Media Release
City launches home energy retrofit pilot program
HAMILTON, ON – The City’s new home energy retrofit pilot program aims to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by helping Hamiltonians make their homes more energy efficient.
The Better Homes Hamilton pilot, which is now accepting applications, will help 50 local homeowners improve their energy efficiency, help reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and support the city’s climate change efforts.
The program provides low-interest fixed rate loans of up to $20,000 to eligible homeowners in Hamilton, to reduce the carbon footprint of their homes through eligible retrofits. This includes improving building performance through insulation and air sealing, installing Air Source Heat Pumps (ASHP) and smart thermostats, as well as infrastructure upgrades to electrical panel and ductwork, if required for ASHP installation.
The pilot program supports the Council Priority of Sustainable Economic and Ecological Development to accelerate our response to climate change and an accelerated reduction in the City’s GHG emissions.
The program is open for applications until Thursday, February 1, 2024, or until the program is fully subscribed. Homeowners will be notified of the outcome of their application by March 31, 2024.
Quick Facts
- City Council approved the ‘Incubation Stage’ of the Better Homes Hamilton program in May and the Local Improvement Charge By-law in November.
- Applicants must own a detached or semi-detached house or a townhome within the City of Hamilton (landlords qualify), have a property tax account and be in good standing, all owners of the home must consent to participation in the program, and homeowners must not have already installed a heat pump, draft proofing and/or insulation or started the work that they are applying for.
- Funding to support the pilot program includes up to one million in loans to homeowners throughout 2023-2024 to retrofit their homes. It also includes $275,000 in administration costs for implementation, including an “Energy Concierge” service to help homeowners navigate the building retrofit experience.
- The loans are repaid via property tax bills and there is a special 0 per cent interest rate being offered during the pilot phase.
Public Engagement
City staff will be hosting virtual and in-person information sessions between now and February 1, 2024:
- Virtual Public Information Session Dec 14, 2023. REGISTER NOW
- City staff are in the process of organizing in-person engagement activities with a focus on neighbourhoods that have previously been identified as experiencing high energy burden according to the Canadian Urban Sustainability Practitioner’s online mapping tool https://energypoverty.ca/.
For more information and a list of eligible retrofit expenses, visit www.hamilton.ca./betterhomeshamilton or email [email protected].
This innovative program is part of the City’s efforts to tackle the climate crisis. By helping individual homeowners make their properties more energy efficient, we can all do our part to reduce GHG emissions while building our local economy through job creation in the building retrofit sector.
Mayor Andrea Horwath
Buildings are one of the top three sources of greenhouse gas emissions in our community, along with industry and transportation. We must transition our residential housing stock over to low carbon heating and cooling systems if we have any hope of reaching net zero emissions by or before 2050. The Better Homes Hamilton pilot program is all about supporting homeowners by facilitating their ability to finance and follow through on measures like building envelope sealing and the installation of air source heat pump systems that increase climate resilience, enhance home comfort, and reduce home energy bills.
Dr. Lynda Lukasik, Director, Office of Climate Change Initiatives
Tags
People & Programs
Planning & Economic Development
Environment
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