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Hot Water Heater Grants in Ontario, Canada

Published: 29/03/2010 by Patsy Hamilton for HomeImprovement411.ca

You may be able to qualify for hot water heater grants in Ontario, Canada or other parts of the country. The government is currently offering grants, rebates and tax credits on practically all home renovation projects, as long as they improve the energy efficiency of your home.

You could get a grant to install new doors, windows or insulation. Installing new equipment such as furnaces, air conditioners or low-flush toilets could qualify.

The idea is to help preserve our natural resources. Almost any home could operate more efficiently. In particular, the government hopes to see improvements in some of the older homes.

In order to qualify for most projects, you will need to have an energy assessment completed. Local dealers can help you arrange an appointment for the assessment.

In cases where emergency replacement is required (for example, your furnace stopped working completely), you can still qualify as long as you have an assessment conducted within five calendar days of the replacement.

There is one more qualification.

In order to get hot water heater grants or rebates, you must purchase a model that appears on the list of “eligible domestic water heaters”. The energy factor (EF) must be .82 or higher in order to qualify.

Models with a higher EF earn higher rebates. For example, a gas-fired model with a .82 EF qualifies for $315, while a model with a .94 EF qualifies for $375.

You might want to look for the Energy Star brand or a dealer that sells them in order to get the highest EF and the highest rebate. The EF rating signifies different things depending on the type of appliance. For water heaters, it basically compares the amount of energy that goes in to the amount that comes out in the form of heated water.

Solar hot water heater grants are also available. The model you choose must be on the list of “accepted solar collectors”. The grant in this case could be as high as $1250.

The solar collectors on the list meet or exceed the CAN/CSA F378.87 standards. They are able to provide a minimum contribution of 6000 mega-joules per year.

That could be equivalent to a substantial annual savings for your family. So, in addition to any grant or rebate you qualify for, you should also see lower utility bills in the coming years.

There are additional hot water heater grants in Ontario. The Ontario government matches the grant offered by the Canadian government. The total incentive could be as much as $2500 for the solar collecting type. British Columbia is offering an extra $1000 from the Solar BC Residential project.
You might also qualify for the Home Renovation Tax Credit (HRTC) in any part of the country, which is separate from the ecoENERGY grant and provincial rebate programs.

If you live in Ontario, you could get as much as $10,000 worth of incentives for large projects, because of the matching contributions.

Now is the time to take advantage of these hot water heater grants. The programs may end soon.

Patsy Hamilton is a home improvement journalist at HomeImprovement411.ca. For more great useful home improvement articles please visit: http://www.homeimprovement411.ca.

Article Source: http://www.homeimprovement411.ca/article