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Welcome to the frequently asked question page for home energy assessments with the London Environmental Network. From what is included in a home energy assessment, to what financial incentives are associated, this web page has tons of information to help. This is a dynamic web page, so feel free to search (command/ control + F) if you are looking for any specific questions. 

What is a home energy assessment?

  • Also known as an EnerGuide Audit, a home energy assessment is intended to help you understand how your home uses energy now, and identify retrofits to best improve its energy efficiency
  • The evaluation is carried out by an energy advisor registered with Natural Resources Canada (NRCan), through a service organization registered with NRCan
  • The energy advisor will assess your entire home from the basement to the attic
  • Using professional analysis equipment, the advisor will recommend the best approaches to improve the overall efficiency of your home
  • After the evaluation is completed, the advisor will give you an EnerGuide rating for your home and a personalized energy efficiency report, known as a renovation upgrade report, to help you make decisions about possible upgrades
  • Rather than occupant(s) behaviour, the evaluation considers the performance of the home itself

 

Is my home eligible for a home energy assessment? 

For the Canada Greener Homes Grant side of the HER+ Program:

  • The home is a low-rise residential dwelling such as; a detached home, semi-detached, row house, or mobile home on a permanent foundation (can be on leased land)
  • You are the residential property owner (proof of ownership by property tax bill, deed to the home, or land lease transfer papers must be provided)
  • The home is at least six months old (brand new homes do not qualify)
  • The home is the primary residence of the property owner 

For the Enbridge side of the HER+ Program:

  • You have an Enbridge Gas (legacy Union Gas) meter (account + hookup) at the pre-retrofit and or the post-retrofit assessment 

For Multi-Use Residential Buildings:

  • A building with more than one separate living space (a secondary suite/independent apartment)
  • A building of up to 100 units
  • A building of three stories or less
  • The property is no greater than 600m2 (6458 sq feet)
  • At least 50% of the building is residential living space and people live in it year-round
  • Accepted multi-unit residence buildings (MURBs) require a MURB-certified advisor 
    • Currently, the London Environmental Network does not have a MURB-certified advisor on staff able to provide these assessments, but homes that meet the above criteria do qualify for rebates under the HER+ program

 

What financial assistance programs do I gain access to with a home energy assessment?

 

What home renovations are eligible for rebates under the HER+ program?

  • Attic, basement, or wall insulation upgrades
  • Air source heat pumps, ground source heat pumps, and cold climate air source heat pumps
  • Heat pump water heaters 
  • Window and door upgrades 
  • Smart thermostats 
  • Solar photovoltaic systems (can be installed anywhere on the owned property) 
  • Battery backups for a solar photovoltaic system installation 
  • Basement and attic waterproofing/ weatherproofing 
  • Review the LEN HER+ rebate summary sheet for more information on eligible retrofits and rebate amounts 
  • Currently, tin roofs and renovations cosmetic in nature are not eligible for rebates under the HER+ program

 

What do I need to have a home energy assessment with the London Environmental Network?

  • A single-detached home or a side-by-side townhouse 
  • A home with no active renovations 
  • A property tax bill less than one year old 
    • If the home has recently been purchased, the homeowner can contact their local tax office for a municipal statement of account 
  • A valid homeowner ID 
  • An Enbridge bill less than one-year-old 
  • If the property has vermiculite insulation view this webpage for additional information 
  • For more information on the process of energy assessments, click here to view the steps in the home energy assessment web page

 

How much do home energy assessments cost?

  • Currently, we offer pre-retrofit energy assessments for $500 and post-retrofit assessments for $250 within London
  • As a registered charity, taxes are not required for our services- so the fees noted are flat rates 
  • For properties more than 39km from the London City Centre Towers, a travel fee add-on of $50 is required
  • For properties more than 70 km from the London City Centre Towers, a travel fee add-on of $75 is required
  • We currently do not offer energy assessments for properties more than 100 km from the London City Centre Towers

 

Can I have a home energy assessment if I live outside of London?

  • Yes, currently we offer home energy assessments within 75 km of the London City Centre Towers
  • Commonly, we serve London, Arva, Belmont, Dorchester, Ilderton, Ingersol, Komoka, Strathroy, St. Thomas, Mount Brydges, Woodstock and surrounding areas

 

Can I have a home energy assessment if I have started my renovations?

