Canada Greener Homes Affordability Program
Efficiency Canada is not a delivery partner for the Canada Greener Homes Affordability Program. Program delivery is managed by the Government of Canada in partnership with provinces and local delivery agents.
What is the Canada Greener Homes Affordability Program?
The Canada Greener Homes Affordability Program (CGHAP) is a federal initiative that aims to help Canadians cut energy bills, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve comfort. It is the first national energy efficiency program specifically targeting low-income households.
CGHAP provides no-cost, direct-install home retrofits for low- and median-income homeowners and renters. Eligible retrofits may include insulation, air sealing and heat pumps.
The program is designed to be tailored to regional needs and complement existing programs in provinces and territories. It also provides dedicated support to regional Indigenous governments and organizations.
Ahead of Budget 2025, Efficiency Canada formally recommended that the federal government increase CGHAP funding to $2 billion to “ensure a successful program that attracts attention from all regions.”
Why the program matters for affordability and climate goals
Lower energy bills
Nearly 2 million Canadian households experience energy poverty, meaning they spend more than 6 per cent of their income on energy bills. Retrofits can lower bills by reducing the amount of energy needed to heat, cool and power homes.
Reduced emissions
The residential sector accounts for 47 per cent of building emissions in Canada. Some two-thirds of Canadian homes and buildings were built before 2000 and need essential upgrades. By supporting retrofits, CGHAP enables emissions reductions that can help Canada reach its climate goals.
Improved access
Unlike previous initiatives, CGHAP is not a loan program and does not require upfront payment. This addresses a long-running barrier to home retrofits, allowing previously excluded or overlooked households and communities to benefit.
Timeline of our advocacy on energy poverty and CGHAP implementation
Efficiency Canada has long advocated for delivering no-cost retrofits for energy-poor households and making eliminating energy poverty a national priority. It has published several reports on energy poverty that outline these recommendations. The timeline below highlights some of our advocacy efforts.
November 2025
In partnership with Efficiency Canada, ICLEI Canada released an Energy Poverty Index within its Climate Insights Map to help prioritize where low-carbon, resilient infrastructure and housing are needed most.
September 12, 2025
Manitoba became the first province to sign a CGHAP delivery agreement with the federal government.
2024
The Government of Canada announces the Greener Homes Affordability Program, providing no-cost retrofits for low- and median-income households and renters. The program includes several elements Efficiency Canada has long advocated for, including no-upfront-cost access, renter eligibility, and a flexible, locally delivered model that can be tailored to regional needs.
2023
Policymakers credited Efficiency Canada’s advocacy and research in the launch of the Oil to Heat Pump Affordability program. The grant provides eligible homeowners with funding for the purchase and installation of a heat pump, removing a major barrier that makes existing federal programs inaccessible to low-to-moderate income Canadians.
2023
Efficiency Canada wrote a submission for the 2023 Federal Budget cycle calling for an investment of $2 billion dollars to support a low-income energy efficiency strategy. This was part of a broader low-income campaign, which included a joint open letter involving 136 organizations and encouraging constituents to contact their MPs to support low-income Canadians in the upcoming budget.
February – March 2022
During the 2022 Federal Budget cycle, Efficiency Canada called for funding to support low-income energy efficiency and sent a joint letter signed by 134 organizations, supporters, and practitioners across Canada. The 2022 Federal Budget provided an additional $458.5 million in funding for the low-income stream of the Canada Greener Homes Loan program.
March 2022
Efficiency Canada published the Efficiency for All report, which detailed how federal investment in provincial low-income energy efficiency programming could help achieve net-zero emissions and reduce energy poverty.