Your home is one of the biggest investments you can make. But that doesn’t mean you want to pour money into it unless it’ll pay off or improve your living conditions. With that in mind, let’s take a closer look at a home energy retrofit program, The Canada Greener Homes Grant, and how adding a new Bosch residential heat pump might actually not cost you as much as you think. Retrofit your home with heat pumps Canada Greener Homes Grant will cover the majority of the costs.
What is a heat pump?
Let’s keep this super simple. A heat pump is part of the HVAC family. It can be used to heat your home or cool individual areas in your home. And while it might sound counterintuitive to call it a heat pump, the name is a reflection of what the system does.
Long story short, the heat pump pulls in warm air from outside and distributes it indoors in the winter. But, in the summer, it works in reverse by pulling warm air from inside and pumping it out of your home to keep you cool.
Heat pump vs. furnace
While they both do the same thing in colder months of the year, there are a few key differences between these two systems, including:
- Furnaces are usually larger and take up a bit more space to accommodate for needing a bigger system to generate heat — unlike a heat pump which draws heat in from the outdoors
- Heat pumps can heat and cool your home, so it’s two systems in one
- Furnaces are centralized and need proper a proper duct system throughout the home to operate effectively
- Heat pumps are more energy efficient
Now that the basics are covered, let’s dive into the Canada Greener Homes Grant and how you can get a heat pump government rebate.
How to get Government of Canada rebates for home renovations through The Canada Greener Homes Grant
Upgrading your home isn’t cheap. Sure, there are cheap renovations to increase your home value and retrofit solutions that make an impact. But a retrofit and some cosmetic remodelling of your home are a bit different from each other.
We know that remodelling covers just about any type of simple home renovation… but what does retrofit mean? Well, it usually means that you’ve left DIY territory. A retrofit usually refers to improving the main system in your home. They require a professional to handle the assessment and installation of energy-efficient upgrades. And if you’re thinking, “how can I get free money from the Canadian Government for retrofit solutions,” luckily, there’s a home renovation grant for that.
The Canada Greener Homes Grant is the most recent of Canada’s energy efficiency programs and was created to give back up to $5,000 (plus $600 in some cases) to homeowners across the country who make their homes more efficient. But what exactly does that mean? Well, it’s not as intimidating as it seems. There are a few steps to follow. Just keep in mind that you won’t really be able to DIY this one yourself. It requires:
- An inspection/green home energy audit to evaluate your home’s current efficiency
- Official recommendations that you can follow
- Installation of at least one of the eligible recommendations (like Bosch climate 5000 installations)
- And finally, a follow-up inspection/green home energy audit to see if your home’s efficiency has improved
Naturally, this is a more serious job, so you wouldn’t want to give this a try yourself and risk not qualifying for the rebate. For example, Bosch Climate 5000 installation isn’t something YouTube can guide you through. It requires a professional with experience and qualified equipment to get the job done right. So, if you’re thinking about upgrading your home’s HVAC to cash in on the energy efficiency retrofit program, you had better look into hiring a professional.
Why choose Bosch thermotechnology?
Well, owning a Bosch is always a good decision because it’s among the best and most efficient heat pump manufacturers available today. With quality design and a 10-year Bosch warranty, and now it’s part of the Canada energy savings rebate program, it’s hard to think of a better option when applying for a heat pump government rebate. After all, you want to make sure you have the best heating and cooling system when it comes to retrofitting your home’s HVAC. But here’s a few more reasons.
Air handler unit that’s whisper quiet
One negative in the heat pump vs furnace debate has been that furnaces are generally quieter. But, technology has come a long way in a short time. For example, the Bosch climate 5000 specs for the air handler states that it won’t get louder than about 20 dB — that’s as quiet as a whisper or some rustling leaves. Hard to chalk that up to being too noisy.
High efficiency heat pump
Another big positive to come out of the Bosch climate 5000 reviews is that it’s very energy efficient. Besides a low SEER rating, this system was made to outperform other heating and cooling options. The reason is that these air handlers are best suited for spot heating and cooling — so less energy is wasted. And that means you can enjoy the benefits of Canada energy efficiency rebates as well as comfortable temperatures and lower monthly bills.