1. What is the New Home Energy Savings Program?
NB Power’s New Home Energy Savings Program provides financial incentives to builders or homebuyers who build energy efficiency homes.
2. What is the cost to participate?
Your cost is $99+HST to have your building plans modelled and no cost for the On-Site Energy Evaluation once your home is built.
3. What buildings are eligible to participate?
Buildings eligible for incentives:
- must be located in New Brunswick; and
- must be a home as defined below:
- Homes can be detached (single family), semi-detached, or individual units of row housing. To qualify, semi-detached or row housing units must have party walls that extend from slab to attic and have separate heating and ventilation systems. Buildings with common areas or shared basements are not eligible. See Appendix E for examples of housing configurations, and
- Be a residential property as defined under Part 9 of the National Building Code of Canada. Such properties would be no more than three (3) stories high and having a footprint of not more than 600 m2 (6,458 ft2), or
- Be a manufactured or mobile dwelling on a permanent foundation (as defined under Part 9 of the National Building Code of Canada 2010).
- must have an electric primary heating system:
- A house with any kind of central heat pump, regardless of space heaters like wood/pellet/gas/oil/propane stoves or fireplaces.
- A house with in floor heating provided by an electric boiler, regardless of space heaters like wood/pellet/gas/oil/propane stoves or fireplaces.
- A house with an electric furnace, regardless of space heaters like wood/pellet/gas/oil/propane stoves or fireplaces.
4. What financial incentives are available through the program?
Build your home to meet one of the two incentive levels: Please visit the program guidelines for more information on how to achieve these incentive levels.
| Level 1 |
- The house must meet or exceed all minimum building envelope requirements in Appendix A.
- All heating systems installed must meet or exceed the criteria in Appendix B and C.
- The house performs at least 55% better than the reference house but does not achieve a 0 GJ/year rating (baseloads included)
|
$6,000 |
| Level 2 |
- The house must meet or exceed all minimum building envelope requirements in Appendix A.
- All heating systems installed must meet or exceed the criteria in Appendix B and C.
- The house must be Zero Energy Rated (0 GJ/year, baseloads included)
|
$10,000 |
5. What information do I need to participate in the program?
To be eligible to receive rebates, Participants must be registered either:
- before the building permit date of issuance (preferred option); or
- at a maximum, within 30 days of the building permit date of issuance.
Either builders or homebuyers (defined in this program as people having homes built) can participate in the program; builders must sign and agree to a Builder Agreement to participate in the New Home Energy Savings Program. A Builder Agreement only needs to be signed once. Contact NB Power to learn more about Builder Agreements.
6. How do I get started?
Complete the online registration form
7. How long do I have to build my house after I register?
You have 12 months from the date of your registration to build your house and to contact your chosen Service Organization to schedule an On Site Energy Evaluation.
*Please note: Due to Covid-19, on-site Energy Evaluations continue to be suspended until further notice.
8. I just registered in the program; how long should I expect to wait to be contacted by a Service Organization?
Participants will be contacted within two weeks after registering for the program.
9. Do I have to work with a specific builder in order to receive an incentive?
No, there is no list of approved builders. However, it is required that any builders involved with the New Home Energy Savings Program agree to and sign a Builder Agreement with NB Power.
10. If I am building my own home, do I qualify through the program for incentives?
Yes, you must follow the same eligibility criteria and meet the program requirements to achieve one of the incentive levels.
Please visit the program guidelines for more information on how to achieve these incentive levels
11. Will I get advice on complying with the National Building Code through this program?
No, the program is focused on the energy usage aspects of the home. Some elements of the feedback and advice received through the program have corresponding sections in the National Building Code, but the Energy Advisor’s role is not to make judgement about whether code is met or not. Licensed contractors and the building inspector should be engaged with questions around National Building Code compliance.
