Green is blooming is ways you might not expect at this year’s big annual home and garden show, now on at the Enercare Centre at Exhibition Place.
This year’s new pop of bright green is presented inside — and out — in a teeny-tiny “Rebate Homeshow”: A 250-square-foot model home outfitted with examples of the many rebates available to homeowners through the Green Ontario fund (GreenON).
Parminder Sandhu, CEO of GreenON, says the non-profit agency launched last year as part of Ontario’s Climate Change Action Plan www.ontario.ca/page/climate-change. The agency is funded by the province’s cap-and-trade program that is financed by businesses and industries working to meet provincially-imposed limits on greenhouse gas emissions. By law, the funds must be directed to initiatives that reduce greenhouse gases.
And that’s a “win-win message” for HGTV reno expert Kate Campbell, www.katebuilds.ca who is at the Rebate Homeshow inside the National Home Show — again partnered with Canada Blooms — to promote GreenON and the available home rebates.
Having restored her own 150-year-old farmhouse using multiple green options, Campbell says she’s always had a “passion” for green building.
Inside the tiny, green structure on display are easy-to-understand examples of rebates including up to $7,200 for attic and wall insulation, and $5,000 for high-performance certified windows as well as hefty rebates on air-source and geothermal heat pumps. At the other end, there’s up to $100 in rebates for heat-saving solutions such as air-sealing or installing a smart thermostat.
Under the program, two thermostats are available: The well-known Nest www.nest.com and Ecobee www.ecobee.com, made by a Toronto-based company, with built-in Amazon Alexa Voice Service so homeowners can also use the thermostat to get the time, find a weather forecast and catch up on news.
There’s also support from home energy experts with advice on how to reduce a residence’s carbon footprint and about which upgrades can reduce consumption and save money. Typical questions, Sandhu says, might include how a homeowner might prioritize upgrades; how heat pumps and air sealing works; how much insulation is enough; and how to choose a contractor.
A supporting GreenON website www.greenon.ca provides information about energy efficiency, connects homeowners to participating contractors and retailers, and links to other programs such as the province’s Electric Vehicle Incentive. It also offers contacts to pre-screened and certified contractors.
The National Home Show is on until March 18.