  • We cannot have any active, ongoing, or incomplete renovations to complete a home energy assessment 
  • Below-grade renovations are usually accepted
  • Occasionally, cosmetic renovations are accepted 
  • Review the Home Energy Assessment eligibility page for more information or contact our office team at [email protected] or by phone at 226-700-6945

 

Is my home addition eligible for rebates under the HER+ program?

  • New additions are not currently eligible for rebates under the HER+ program 
  • If you are installing an addition after the post-retrofit assessment, talk to a member of our office in regards to the potential impacts to your rebates this may have (pro-rated adjustments based on changes to the existing building footprint)

 

How do I know my retrofits are eligible for rebates?

  • There are no applications for the HER+ program
  • The main piece to be aware of is your rebate maximum (eg. up to $10,00 or up to $5,000), and to ensure you are following installation requirements 
  • General installation requirements can be found on the HER+ terms and conditions page, or the NRCan eligible retrofit and grant amounts list
  • For any physical product, with a make and model- it should be verified by the homeowner ahead of purchase by using the NRCan searchable product list
    • This includes windows, doors, air source heat pumps, ground source heat pumps, cold climate heat pumps, and heat pump water heaters
    • If the homeowner is using a contractor, group, certified buyer or similar entity, it is strongly recommended to still verify retrofit model eligibility ahead of purchase

 

How does the $600 assessment grant work?

  • Under the HER+ Program, participants  can receive up to $600 in grants for the cost of the home energy assessment, separate from their total grant availability (Eg. $10,000 in grants + $600 assessment reimbursement)
  • To receive this credit, homeowners must go through the HER+ program successfully 
  • This means, the homeowner has a pre-retrofit assessment, installs a minimum of one accepted retrofit under the program, and has a post-retrofit assessment 
  • The $600 assessment credit is the maximum available
    • Homeowners should expect to pay upfront for assessments with the $600 rebate arriving at the same time as their retrofit rebates, upon completion of the program 
  • The $600 assessment rebate does not entirely cover the cost of a pre-retrofit and post-retrofit assessment, homeowners should expect to cover the remainder 
    • NRCan and Enbridge will not pay out more than what was paid for home energy assessments 
    • The rebate would be pro-rated if homeowners paid less than $600 for a pre-retrofit and post-retrofit assessment 

 

What is reviewed during a home energy assessment?

  • The advisor will examine the interior and exterior of the home looking at the overall condition and quality, while looking for any issues or problems to note for improvement 
  • They will review the condition, effectiveness, and make/model of existing windows, doors, insulation, and mechanical systems (air conditioning, water heater, furnace) 
  • They will complete a blower door test to evaluate overall air leakage from the home 
  • The advisor will then model your home in software to evaluate the home as a system
  • The advisor will then summarize these opportunities in a home energy assessment report, known as a renovation upgrade report 
    • A list of home improvements (retrofits) will be added, where homeowners can have the largest impact on reducing heat loss and carbon usage while improving the energy efficiency of the home 
  • At the post-retrofit assessment, the advisor will also review the installed retrofits and documentation affiliated with the retrofits

 

How many upgrades do I have to install?

  • Under the HER+ program, one preliminary qualifying measure is required to complete the program successfully 
    • This includes window and door upgrades, insulation upgrades, heat pumps, and heat pump water heaters,  solar photovoltaic system installation, or solar photovoltaic battery backups
  • The following installations do not qualify if installed without an additional qualifying retrofit 
    • smart or programmable thermostats, basement and attic waterproofing
  • Basement and attic waterproofing, solar photovoltaic installations, or solar photovoltaic battery backup rebates are available for owner-owned and occupied homes
    • Enbridge-only qualifying homes are not eligible for these measures

 

How can I apply for the HER+ Program or the Canada Greener Homes Grant? 

 

Can I complete the retrofit work myself?

  • Yes, any non-mechanical retrofits can be completed by the homeowner if desired
    • Some examples include insulation upgrades, or window and door replacements
  • Rather than using an invoice, the advisor will document your material costs for the work completed 
    • You must keep all receipts, and material costs associated with the work for evaluation at the post-retrofit assessment
  • Any mechanical retrofits cannot be completed by the homeowner and require a certified contractor/ specialist to complete the work 

 

Are there time limits on the HER+ program?

