Blown-in Attic insulation rebates of Ontario in the year 2022

For homes in Ontario, there are plenty of home energy incentives and rebates that homeowners can apply for. Multiple programs under Ontario Home Energy Rebates make it possible for owners to undertake key home improvement projects such as attic insulation improvement by covering up to 100% of the overall cost of the project (contact CES directly for consultation and assessment). Simply put, by taking the major steps to reduce the overall energy spent at a home, you unlock rebates through Ontario Home Energy Rebates.

The Home Efficiency Rebate program

The Home Efficiency Rebate program offers the Homeowner up to $5,000.00CAD home renovation rebates making it one of the most reputed rebate programs in the province of Ontario.

GreenON (Green Ontario Fund) - Discontinued in 2018

The rebates provided by GreenON (Green Ontario Fund) used to amount up to $7200.00CAD per household in Ontario. This program is no longer valid and has been discontinued.

The incentives are for improving your home’s overall energy efficiency, and comfort. You can qualify for or improve on their overall amount by:

• Improving or renewing the insulation installed in your attic to the current building code standards in Ontario.
• Improving your home’s air-tightness by performing: air sealing, weather stripping, and other suggested remedies
• Spray foam insulation
• Basement and exterior wall Insulation

The primary goal of the program is to aid with improving your home’s energy efficiency while you undergo home renovation or improvement projects. The more upgrades performed, the more significant the savings, especially for utility bills. Furthermore, with such rebates, the initial costs will not feel as burdening.

Blown-in Attic Insulation Ontario Rebate Programs Qualifications

This program mainly applies to residential homeowners of detached, semi-detached, or row-townhomes. A work agreement with a licensed, participating contractor for work that will be completed by a specific date mentioning standard necessary details for the Ontario Home Energy Rebate Program is also necessary.

In today’s world, being energy efficient is futuristic. That is why many homeowners want to save energy and are concerned about climate change and what they can do to reduce it. Canada is a world leader when it comes to the fight against climate change, and that is why the province of Ontario is offering thousands of dollars in rebates for homeowners who are opting for energy-efficient renovations that include windows and insulation.

Canadian winters are some of the longest and coldest anywhere in the world. And while Canada is a pretty hardy country, we still, need, deserve, and want a cozy warm place to come home to every day. While size, décor, additions such as smart technology do not matter, heat does!

Enbridge Home Conservation Program

This program was offered and administered by Enbridge. It was designed to help you conserve energy in your home to save you money. Just like the Save on Energy Whole Home program which was also canceled, you will require a home assessment to reap the benefits of all the rebates and upgrades in the program. If you are looking to get an insulation upgrade, you could get anything from $250 to $1750 depending on your location and the type of Blown-in insulation you are looking to install.

Green Investment Fund Ontario

Ontario has committed about $325 million in their Green Investment Fund to finance projects in Ontario that will help fight climate change, create jobs and grow the economy. All these plans are to help secure a clean, prosperous, and healthy low-carbon future. This project will:

• Homeowners use less energy
• Retrofit social developments
• Support electric vehicle charging stations across Ontario

This project will help about 37,000 homeowners in Ontario conduct audits to identify energy-saving opportunities to complete retrofits such as replacing water heaters and furnaces and upgrading their Blown-in attic insulation. These energy-saving retrofits will help consumers save money on their energy bills. Ontario homeowners can apply for these rebate programs to help cut costs when upgrading their home insulation.

Union Gas Heating System Rebate- Additional Rebate

The Union Gas Heating Rebate Program helps homeowners save $1000 through rebates when they buy an upgraded furnace or boiler. Provided you buy a qualifying model, this program will get you a rebate of $1,000. After you have done your home assessment and also made an energy-saving upgrade (furnace or boiler), you are eligible for more upgrades on the same program.

Homeowners can get an insulation rebate after participating in the Union Gas Heat System Rebate program. The money you will get on this largely depends on the resulting R-value of the Blown-in insulation and where you choose to improve your insulation thermal resistance. This program offers $250 to $1750 in insulation rebates, but only after you have qualified for a heating system upgrade from Union Gas.

There are several other rebate programs offered to Ontario residents for:

• Upgrading heating equipment
• First-time Homeowners for high efficiency homes and reduction of rates
• Elderly and disabled Homeowners
• Old homes
• low-income earners
• and many more
• Consult a contractor who has experience with government rebates to help you get the best value out of these rebate programs.

Among many of the programs, Attic and Basement insulation improvements are among the most heavily incentivized upgrades your home could consider.

Measuring Insulation in Attic

What is the adequate amount of Blown-in Insulation in an attic?

Further Insulating the attic space is an optimal solution to enhance your living space comfortable and, more importantly, to reduce energy bills.

When it comes to upgrading your Blown-in attic insulation, more is not always better, and there is such a thing as too much insulation. Call Canada Energy Solution for professional attic insulation assessment and services all across Ontario.

