous, rural, remote, and under-resourced communities
- Capacity building and home labelling initiatives from key stakeholders
- The provision of linked energy efficiency and related home adaptation information to households in Canada.
Applicants must apply through one of the 3 HLF funding streams. Applicant guides for each of the streams, which include the stream-specific application form, can be accessed below.
Funding
Stream 1 Applicant Guide - Support for provincial and territorial governments
Open
Supports provincial and territorial efforts to advance labelling and related activities.
Stream 2 Applicant Guide - Support for Capacity Building and Home Labelling Initiatives
Open
Supports local governments, organizations and industry work on home labelling.
Stream 3 Applicant Guide - Support for Indigenous Governing Bodies, Communities and Organizations
Open
Supports Indigenous governments and organizations to develop efficiency and labelling programs.
Background
In 2020, the residential sector in Canada consumed 16.2% of total secondary energy use, which includes electricity, natural gas, and refined petroleum products required to heat and cool homes or businesses. Energy comes at a cost, with the average household paying $2,200 annually on energy bills. When we reduce energy consumption, we can lower our energy bills: this can go a long way to making our lives more affordable. Homes are complex systems and it may not be clear where to start. Fortunately, there are steps that Canadians can take to make energy-efficient changes to their home. This is where home labels come in. Home labels help tell the story about the energy used in our homes and what steps we can take towards improving efficiency.
Through the launch of the Canada Green Building Strategy, Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) is deploying continued efforts to improve the energy efficiency of existing homes. As part of this Strategy, the Home Labelling Fund (HLF) seeks to support the implementation of a National Approach to Home Labelling by funding Projects to improve the accessibility and effectiveness of home labels in Canada. Home labels provide important information that improves understanding of how each home uses energy and suggests retrofit options that help Canadians choose how to make the homes they live in more efficient, affordable, comfortable and healthy. Currently, less than 15% of Canada’s Part 9 housing stock has an EnerGuide label, which leaves a large percentage of Canadians without important information about the homes they live in, or want to live in.
The HLF supports the design, testing and scaling of home labelling programs and associated labelling activities across the country. It also seeks to address barriers to home labelling, such as:
- Limited public awareness and understanding of home labelling and its benefits
- Unequal access to home labelling across the country, particularly in remote communities.
Aside from important energy efficiency information, home labels can also be used to communicate valuable information about climate adaptation measures. While the HLF is primarily focused on supporting home energy efficiency and labelling, information about the dual benefits of climate adaptation and energy efficiency are an included activity. With the increased risks to homes due to climate change, the HLF can be used to raise awareness about the actions homeowners could take to help protect their homes from extreme weather events, such as extreme heat, wildfire, etc.; which could be an essential consideration for Canadian households when already making decisions about energy efficiency retrofits. In this respect, the HLF welcomes Projects that include climate adaptation considerations that are linked to home energy efficiency objectives.
Contact
If you have questions please contact us: homelabellingfund-fondsdetiquetageresidentiel@nrcan-rncan.gc.ca.