Ensure you and your property meet the basic eligibility requirements.
To fill out the pre-qualification form, you will need:
- A copy of your property insurance
- Property tax bill
Ensure that you read the Terms and Conditions before applying.
The Clean Energy Improvement Program is an innovative financing tool for property owners in Edmonton to help with the upfront costs of energy efficiency and renewable energy upgrades.
The Clean Energy Improvement Program (CEIP) helps enable homeowners to make improvements without the big upfront investment.
Watch this 8-minute video to learn more about how CEIP helps you finance up to 100% of eligible upgrades and repay conveniently via your property tax bill.
CEIP is administered by Alberta Municipalities. For more information and to submit your pre-qualification, please visit Alberta Municipalities.
Financing
CEIP provides financing for up to 100% of the project costs, while providing fixed long-term interest rates.
- Residential property owners and owners of multi-unit residential buildings (MURBs) can finance a minimum of $3,000 and up to $50,000 of retrofits through the program.
- Non-residential (commercial, retail, not-for-profit, other) can finance up to $1 million of retrofits through the program.
Interest Rate
The interest rate for CEIP projects may be different depending on when upgrades are complete and paid by the program. Your agreement will reflect the highest possible interest rate, but the lowest available rate will be applied at the time of upgrade payment.
Note: this is a fixed interest rate for the duration of the repayment term. Your agreement will reflect the higher of the two active tranches, however, the lowest interest rate tranche available will be applied at the time of the upgrade payment.
Current Rates
| Tranche | Interest Rate |
|---|---|
| Current tranche | 3.16% |
| Next planned tranche | 6.00% |
*The City of Edmonton has sourced funds from different lenders with distinct tranche interest rates of 3.16% and 6% respectively. Participants will receive funds from the source with the lowest interest rate available at the time upgrades are completed.
The City of Edmonton continues to seek funding sources for CEIP to offer the lowest possible interest rate. A fixed interest rate of 6% remains a competitive interest rate for long-term financing (up to 20 years).
Payment Terms
The maximum payment term is the lesser of 20 years or the effective useful life (EUL) of the eligible upgrades. The EUL is the average time in years where the upgrade is expected to result in energy savings and is noted under Residential Upgrades. You have the option to repay in full anytime, penalty-free.
Repayments are made through your property tax bill. Because financing is tied to the property tax, repayment can be transferred to a new owner if you sell the property.
Participant and Property Eligibility
CEIP is available to owners of residential, commercial and multi-unit residential buildings. Participants must be the legal owner and meet all requirements listed in the Terms & Conditions.
Eligible Upgrades
To receive financing for a residential property, at least three upgrades must be installed (unless fewer than three upgrades are needed for the property to reach net zero or you have participated in CEIP on this property previously).
*Not Eligible in the City of Edmonton:
- Air conditioners (consider a heat pump)
- High-efficiency gas furnace (unless combined with a heat pump)
- High-efficiency storage water heater (consider a tankless gas water heater or a heat pump water heater instead)
Eight Stages of Your CEIP Retrofit Journey
1. Pre-qualification
2. Evaluation
Complete an EnerGuide Home Evaluation, or ASHRAE Level 2 Audit, for non-residential properties to identify which retrofits will have the greatest impact and how to sequence them if applicable.
3. Application
- Use the results of your energy audit to select your upgrades
- Choose a contractor(s) from the list of CEIP qualified contractors
- Complete and submit your project application
- Fill out and email and mail the Consent to Disclose Data and Release Information form to the City of Edmonton
4. Agreements
After review and approval of your application, you will enter into:
- Clean Energy Improvement Agreement with the City of Edmonton
- Project Agreement with Alberta Municipalities and your contractor(s)
5. Installation
Make sure your contractor(s) applies for all necessary permits before installation begins.
6. Completion
Submit your Upgrade Completion Forms as your improvements are completed to ensure timely payment of your contractor(s). If your CEIP project has multiple upgrades completed at different times, multiple Upgrade Completion Forms will need to be submitted.
7. Post-evaluation
Residential:
- A Post-Project EnerGuide Evaluation will establish your new rating and label
Non-Residential:
- A Post-Project Memo to be completed by your engineering consultant to determine the energy and greenhouse gas emissions savings and verify the installation
8. Repayment
You will repay the costs of your upgrades through your property tax bill.
Before You Apply: Your Preparation Checklist
Inform all property owners of your intention to apply for CEIP financing
All property owners will need to sign the Project Application Form and Program Agreements. Ensure that you read the Terms and Conditions before applying.
