A key part of the City of Burlington's Climate Action Plan is the goal of becoming a net carbon neutral community by 2050 by improving our buildings' energy efficiency. Many buildings use fossil fuels for heating, cooling and lighting, which produces harmful greenhouse gas emissions. We can reduce the impacts of fossil fuels by using more energy efficient technology in our buildings.
Home energy efficiency retrofits
Improving the energy efficiency of existing buildings is a key goal in our Climate Action Plan. Improving the energy efficiency of your home can save money, improve comfort and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Better Homes Burlington
The Better Homes Burlington Pilot program offers financing and a concierge service to help Burlington homeowners navigate the process of installing an air-source heat pump and air-sealing their homes. Learn more about the Better Homes Burlington Pilot program.
The City of Burlington worked with the Centre for Climate Change Management at Mohawk College to develop this residential home energy retrofit program. The program development was supported with funding from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities' Community Efficiency Financing Initiative and The Atmospheric Fund.
Home retrofit incentives
As a Burlington resident, you have access to programs and incentives from businesses and different levels of government to save money and upgrade your home. See Incentives and Resources for details about incentive programs.
Financing
In September 2023, the City of Burlington will be offering zero-interest loans of up to $10,000 to help homeowners purchase and install an air-source heat pump through the Better Homes Burlington Pilot program. As this is a pilot program, there is a maximum of 20 loans available. The application process will be open until January (unless the maximum number of loan approvals have been reached).
Find a contractor
The following links can help you find contractors to retrofit your home:
- Heating, Refrigeration, and Air Conditioning Institute of Canada
- Renomark
- West End Homebuilders Association
Retrofitting resources
Check out some informative resources to learn different ways you can retrofit your home to be more energy efficient.
- BurlingtonGreen offers home energy saving tips and home retrofitting information
- SaveOnEnergy offers home energy saving advice for individuals and retrofitting programs and energy efficiency incentives for businesses
- Natural Resources Canada offers home retrofitting programs, energy efficiency resources and the Canada Greener Homes Grant
- BetterHomesTO offers home retrofitting information, although Burlington residents don't qualify for their home energy loan program
City reports
View our reports about home retrofitting from our Environment, Infrastructure and Community Services Committee Meetings.
Burlington home energy retrofit program
We are working with the Centre for Climate Change Management at Mohawk College to develop a home energy retrofit program for residents. This will include:
- Developing a business plan for a delivery centre
- Assessing financing options for homeowners
- Providing information sessions for homeowners
We will provide more information as the project progresses. This project is supported with funding from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities' Community Efficiency Financing Initiative and The Atmospheric Fund.
New buildings
Increasing the energy efficiency of new buildings is more cost effective than trying to retrofit a building after construction. Our Sustainable Building and Development Guidelines include actions to achieve new low carbon buildings. A recent city report provides an update on the guidelines.
Green building resources
To learn more about how energy efficient buildings are constructed, check out:
- BOMA Canada Green Building Report
- Canada Green Building Council
- Passive House Canada
- Sustainable Buildings Canada
City facilities
Learn how we are improving the energy efficiency of our buildings and fleet vehicles.
Renewable energy
We are exploring sustainable energy options to produce electricity in Burlington, such as solar PV and geothermal heating and cooling. We are also looking at options for energy harvesting and sharing between facilities. To learn more about renewable energy sources, check out:
- Ontario Sustainable Energy Association
- Energy Hub
- International District Energy Association
- QUEST Canada
Provincial energy reporting requirements
The Ontario Energy and Water Reporting and Benchmarking (EWRB) program requires owners of large commercial, industrial and multi-unit residential buildings to report their building's energy and water consumption data to the Ministry of Energy, Northern Development and Mines. This lets you compare your building's energy and water consumption usage against industry trends. You can then identify energy and water efficiency opportunities and save money by tracking usage.