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Tip of the
Month
When renovating your whole house start and complete one room at a time. If you start with your bedroom make sure it is finished and comfortable before you go on to another room. It will offer a sanctuary away from the chaos in the rest of the home.
Disclaimer
This Registry is for information purposes only. We would recommend that any person using this website use due diligence when selecting a company to do work for them. No guarantees are given or implied by this website, only information.
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Find
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If you are looking
for a dependable home improvement contractor to
renovate or rebuild any part of your home or
business, then this is the place.!
For any home improvement project like
an upgrade to an addition or an entire Dream Home
complete with landscaping, you need a Contractor you
can rely on. Every member of the
Registry of Professional
Contractors of Ontario has been individually
screened and approved for their expertise,
experience and reliability. They are qualified in
all kinds of building and home finishing projects.
Let them help you complete your project to your
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Eco-Energy Rebate Programme
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Previously we discussed the advantages to the taxpayer of the Federal Tax Credit and what it would mean to homeowners in the $60,000.00 to $100,000.00 income bracket for example. Now let us discuss the advantages of the ecoEnergy Retrofit Grant.
This is a programme where the Federal and Provincial Governments will each give you money for the same renovation, up to a maximum of $5,000.00 each. This sounds like a very nice gift from both levels of government but is it really as good as it sounds.
In order to apply for this grant you must have a Home Energy Audit done by a company approved by the Government. This varies in cost but the Provincial Government will pay half of the audit up to $150.00. If it costs more, that is your expense.
This audit will show how energy efficient your home presently is and what you could do to improve it. It will tell you the most important places to spend your money to maximize your energy savings.
It may be that a new, more efficient furnace will help considerably, or what about an instaneous water heater. They are new to Canada but have been in use in Britain and Europe for years and have worked well. They are quite small being only about 30x18x9 inches and as they hang on the wall there is no big water heater taking up lots of space in the basement and they are very energy efficient.
Or perhaps your windows or doors are leaking air or no insulation has been added to your attic since the insulation the builder used when building your home twenty-five years ago.
There is a time limit, however, and after your first audit you have l8 months to complete whatever you decide to do. You must then book an appointment to have your energy advisor perform another audit which will show the improvements made in your home’s energy efficiency.
After the second audit is completed you can apply to the Federal and Provincial Governments for your energy rebate. This will depend on the amount of energy-saving upgrades you have made and we can take a look at the figures below which will give you a better idea of whether this is truly a gift to you from the different levels of government.
The following is a list of the combined grants you can receive and the requirements you have to meet to qualify for the grant. These figures apply to single family dwellings there is a special formula for buildings with multiple residential units.
Furnaces – high efficiency gas or oil – up to $1,000.00
Central Air Conditioners – replacement - $400.00
Hot Water Heaters – condensing gas or propane - $600.00
Hot Water Heaters – instantaneous gas, tankless - $500.00
Boilers – high efficiency gas or oil - $1,200.00
HRV – heat recovery ventilator - $600.00
Solar – hot water system - $1,000.00
Heat Pumps – air source heat pulp which doubles as air conditioner - $ 800
Geothermal – ground or water-source heat pumps which are energy efficient heating and cooling systems - up to $7,000.00
Attic or roof – insulation up to $1,200.00
Exterior wall – insulation up to $3,000.00
Crawl Space – inslation up to $1,600.00
Air Sealing – for your home (caulking, etc.) – up to $600.00
Windows & Doors - $60.00 for each replacement window
(Figures from HomeEnergyOntario.ca. Check out their website to see the more specific requirements to obtain the grants)
With this information to guide you it is easier to make an educated decision as to what you want to do in your home to make it more energy efficient.
When speaking with consultant, Catherine Marshall, she pointed out that there is a statement by the Federal Government that “The Home Renovation Tax Credit will NOT be reduced by any other tax credits or grants to which a taxpayer is entitled under other government programs”.
This being the case you should bear in mind that if you decide to add insulation to your attic, exterior wall or crawl space or you decide to renew your windows under the ecoEnergy Rebate Programme, you can also use this renovation to claim against the Home Renovation Tax Credit thereby doing a little double dipping.
By investigating both of these programmes you may find that you can increase the amount of tax credit for renovations and also the ecoEnergy Rebate.
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WHERE WE APPEAR NEXT
Watch for us on www.ThatChannel.com and www.ThatRadio.com on
Thursday, 25th June, 12 noon
Watch for us on City TV Breakfast Television, date to be advised
Watch for us on CBC Living in Toronto reruns
Watch for us on CBC Steven & Chris Show in the Fall, date to be advised
WATCH FOR US
Bi-weekly in Toronto
Community News (Metroland Media)
See Maggie's Reno Tips
Renovation Expert On-line at The Women's Post under Maggie's Reno Tips
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