Kambo Energy Group, Alberta Ecotrust Foundation and our partners recognize that many hard-working residents live in energy inefficient homes but don’t have the financial ability to install upgrades that will reduce their energy bills. The Home Upgrades Program is designed to help participants reduce their energy consumption, and to improve the safety and comfort of homes.

The Home Upgrades Program assists households who spend a disproportionate amount of their income on energy bills.

The program considers a combination of factors: the degree to which a household is struggling to pay its energy bills, and the extent to which energy efficiency measures can make a difference within the applicant’s home. While many people experience energy poverty, this program targets households where upgrades can make an impact on comfort and affordability.

Income Qualifications for the Home Upgrades Program

The program offers targeted upgrades and support based on each household’s unique needs.

While not every applicant is guaranteed home upgrades such as a new furnace, additional supports like energy education and energy savings kits are available. You will receive an email shortly after applying informing you of your eligibility.

Depending on pre-screening results, applicants may be asked to verify their household income (income from anyone 18+ who lives in the home) and the cost of their energy bills. The program will consider both the potential impact that upgrades could make in the home, paired with how burdensome energy bills are for a household and the percentage of income directed towards paying them.

For applicants whose homes qualify for meaningful upgrades, the Home Upgrade Program team will set up a time for our home assessor to do walkthrough of the home and install energy measures such as lighting, water saving devices, weatherstripping, and draft proofing. Based on the assessment, our team will determine which additional upgrades could be installed to further reduce energy consumption and improve affordability. The program team will create a full scope of work detailing the activities and upgrades that will be offered by the Home Upgrades Program. We will communicate this scope of work with the homeowner who will sign off on this work. The program will provide all the materials and our certified contractors will conduct the installations free of charge.

The program is currently available in Calgary and Edmonton with hopes of expanding services based on the availability of funding.

No, all program costs are covered thanks to the support of our partners. While participants are required to invest time throughout the application, home assessment, and upgrades processes, there is no financial investment required from participants.

We know that renters often struggle with high energy bills and sometimes live in inefficient homes. While we are not accepting renters at this time, we encourage renters to apply and we will contact you when the program is ready to work with renters and landlords to reduce energy consumption.

The program is currently limited to detached homes, duplexes and townhouses.

The Home Upgrades Program will share anonymized participant information, energy usage, and home upgrade information with program sponsors and partners. While we welcome participants’ insights and stories, sharing personalized information for public use is completely optional. Photos of participants’ properties may be used in print, online and video-based marketing materials, as well as other publications.

The application can be filled in on someone’s behalf, however the legal property owner must sign a consent form indicating their willingness to participate in the program. The legal home owner must also sign off on the home assessment and any work conducted within the home.

Like many programs, the Home Upgrades Program relies on funding. Should more funding become available, we will continue to offer our services. Our hope is that the program will become a fixture on the market.

We know that everyone who applies to our program is looking for help, which is why all applicants will qualify for some sort of support. If an applicant does not qualify for home upgrades, they will be provided with customized energy efficiency education and support from one of our Energy Mentors.

While there are a number of reasons some applicants won’t qualify for upgrades, some of the most common reasons include:

• Energy efficiency upgrades would not significantly reduce energy consumption within the home

• Household income is above the threshold bracket required to qualify

• The home is not located in the current program service area of Calgary or Edmonton

• Energy bills did not constitute a significant enough portion of household income

• The applicant is not the energy bill account holder

Energy Saving Measures include home upgrades, such as new insulation, weather stripping or LED lightbulbs that make a home more efficient. Behavioral changes, such as programming thermostats or keeping windows shut while a home is being heated or cooled can also help reduce the energy consumption of a home.