Home Energy Efficiency Program

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The Home Energy Efficiency Program has been rebranded as the Better Homes Peterborough program. 

It publicly launched on April 22, 2025, and provides financial support for homeowners interested in carrying out energy efficiency upgrades to their homes. 

Financing is being provided to applicants by the City of Peterborough through secured loans of up to $50,000 at 4.5% interest to be repaid via property tax bills over 15 years. Incentives are currently available for eligible applicants to access additional financial support to lower the overall loan costs. All low-rise (less than three storeys) residential detached, semi-detached, townhouses, and rowhouses in the city of Peterborough are permitted to join the program. Rental properties are also eligible to participate.

To learn more, contact Better Homes Peterborough staff by calling toll-free at 1-888-284-9417, emailing betterhomesptbo@envirocentre.ca, or visit https://betterhomesptbo.ca/ today.

Residential street lined with homes

NOTICE: BETTER HOMES PETERBOROUGH launched on April 22, 2025. To contact a representative, please call 1-888-284-9417 or email betterhomesptbo@envirocentre.ca. To learn more, visit the program website at https://betterhomesptbo.ca/ today.


The City of Peterborough is accelerating climate action by targeting energy inefficiency in residential buildings by establishing the Home Energy Efficiency Program, rebranded as Better Homes Peterborough. Low-rise residential buildings in Peterborough that are owner-occupied or rental properties are eligible to join the Better Homes Peterborough. To provide financial flexibility, the program uses an innovative financing mechanism by offering two different loan streams to participants:


  • traditional Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE)/ Local Improvement Charge (LIC) model via property taxes OR
  • unsecured loan provided directly from Kawartha Credit Union.

Energy conservation measures that Better Homes Peterborough will finance include:

  • air sealing and insulation
  • new windows and doors
  • air source heat pumps and hybrid air source heat pumps
  • solar panels and household energy storage

The Better Homes Peterborough program can also finance non-energy-related work like adaptation measures around the property, home electric vehicle chargers, tree plantings, and cosmetic renovations that can total a maximum of 30% of the loan value.

An Emergency Heating Equipment Replacement stream will accelerate participants' accessing rapid funding to replace broken space and water heating equipment with a low-emission option.

Energy coaching is available to answer questions and guide participants through the customer journey.

Better Homes Peterborough launched community-wide on April 22, 2025, and is operated by EnviroCentre on behalf of the City of Peterborough.

NOTICE: BETTER HOMES PETERBOROUGH launched on April 22, 2025. To contact a representative, please call 1-888-284-9417 or email betterhomesptbo@envirocentre.ca. To learn more, visit the program website at https://betterhomesptbo.ca/ today.


The City of Peterborough is accelerating climate action by targeting energy inefficiency in residential buildings by establishing the Home Energy Efficiency Program, rebranded as Better Homes Peterborough. Low-rise residential buildings in Peterborough that are owner-occupied or rental properties are eligible to join the Better Homes Peterborough. To provide financial flexibility, the program uses an innovative financing mechanism by offering two different loan streams to participants:


  • traditional Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE)/ Local Improvement Charge (LIC) model via property taxes OR
  • unsecured loan provided directly from Kawartha Credit Union.

Energy conservation measures that Better Homes Peterborough will finance include:

  • air sealing and insulation
  • new windows and doors
  • air source heat pumps and hybrid air source heat pumps
  • solar panels and household energy storage

The Better Homes Peterborough program can also finance non-energy-related work like adaptation measures around the property, home electric vehicle chargers, tree plantings, and cosmetic renovations that can total a maximum of 30% of the loan value.

An Emergency Heating Equipment Replacement stream will accelerate participants' accessing rapid funding to replace broken space and water heating equipment with a low-emission option.

Energy coaching is available to answer questions and guide participants through the customer journey.

Better Homes Peterborough launched community-wide on April 22, 2025, and is operated by EnviroCentre on behalf of the City of Peterborough.

The Home Energy Efficiency Program has been rebranded as the Better Homes Peterborough program. 