Check that your property is eligible for CEIP financing
Residential properties must, at minimum, be existing buildings that are either a:
- Single or semi-detached house
- Row house
- Town home
Check that you meet the minimum financial requirements & property tax requirements
- Your property tax is not in arrears, now or at any time in the last five years
- You do not have late tax payments on your home, or other homes you have owned, at any time in the past five years
- You are in good standing with all other accounts with your municipality such as utilities, permits and bylaws
- Your home is not in foreclosure
- You are not in bankruptcy or receivership
- You are current on all property-secured debt payments such as the mortgage and home equity line of credit
Check your mortgage agreement, insurance policies and building policies and have copies of each ready
- Check with your mortgage lender as some mortgage agreements may require your lender’s consent before you apply for CEIP financing
- Your home insurance policy may cover the property’s full value and must cover at least $1 million in personal liability insurance
- If your property is within a building that includes shared facilities or common property such as a condo, row house or town house, and your project will impact shared facilities/property, include an approval letter from your condo board or building owner with your application
Frequently Asked Questions
How are applicants selected for program approval?
CEIP is administered from end-to-end by Alberta Municipalities, including reviewing and approving applications. Applicants will have access to the program on a first-come, first-served basis.
A pre-qualification step has been incorporated to ensure participants self-evaluate their eligibility for the program. If their pre-qualification submission confirms basic eligibility, they can then choose to proceed with an application.
If the program is oversubscribed, what happens to applicants that did not get approved?
The financing planned for the permanent program is $20 million to start. Twenty million dollars will support approximately 300 residential and 16 commercial projects. The City of Edmonton will pause the intake of pre-qualifications after 150 submissions are received to allow for processing.
Should demand for CEIP funding exceed the planned amount, the City administration will return to Council for direction.
Why is there a minimum of three upgrades to participate in the City of Edmonton’s CEIP programs?
The City has set an aggressive target to be carbon neutral in its corporate operations by 2040 and for the entire community to produce net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050.
CEIP is one tool to help them meet their targets. The requirement for multiple upgrades to qualify for CEIP financing ensures deeper green retrofits are supported.
Can people apply for energy efficient upgrades that they’ve already made to their property? Is financing available retroactively?
No. Retroactive financing for existing clean energy improvements is not available through the Clean Energy Improvement Program. Only projects that originate under the program can access financing as the program is designed to accelerate and support new investment in energy efficiency and renewable energy projects.
Can applicants apply for other rebates if they’ve already applied for CEIP funding?
Yes, Clean Energy Improvement Program participants can qualify for and receive additional rebates and incentives.
We encourage applicants to pursue all other applicable government (municipal/ provincial/ federal), utility provider/ manufacturer rebates.
Why are there no City of Edmonton rebates available for residential property owners to combine with financing for the permanent CEIP program?
The City of Edmonton’s Home Energy Retrofit Accelerator Program and Solar Rebate Program for residential homes are now fully subscribed.
Currently, the City of Edmonton is offering a Solar Rebate Program for owners of multi-unit residential properties (MURBs). For more information, visit Solar Energy.
Can I repay my Clean Energy Improvement Tax on a monthly basis?
If you are on the monthly payment plan for your municipal taxes, your CEIP payments will be rolled into a monthly amount. All upgrade charges will be split into 12 payments per year.
CEIP charges are added to the monthly bill in June of each year. Depending on when CEIP payments are first added to the tax roll, you may see CEIP payments split into 6 payments until December of that year. Year 2 of the payments will be 12 equal payments.
Learn more about the Monthly Payment Plan.
Can I pay out my Clean Energy Improvement Tax early?
Yes. You can choose to pay out 1 or more of your upgrades (each is a separate tax, which can be paid out individually) in a lump sum. They will avoid any future interest charges once the lump sum is paid.
CEIP participants can do this at any time during their financing, but must pay off each tax amount fully. They cannot make partial payments in this case.
What permits are required for CEIP upgrades?
Required permits will vary depending on the upgrade.
For more information on the permitting process and what’s required, including how to book an appointment or have your questions answered by email or phone, visit Permit Inquiries and Appointments.
What are the costs associated with administering the program?
One-time start-up implementation costs for the permanent CEIP are projected at $1.8 million.
Costs to offer and administer the program are $1 million annually from 2024-2027 and include software maintenance, internal resources and fees paid to the program Administrator.
These costs will be funded within the approved 2023-2026 budget.
Contact Us
City Environmental Strategies
8th Floor Edmonton Tower
10111-104 Avenue NW
Edmonton, AB
T5J 0J4
Email changeforclimate@edmonton.ca
Phone 311 | Outside Edmonton: 780-442-5311
Fax 780-401-7050