  • The HER+ program is confirmed to run until 2027 
  • Homeowners should plan to have their post-retrofit assessments in mid-to-late 2026 to ensure the advisor has time to submit them through the program ahead of the 2027 deadline 
  • There are no time limits for the HER+ program, or on the work period of home energy assessments 

 

What rebates will I get for my retrofits in the HER+ program?

  • Rebates are calculated differently based on the type of retrofit you are installing
  • To check available rebate maximums review the NRCan eligible retrofit and grant amount list, visit the HER+ program page, or view the LEN HER+ rebate summary sheet
  • For windows and doors; there is a 'more' and 'most' energy-efficient model that can be installed for rebates
    • For the 'more' efficient model- rebates are $175 per rough opening ($125 for non-owner-owned/ occupied participants) or $325 for the 'most' efficient model installed per rough opening ($250 for non-owner-owned/ occupied participants)
    • Please note, under the HER+ program, rough opening is defined as the framed area around the window
  • For insulation upgrades, it is tiered based on the level (R-value) of insulation existing at the pre-retrofit assessment, to the level of insulation installed pro-rated (multiplied) by the area of the home done 
    • Please review the LEN rebate summary sheet for details on the rebate amount for insulation 
    • The less insulation existing at the pre-retrofit assessment = higher rebates 
    • For the multiplier, it is based on the area they define (eg. walls, basement, attic) x amount done (eg. 50%) 
      • If the full area is retrofitted to the required R-value, rebates will not be pro-rated or adjusted 
  • For any heat pumps; ground source heat pump, cold climate heat pump, or geothermal systems- there are set rebate amounts based on the make and model installed 
  • For a heat pump water heater (domestic hot water heat pump), rebates of $ 1,000- $1,3000 are available for the installation of an eligible system
  • For a smart or programmable thermostat installation, $50 - $70 in rebates is available for the installation of an eligible system 
  • For air sealing measures, rebates are based on the level or percentage of improvement between the blower door test results at your pre-retrofit versus your post-retrofit assessment 
    • Rebates are tiered at achieving the base target, achieving 10% above the base target, and achieving 20% above the base target 
    • Achieving the base target earns a rebate of $725 ($550 for non-owner-owned/ occupied participants)
    • Achieving 10% above the base target earns a rebate of $1,050 ($810 for non-owner-owned/ occupied participants)
    • Achieving 20% above the base target earns a rebate of $1,300 ($1,000 for non-owner-owned/ occupied participants)
  • For solar photovoltaic systems, rebates of $1000 are available per kilowatt (kW DC) installed, up to a $ 5,000 maximum 
  • For solar photovoltaic battery backups, a maximum of $1000 is available in rebates for the installation of an eligible system 
  • For roof waterproofing, a rebate of $150 is available for the installation of a self-adhering roofing underlayment applied to the entire roof
  • For basement waterproofing;
    • A rebate of $875 is available for foundation water-proofing (a minimum of 80% of below-grade wall area is required)
    • A rebate of $600 is available for moisture-proofing of 100% of the crawlspace floor, walls, and headers 

Are there time limits on the Canada Greener Homes Loan Program?

 

How do I cancel or reschedule my home energy assessment booking with the London Environmental Network?

  • Visit your original confirmation of booking email 
  • Scroll to the bottom of the email 
  • There is a button called 'Change/Cancel Appointment'
  • Click the button, which will take you to your appointment registration 
  • Edit the booking date, or cancel the assessment as needed 
  • Need further help? Call 226-700-6945 or email us at [email protected] for additional assistance 

 

What other financial incentive programs can I take part in?

 

Can I go through the HER+ program more than one time?

  • Homeowners can participate in the HER+ program at the same address a maximum of two times, but it is always recommended to maximize your retrofits during the first participation when possible 
  • The second time a homeowner goes through the HER+ program the $600 assessment rebate is not available
    • This means the homeowner will have to pay for the pre-retrofit and post-retrofit assessment completely out of pocket the second time through 
    • The energy assessment are still a requirement for the HER+ Program with a second participation
  • Homeowners also only have the remainder of unused rebates available the second time through 
    • For example, if the homeowner has up to $10,000 available and used $7000 in rebates their first time through the HER+ program, the second time they will have a maximum of $3000 in rebates available  

How can I contact NRCan or Enbridge?

  • To contact Enbridge regarding the HER+ program, or the status of your rebates:
    • Phone: 844-777-3149