Geothermal Tax Rebates

One of the newest developments in energy conservation is geothermal heating and cooling systems. Because these systems use heat stored in the ground and not fossil fuels, usage of geothermal devices reduce the amount of harmful emissions. Geothermal systems are growing in popularity and government incentives such as tax rebates and grants are being implemented to further encourage homeowners to switch to using geothermal heating and cooling systems.

Natural Resources Canada's ecoENERGY Retrofit program gives financial support to public institutions, homeowners, small and medium-sized businesses, and industrial facilities to encourage and help them to make their buildings more energy efficient. There are also six provincial governments offering grants to complement the ecoENERGY Retrofit program. These provinces are: New Brunswick, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Quebec, Nova Scotia, and Ontario.

How to get the rebates in case you switch to a geothermal system

* First, you should have your home audited by a certified energy auditor. The energy auditor will tell you which parts of your home need improvements in energy efficiency and your home will also be assigned with an energy efficiency score.
* Do the necessary renovations and install the needed geothermal system to make your home more energy efficient.
* Have your home audited again after the renovations are made. Doing so will determine your home's new score for energy efficiency.
* Your energy auditor will then send a report about your home's improvements to the National Resources Canada and you will receive a cheque from them. In case your province has a complementary grant program, Natural Resources Canada will let the designated provincial department know and you will also get a cheque from the provincial government.