Regional Municipality of Durham

05/13/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 05/13/2024 10:22

Cash-back incentives available for Durham Greener Homes Participants

Whitby, Ontario - The Region's Durham Greener Homes Program continues to grow, making it easier and more affordable for Durham residents to enjoy an energy efficient, comfortable, and climate friendly home. Today the Region is announcing incentives for deep energy retrofits available to all Durham residents. The Durham Greener Homes deep retrofit incentive provides eligible residents with up to a $5,000 rebate towards the cost of reducing their home's energy use. This incentive is up to $10,000 for Whitby residents, thanks to the Town of Whitby allocating Housing Accelerator Funds to match funding, to support the creation of low-carbon and climate-resilient housing supply within the community. These rebates can be combined with other home energy incentives available.

In addition to cash back rebates, the Durham Greener Homes program includes home retrofit financing options offered by local Rapport and Pathwise credit unions, as well as free expert home energy coaching. Residents simply need to register with the program at DurhamGreenerHomes.ca to get started on their home retrofit journey.

The Durham Greener Homes Program is delivered in partnership with Windfall Ecology Centre, local area municipalities, and energy utilities, and is a key part of the Region's response to Durham Regional Council's climate emergency declaration. Funding is provided through a $3.4 million investment from the Community Efficiency Financing initiative, which is offered through the Green Municipal Fund delivered by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) and funded by the Government of Canada.

For complete information on home energy upgrades, access to a home energy coach, an interactive web-portal, financing incentives, including the Deep Retrofit Rebate, visit DurhamGreenerHomes.ca.

Quotes:

"Durham Region residents will benefit from the incentives offered by the Durham Greener Homes Program. This initiative will continue to help our communities access expert advice from home energy coaches to decide which retrofits best suit their needs, how to find skilled contractors, and how to take advantage of available rebate programs to reduce costs. The deep retrofit incentive will make it more affordable for residents to make energy improvements and help with Durham Region's low carbon transition. We're excited for the positive impacts that residents will make on our community through the Durham Greener Homes Program."

- John Henry, Regional Chair and CEO, Region of Durham

"I'm very pleased that matching funding secured by the Town of Whitby will allow Whitby residents to access an incentive of up to $10,000 towards home energy retrofits. When we make it easier and more affordable for people to reduce energy use at home, we empower residents to play an active role in reducing Durham's carbon footprint and ensuring a greener future."

- Elizabeth Roy, Mayor, Town of Whitby

"Upgrading our homes to be more energy-efficient will get us a long way toward our climate targets, help Durham residents save money on energy costs, and create good jobs in our communities."

- Brent Kopperson, Executive Director, Windfall Centre

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