The Greener Homes Loan Is Closed. Here's What to Do Instead.
The interest-free $5,000–$40,000 federal loan that financed tens of thousands of Canadian retrofits is over for new applicants: NRCan's official page states that funding is fully committed and new loan applications cannot be approved. Plenty of websites still tell you to apply. You can't. Here's the accurate picture — what approved applicants keep, and every real alternative as of July 31, 2026.
1. The federal scoreboard in 2026
| Greener Homes Grant (up to $5,000) | Closed — January 2026 |
| Greener Homes Loan ($5,000–$40,000, 0%) | Closed — funding fully committed |
| Oil to Heat Pump Affordability (OHPA) | Closed — last applications July 31, 2026 |
| Greener Homes Affordability Program | OPEN — low/median income, free retrofits |
2. Already approved? You keep your money
The closure affects new applications only. If your loan was approved, NRCan confirms you can continue to access your funding — log in to the loan portal, follow your agreement's timelines, and complete your post-retrofit evaluation as planned.
3. Low- to median-income: the Affordability Program
The Canada Greener Homes Affordability Program is the federal program that's actually open — and it's better than a loan for those who qualify: free retrofits (insulation, draft-proofing, and in many provinces heat pumps), delivered through provincial partners:
- Nova Scotia: HomeWarming — free assessment, insulation and heat pumps (expanded June 2026)
- Manitoba: Affordable Home Energy Program — free ground-source heat pumps and insulation for income-qualified households
- PEI: Free Home Insulation — income under $55,000, home assessed at $300,000 or less
- New Brunswick: Enhanced Energy Savings Program — free insulation, ventilation and heat pumps under $70,000 household income
4. Everyone else: stack provincial rebates
Without the federal loan, the provincial rebate stack is where the money is. The strongest combinations right now:
- Quebec: LogisVert + Rénoclimat — combined heat pump support to roughly $11,950
- Nova Scotia: Home Energy Assessment + Moderate Income Rebate — up to $10,000 combined
- BC: CleanBC — up to $11,000, or $16,000 income-qualified
- Ontario: Home Renovation Savings — up to $7,500 for heat pumps (non-gas homes), $12,000 geothermal
- Manitoba: Efficiency Manitoba — heat pumps, insulation, and one of Canada's last solar rebates
5. Need financing? What's still open
- Manitoba: Manitoba Hydro's Home Energy Efficiency Loan — up to $12,500 on your hydro bill, terms up to 15 years for heat pumps and solar; explicitly stackable with Efficiency Manitoba rebates
- Alberta: CEIP — up to $50,000 repaid through property taxes over up to 20 years; the balance transfers to the next owner if you sell
- Manitoba (geothermal): $0-upfront ground-source heat pump — $75/month interest-free for 15 years on the hydro bill
- PEI: the Energy Efficiency Loan Program can finance approved insulation upgrades on a primary residence
Elsewhere, the honest answer is a bank or credit-union green renovation loan — several offer preferred rates for energy upgrades, but none are 0% like the federal loan was.
Frequently asked questions
›Is the Canada Greener Homes Loan still available in 2026?
No. Natural Resources Canada's official page states that funding for the Canada Greener Homes Loan is fully committed and new loan applications cannot be approved. Only homeowners whose loans were already approved can continue to access their funding.
›My loan was already approved — do I lose it?
No. The closure only affects new applicants. If your loan was approved, you can continue to draw your funds and complete your retrofit as planned under your agreement.
›What replaced the Greener Homes Loan?
There is no single national replacement. The Canada Greener Homes Affordability Program provides free retrofits for low- to median-income households (delivered through provincial partners), and most provinces run their own rebate programs. For financing specifically, Manitoba Hydro's on-bill loan (up to $12,500) and Alberta's CEIP property-tax financing (up to $50,000) are the closest equivalents still open.
›Is the Greener Homes Grant also closed?
Yes — the grant (up to $5,000) closed to new applicants in January 2026, and the federal Oil to Heat Pump Affordability program stopped taking applications on July 31, 2026. The Affordability Program (free retrofits for low- to median-income households) is the main federal program still open.