At a glance
# Canada Greener Homes Loan closure and existing borrower next steps
You cannot make a new Canada Greener Homes Loan application. CMHC confirms that the application portal closed effective October 2, 2025. A contractor's old advertisement for federal interest-free financing should not be treated as an available offer. CMHC closure notice
Funding is fully committed and new loans cannot be approved. Previously approved loans remain available to their borrowers. Submission alone was not approval. Federal loan status
Source: Canada Greener Homes Loan | CMHC; Canada Greener Homes Loan - Canada.ca
What the loan offered
The historical offer was a $5,000 to $40,000 unsecured personal loan, repayable over ten years without interest, subject to credit approval. It financed eligible retrofits rather than providing free renovation money. Ordinary applicants needed to own and occupy their primary residence, meet residency and credit requirements, and obtain a qualifying pre-retrofit evaluation. Loan terms and eligibility
Eligible upgrade categories included insulation, air sealing, qualifying windows and doors, heating equipment and solar photovoltaic systems. Technical requirements still mattered; this was not general financing for every home improvement. Historical retrofit categories
For your own records, keep the loan separate from any grant or provincial rebate. Borrowed funds must be repaid. A quote showing an incentive deduction should identify whether the amount is a grant, a rebate or financing, rather than grouping everything under “government savings.”
Source: Canada Greener Homes Loan - Canada.ca; Eligible retrofits and grant amounts - Canada.ca
If your loan was already approved
Complete only the approved eligible scope, retain invoices, and arrange the post-retrofit evaluation. After the service organisation uploads the results, request final funding through the loan portal and submit final invoices. Higher final costs do not increase the approved loan. Evaluation costs are not covered by the loan. Existing borrower instructions
Check your approval letter and account for your own completion and funding-request deadlines. If a contractor proposes changing equipment or work, ask the administrator how that affects your file before committing to the change. An article cannot establish the terms of an individual loan agreement.
If you applied but never received approval
Do not assume that having an application number, an energy evaluation or a contractor quote means money was reserved for you. Check the decision recorded in your account and save any written confirmation. If the status is unclear, contact the administrator directly before relying on the financing.
Protect access to your account. CMHC warns against third parties claiming to represent the program, says it does not ask applicants for a deposit, and directs homeowners to submit their own documentation through the official portal. A contractor's legitimate project deposit is a separate matter from a purported program application fee. CMHC fraud warning
Source: Canada Greener Homes Loan | CMHC
Alternatives for a new project
The Canada Greener Homes Affordability Program is a separate, income-targeted route providing no-cost upgrades through regional partners. Its delivery organisations handle the planning and installation costs for qualifying work; it is not a reopened $40,000 loan. Check your region's current intake and conditions. Affordability program
Before selecting another financing or rebate option, write down the cost before incentives, the amount you must pay upfront, the conditions for receiving support, and any repayment obligation. Use confirmed approvals in your budget rather than assuming that a closed federal loan can cover the gap.
Source: Canada Greener Homes Affordability Program — regional delivery links
Make a cash-flow plan for an approved project
Put the approved loan amount, any advance, contractor payment milestones and the balance you must cover into a dated worksheet. Include expenses outside the eligible scope as separate lines. A difference between a final contractor invoice and an approved financing amount still has to be paid, even where the work itself has been completed satisfactorily. Do not describe borrowed money as a reduction in the project's purchase price.
Before a progress payment, compare the invoice with the signed scope and record any approved changes. Keep a separate list of documents needed for the final funding request, and identify who will arrange the final evaluation. Contact the administrator about your agreement if a delay affects the schedule rather than assuming a general webpage extends a deadline in your own approval.
Source: Canada Greener Homes Loan | CMHC
Compare a new funding option on more than its headline amount
For a new project, compare repayment obligations, cash required before reimbursement, approval timing and the work that the proposed support actually covers. If more than one offer is involved, ask which expenses are allocated to each. A zero-interest loan, a rebate paid after work and direct-install assistance solve different problems for the household.
Our closed Greener Homes Grant guide helps identify another common source of outdated advertising. For British Columbia, compare ECAP with Energy Savings Program rebates. Ontario readers can start with Home Renovation Savings. Check each program's own application stage before using an anticipated payment to close a financing gap. Keep the original loan agreement and any future funding decision as separate records.
Source: Canada Greener Homes Loan | CMHC
Sources and source-check dates
- Canada Greener Homes Loan | CMHC — Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. Checked .
- Canada Greener Homes Loan - Canada.ca — Environment and Climate Change Canada. Checked .
- Eligible retrofits and grant amounts - Canada.ca — Environment and Climate Change Canada. Checked .
- Canada Greener Homes Affordability Program — regional delivery links — Environment and Climate Change Canada. Checked .