How to: Get government rebates from eco-friendly renovations

The rush of green products and eco-friendly renovations can provide homeowners some serious cash back in the form of government rebates. But with so many programs and incentives out there, it’s hard to figure out what you may qualify for. Here are some suggestions that will help point you in the right direction.

1 An audit you’ll like!
Having a professional energy audit done on your home should be the first step in the process of applying for government rebates for your renovation. The audit will tell you the areas where you need to invest first and help you determine which updates will get you the most cash back. Remember that the purpose of the audit is to reward energy-efficient upgrades to the home, not reimburse receipts. If you need a new furnace or air conditioning unit but can’t afford to purchase one outright, you can have rentals installed for a monthly rental fee with no upfront costs, and still receive the full rebate. In other words, you’re basically getting paid to have them installed. Check out the Natural Resources Canada website (nrcan.gc.ca) for information on cash-back programs for the Canada-wide ecoENERGY Retrofit Homes Program. Be sure to read the fine print carefully, because many government programs require you to pre-register. But with the potential to earn as much as $5,000 back from the federal government, it’s time well spent. Act quickly because ecoENERGY plan applications need to be submitted before March 31, 2012.