It publicly launched on April 22, 2025, and provides financial support for homeowners interested in carrying out energy efficiency upgrades to their homes. 

Financing is being provided to applicants by the City of Peterborough through secured loans of up to $50,000 at 4.5% interest to be repaid via property tax bills over 15 years. Incentives are currently available for eligible applicants to access additional financial support to lower the overall loan costs. All low-rise (less than three storeys) residential detached, semi-detached, townhouses, and rowhouses in the city of Peterborough are permitted to join the program. Rental properties are also eligible to participate.

To learn more, contact Better Homes Peterborough staff by calling toll-free at 1-888-284-9417, emailing betterhomesptbo@envirocentre.ca, or visit https://betterhomesptbo.ca/ today.

  • Impacts of Housing on GHG Emissions

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    In 2019, Peterborough City Council passed a Climate Emergency Declaration to expedite achieving the community-wide greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions goal of 45% reduction by 2030 from 2011 levels. To support meeting this emission goal, low-rise residential buildings are being targeted for climate action because they represent 39% of Peterborough's total community GHG emissions. Renovating existing homes is key to limiting emissions. This can be achieved by incorporating building improvements to lessen inefficient energy and fossil fuel use. A recent building survey found that Peterborough contains the following housing profile:

    • Single-family homes represent 58% of the City’s existing housing stock
    • Most of the housing stock (65%) was built before 1980
    • Natural gas space heating accounts for more than 80% of housing-related emissions

    Reducing energy consumption from older detached homes will help in lowering community GHG emissions by using less overall energy. Transitioning away from fossil fuels for space and water heating to electric or heat pumps will also rapidly decrease housing emissions.

    Once launched, the Home Energy Efficiency Program will support participating homeowners through a financing mechanism to undertake energy renovations that will lead to a reduction in community GHG emissions.

  • Public Workshop No. 2 (Registration and Meeting Link)

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    Dunsky Energy + Climate Advisors is hosting the public workshop on Zoom.


    Register in advance for this meeting.

    When: Jun 28, 2022 05:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

    https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYudeqvrz4qGtOF9IjcnnGxHGO2W8c2olsh


    Dial-in number if you cannot connect to the Zoom link: 1 647 558 0588

    Meeting ID: 823 2371 5007


    After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

  • Public Workshop No. 1 (Registration and Zoom link)

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    Registration:

    Register in advance for this meeting.

    When: Mar 3, 2022 04:30 PM Eastern Time

    https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0pdu-pqzIvH93xYCGUYBv_B4aMFApu51IG


    After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.


    Meeting Link:

    Dunsky Energy + Climate Advisors is hosting the public workshop on Zoom.

    To join the Zoom workshop click on the link below:

    https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89416159559?pwd=MHNQNFdPSFluY3RhRUM4eGF0Z1hsQT09


    Meeting ID: 894 1615 9559

    Passcode: 823054

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    Dial by your location

    +1 647 374 4685 Canada

    +1 647 558 0588 Canada


    Meeting ID: 894 1615 9559

    Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kdpHGIKBXr

  • Complete our homeowner and rental surveys

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    Two surveys have been created to support information gathering that will be used to develop the HEEP and can be found in the Surveys tab. The first survey asks homeowners for input on general household information, experiences with home retrofits, and financing preferences. The second survey is for individuals who own rental apartments only. Refrain from taking the rental survey if you do not own a rental property.

  • Project Consultations

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    The Home Energy Efficiency Program has sought input from numerous community and municipal stakeholders to offer expert insight into its development. Incorporating critical stakeholder feedback into the HEEP will help avoid potential barriers to implementation.

    The following consultations have occurred to date:

    • December 10, 2021: Goal setting workshop with City staff
    • January 19, 2022: Update to City’s Chief Administrative Officer and Commissioners
    • January 19, 2022: Update to Peterborough Environmental Advisory Committee
    • February 2, 2022: Kick-off meeting with program partner working group