When Blaine Munro, Certified Energy Advisor, comes to visit, he'll probably get to know your house better than you. He'll do an energy evaluation, from the attic to the basement. Munro's visit costs $275, but his recommendations could turn into cold hard cash for the homeowner, Tim Matchim. "So if you make an improvement and we hope you do, you'll see some government grant for that," Tim Matchim, homeowner. That's right, the government will help you pay for your eco-renovation. The evaluation must be carried out by someone like Munro. .

Munro's inspections shows you if there are any air leaks or gaps in the insulation of your home. He checks out not just potlights, but also the seal around the attic hatch and all of the electrical plugs and switches on the exterior walls. "If you can feel the air at this point, when it's warm in here and cool outside, that's how freely your air goes out the directly outside," say Munro. Those are considered the easy fixes and cheap ones. Just a few dollars for a tube of caulking and some weather stripping will help. The same around windows and doors. Making your home airtight, can result in a windfall from the government. "Stopping off drafts can qualify you for up to three hundred dollars," says Munro.

There are other ways to qualify for the eco-energy grants. Putting in an 'Energy Star,' high-efficiency furnace, will net you anywhere from $300 to $500. Beefing up your attic insulation could return up to $600. Grants for exterior and basement wall insulation are between $1000 to $1500. For every new 'Energy Star' qualified window and door you install home-owners can receive $30. "The average grant is about twelve hundred dollars that homeowners would see back from the rebate program." says Munro.

Tim Matchim says he's going to make some of the changes right away, while the others, such as a new expensive furnace might have to wait. He says even with the grants, it's still a lot of money to spend. "I don't think the numbers with what you're gonna get back from the government will make any difference with the amount of money you're going to spend versus what you're getting back." "It probably would be cheaper just to turn the thermostat up, but looking for comfort and if I can get the government money that's great too." says Matchim.

The Federal Government gives home-owners 18 months from the date of the evaluation to make the improvements. Someone like Munro will then come back to ensure the work is done and that's when you submit your receipts to qualify for the grant.
For more information check out http://www.ecoenergy.gc.ca/