Apply for Better Homes Kingston Program

Make your home more energy efficient through the Better Homes Kingston Program! This program allows you to make home improvements more affordable by spreading out the cost over multiple years.

This program is supported by the Government of Canada, through the Federation of Canadian Municipalities’ Green Municipal Fund.

Eligibility requirements 

Participating in the program is your choice. Here's what makes you eligible: 

• Your home is a single-family residential building - detached house, semi-detached house, or row house.
• All property owners must agree to join the program. 
• Your home should have a property tax account with us and you should be up to date with property taxes, utility bills, and other payments to us. 
• If you have a mortgage, you must let your mortgage lender know that you plan to be part of the Better Homes Kingston Program.
• If your property is designated under the Ontario Heritage Act, owners will need to apply for a heritage permit prior to undertaking exterior alterations. Please check the Heritage Properties Register to confirm, or email heritageplanning@cityofkingston.ca. This is the responsibility of all property owners participating in Better Homes Kingston.

About the program

Everyone who joins the program must have an EnerGuide Home Energy Evaluation done by a certified energy advisor. We will help you find one. 

For low-income applicants we have alternatives for you. You can learn more by contacting us.

In the Better Homes Kingston Program, homes need to reduce emissions or reduce energy use by at least 20 per cent to qualify for loans and incentives. 

Step 1: Meet the requirements for the program

If you would like to apply for this program, make sure you meet all the requirements, and our staff will review it.  

If you are not sure if your home qualifies, you can reach out to us and we will assist you. 

Step 2: Receive your Notice to Proceed

Once we confirm that you meet all the program's requirements, we will send you a Notice to Proceed for your Home Energy Evaluation. This usually takes one  to  two weeks. In this notice, you will find: 

• The maximum loan amount you can get
• Your Better Homes Kingston file reference number
• Information about what to do next in the program

If you have received a Notice to Proceed, you cannot start paying for or making energy improvements to your home until you've completed these steps: 

1. Meet with the energy coach and fill out a valid Funding Request Form with their help. 
2. Get direct confirmation from us that your request has been accepted. 
3. Sign, submit and receive a fully executed property owner agreement. 

If you pay for or make energy improvements before completing these requirements, these measures will not qualify for loan funding from Better Homes Kingston. If you are not sure about the next steps as you approach this point in the process, please do not hesitate to reach out for clarification. 

Step 3: Register on the Better Homes Kingston Portal

Follow these steps to register to the portal: 

1. Create an account using your Better Homes Kingston file reference number (received with your Notice to Proceed). 
2. Work with a Better Homes Kingston energy coach to schedule a pre-retrofit EnerGuide evaluation with a registered energy advisor. 
3. After the evaluation, you will get an NRCan EnerGuide rating for your home and recommended improvements. 

In our program, you will get a rebate covering  $600 of your home energy evaluation cost if you do not qualify for other rebates from Enbridge or the Greener Homes Grant. We also have options for low-income applicants. 

Step 4: Apply for other rebates and obtain quotes

At this stage, you will get quotes from contractors for the energy improvements suggested in your pre-retrofit EnerGuide Evaluation.  

Our Energy Coach is here to assist you in planning your retrofit, saving costs, and getting the most incentives from all available programs. 

Step 5: Submit your Funding Request Form

Here is what to do when you're ready to begin your retrofits: 

• Submit your Funding Request Form through the BHK Portal.
• You can ask for 30 per cent of your funds upfront for contractor pre-payments. 
• Sign the property owner agreement and wait for the completed agreement, signed by the Mayor and City Clerk, before moving forward. This usually takes three to five weeks to process. 

Step 6: Retrofit your home

You can now upgrade or modify your home to improve its energy efficiency.

Step 7: Complete a post-retrofit EnerGuide Evaluation

Once the home improvements are done, you need to arrange for another check by a registered energy advisor. They will give your home a new rating and see if it meets the 20 per cent reduction in greenhouse gases or energy use. 

Step 8: Submit a Project Completion Report

When your evaluation is completed by the register energy advisor, please submit your Project Completion Report.

Step 9: Await final loan payment

After we get the Project Completion Report, you will get the remainder of your loan. It should take around three to four weeks for the final payment to be processed. 

Step 10: Begin to repay the loan

You can pay back your property loan over 20 years through your property tax bill. You're also free to pay it all at once without any extra charges. 

Eligible home improvements 

You can get financing for improvements that last five to 20 years, and that are permanently attached to the home.  

Better Homes Kingston does not cover maintenance costs.  

Here are some types of improvements that qualify for the Better Homes Kingston Program, if they follow permits and rules: