Check out the “Incentive Programs” page which highlights different rebate programs that are available for homeowners to take advantage of.

To qualify:

• You must own a residential, detached, semi-detached, townhouse, or residential multi-unit building of 3 stories or less that is eligible for an EnerGuide assessment. To learn more about the ins and outs of an EnerGuide assessment, check out our blog post “What is a Home Energy Assessment?”
• The property must have a property tax account with the City of Peterborough
• Property tax, utility bills, and all other payment obligations to the City of Peterborough for the past five years must be in good standing. If it is not, the homeowner must submit a suitable credit check. If you are a new homeowner with less than 5 years of payment history, we will request a Credit Score. A minimum Credit Score of 600 will be required to receive program approval
• The property must not be in either CHMC’s Mortgage Deferral Program or the City’s Tax Deferral Program

No, landlords are encouraged to apply!

Check out the “Eligible Upgrades” page which outlines the many eligible upgrade options available through Better Homes Peterborough.

If you don’t see the measure you have in mind on the list, contact betterhomesptbo@envirocentre.ca.

Please note that only costs incurred after you have signed your program agreement are eligible to be covered by the loan.

Only the completed work and submitted receipts will be eligible for the loan value.

Please note that the minimum loan amount which will be issued to an applicant through the LIC stream is $15,000. For a lower loan amount, you can inquire with Kawartha Credit Union (KCU) to participate in the Financial Institute stream.

No. Any upgrades completed before signing your program agreement will not be eligible to receive funding. Eligible costs are those that are incurred after you have signed your program agreement, with the exception of an EnerGuide Assessment.

Only costs incurred after you have signed your program agreement are eligible to be covered by the loan.

Please wait to begin your project until you have received a countersigned copy of your Property Owner Agreement and submitted the Vendor Form for the City of Peterborough to process your initial disbursement (or have completed the Financial Institute stream loan agreement with KCU).

Yes, the costs associated with obtaining an EnerGuide assessment, unless being covered through another program, are eligible under the Other Measures category.

Please keep in mind that the costs associated with the Pre-Retrofit EnerGuide assessment are likely to require payment in advance of receiving a program disbursement.

Yes, so long as your total loan amount between both applications does not exceed the $50,000 maximum loan amount.

Yes, please apply for each property separately. Each property can be granted up to $50,000 in loans. You will have a portal login for each property separately.  

Yes, other measures (non-energy efficiency measures) may be funded through Better Homes Peterborough and may make up no more than 30% of the cost of the eligible energy efficiency measures.

For example, if you are requesting $15,000 to put in a heat pump, you can request an additional $4500 for a non-energy upgrade such as a backwater valve, bringing your total loan amount to $19,500.  

Check out the “Eligible Upgrades” page which outlines the many eligible upgrade options available through Better Homes Peterborough.

Better Homes Peterborough offers two funding opportunities. You can obtain an LIC loan or an unsecured loan through Kawartha Credit Union.

Before you sign a loan agreement, you will be asked to choose a finance stream.

The Local Improvement Charge (LIC) stream levies the loan against a property through the municipal tax bill. The interest rate is fixed at 4.5% with a 15-year term for a minimum loan request of $15,000.

The financial institute stream is a partnership with Kawartha Credit Union (KCU) that offers a variable rate (to those who qualify), with a shorter term. This stream   allows for loan requests below $15,000.

Both streams include an application fee of $450.

Both streams require the same application process, eligibility, and completion process. For the LIC stream, you will sign an agreement with the city of Peterborough. For the financial institute stream, you will visit a KCU branch and set up an account to get access to funding. Be sure to tell them you are participating in the Better Homes Peterborough program!

It will take approximately 10 business days to review your application. Once you submit your application form, the City of Peterborough will review the last 5 years of your property tax and utility accounts. When a decision is made on your application, you will receive an email from the program administration on how to proceed, or you can always check on the status of your application in the Better Homes Peterborough portal.

Once you submit your Funding Request Form and related documentation, it will take approximately 1 week to approve your request and, if you choose the LIC stream, to send you your Property Owner Agreement. If documents are missing from your submission, our processing time may increase. You can review the Property Owner Agreement in advance here.

For the Financial Institute stream, KCU will outline their timelines with you.

For the LIC stream, your Property Owner Agreement will have to be executed by the City of Peterborough before the City’s finance department begins processing your initial disbursement. The total processing time is 2 weeks before your initial disbursement is deposited into your account.

For the Financial Institute stream, KCU will outline their timelines with you.

Once you submit your Project Completion Report and related documentation, it will take us 1-2 weeks before we confirm your retrofit success!

If you are in the LIC stream, we will then send you your amended Property Owner Agreement and notify the City of Peterborough to begin processing your final disbursement. For the Financial Institute stream, KCU will be notified of your approval and begin processing your disbursement.

For the LIC stream, once everything is approved and documents are submitted for payment, it typically takes 10 business days for processing. Payments are issued on Fridays only.

For the Financial Institute stream, KCU will advise you of expected timelines.

Program applicants are encouraged to complete program participation within 1 year of receiving their Notice to Proceed.

The repayment mechanism this program uses is called a Local Improvement Charge (LIC), which is a cost levied against a property by a municipality.

Applicants will receive the loan capital after they have submitted their final project documentation. When submitting your Funding Request Form you are able to request 50% of your estimated project cost in advance to help with deposits and other up-front costs. Please note that, depending on your project timeline, you may need to provide 25% deposits to contractors before you receive your initial disbursement.

The cost of borrowing indicates the value of the interest that will be paid over the lifetime of the loan and is calculated based on the funding amount requested.

Better Homes Peterborough offers a 15-year, 4.50% interest rate loan. This is a fixed-interest rate loan over 15 years.

If you request 50% of your estimated project cost in advance, daily interest (known as a Special Charge) will accrue. Upon receiving the final disbursement, interest will apply to the full loan amount until the bylaw date.

Interest will start to accrue on the initial 50% disbursement, if you choose to receive it. At that point, interest is only charged on the 50%. Once you receive the final disbursement, interest will begin to accrue on the full loan amount. You can see the total amounts on your Amortization Schedule.

Yes, there is a $450 application fee that is added to yourloan repayment and paid back through the LIC over the loan period. No interest is applied on this application fee.

You will be able to continue paying your property tax bills, including the newly applied LIC, in the same way you’ve paid it historically. If you participate in the KCU stream, repayment for your loan will be captured in your agreement with Kawartha Credit Union.

You can choose to pay off the remainder of your loan in one lump sum at any time without penalty.

When you choose to sell, you can either opt to pay back the loan in full, or the loan will remain with the property and the new owner will continue to make payments on their property tax bill.

If you choose to retain the loan, be sure to disclose this to potential buyers.

You will need to repay your loan as agreed with Kawartha Credit Union.