• The temperature in your attic should be similar to that of the air right outside.
• air should be circulating through your attic. This keeps the attic from developing excess moisture and mold.
• Too much insulation without installing baffle rafters and airways can mean that your moisture is getting trapped inside the attic with insufficient ventilation. This particular attic may have excessive moisture in a very short period of time. Hence we need to avoid installing Blown-in insulation material close to the area where the ceiling meets the wall and rafters. Blocking these mentioned critical areas will block the free flow of air and initiate grounds for mildew and mold to thrive. The airflow occurring at that rafter space is essential for the overall health of the attic as well as the quality of the air in the main living spaces. If there is to find mildew, it can be considered as a sign that there is inadequate air circulation in comparison to the amount of insulation.

Fiberglass Batt Insulation

Insulation batts usually have a massive surface area to space ratio. This means that when spread onto an attic's surface, it insulates the space by diffusing the cold or warm air that would be regularly  passing through it, hence creating a thermal barrier. In Ontario Homes batts are most often used as a wall insulation however many homes also have used batts inside the attics for improving Blown-in attic insulation resistance. However, it is not usually the best choice to put inside an attic as thermal insulation when it comes to overall thermal insulation strength and volumetric density.

R-value : Measuring How well Insulated a surface is

Batt insulation comes in varying R-values depending on the space in the application.

Example:

• R-14 batt is available to fit in a 2-by-4 stud for walls
• R-30 fits areas with a 2-by-10 ceiling and floor joist.
• Some manufacturers offer variants that provide satisfactory R-values while occupying smaller spaces.
• Installing more batts into your attic does not simply improve the overall r-value.
• Picking the right type of Blown-in insulation for adequate application is essential.

Does Improving the Blown-in Attic Insulation Save Money?

Ontario Home energy Blown-in Insulation Attic

The cost of Blown-in attic insulation upgrade or renewal may seem significant at the beginning. A standard Ontario contractor may charge anywhere between $1.00 to $2.50 per square ft based on the job at hand. The investment is almost always completely worth it.

Blown-in Attic insulation is a practical home improvement project and must be met with planning and adequate budgeting,  here are a few reasons why:

Reduce energy bills

Investing in high-quality Blown-in attic insulation improvement achieving a high R-value done by reputable contractors may save up to $1,200.00 in annual heating and cooling costs. In a conventional home, the attic is most likely vented to the exterior of the house and insulated with porous material that allows heat to escape winter and enter during the summer. The wrong Installation of insulating material to the upper trusses will drastically reduce the amount of necessary airflow within the home. By improving attic insulation, uneven temperatures that make the air conditioning system actively work all day can be mitigated. With reduced energy usage, the carbon footprint is also reduced, and relative environmental conservation is achieved.

Comfort Improvement

In addition to lowering overall annual energy bills, uneven temperatures between the floors make the home uncomfortable to live in, especially in the peak of summer and winter climate in Ontario. Insulation materials reduce heat loss hence the degree of the unwanted temperature difference (less reduction <cold> in winter and less increase <hot> in summer)  as a result, the home feels more comfortable to live in.

During allergy seasons, adequate insulation can reduce the amount of dust, pollen, and dirt that enters your home as it properly air seals the attic. This reduces the total amount of unwanted particulate matter coming in.

Increase property resale value

If the sales of the property are on the horizon, the selling price can be higher when the attic is well insulated. Buyers are willing to invest extra amounts for a house that is deemed ultimately more comfortable and has lower average expenses on the energy bills, which means that one may get all the initial investment used to optimally insulate the attic back upon the final sale of the property.

Does the Attic Need a Vapor Barrier in it?

Ontario Home energy Blown-in Insulation Attic

Within the attic, there is free movement of air and vapor, this air and water vapor tends to move from warmer to colder spaces. This means that in the winter, vapor inside the home will tend to move into the attic space, where it is colder. While in the summer, the reverse occurs; warm, humid air will move towards the cooler living space from the attic (which is hotter).

Ideally, any home should have perfect air sealing with drywall and latex to contain and reduce this movement, however, most ceilings have hatches for access and holes for spotlights and mechanical vents throughout the ceiling area.

With a vapor barrier, one is able to significantly reduce this movement of vapor and make the living space more comfortable. A polyurethane (plastic) vapor barrier sheet is best installed in a vented attic within climates with over 8,000 heating degree days. If your climate does not meet these conditions, a vapor retardant such as latex ceiling paint can work well for the house for all other climates except the hot-dry and hot-humid. For hot-humid climates, attics must not be vented, and there shouldn't be any vapor retarders installed in the assembled interiors. In hot-dry climates, attics can be vented, though in hot-humid climates, there shouldn't be any vapor retarder or barrier installed. All attics, vented or unvented, and in all climates should have an air barrier such as an airtight drywall ceiling.

Attics in cold climates were poorly insulated before the introduction of Blown-in attic insulation, and plastic ceiling vapor barriers were omitted. The heat escaping from the floors of the house below the attic warmed up the attic area hence so that moisture could escape through the vents as vapor. Nowadays, with Blown-in attic insulation being an essential integration and mandated by building codes of Ontario, not as much heat is lost from the living space, hence moisture may remain trapped in the attic vapor barriers. Therefore it's necessary to control and reduce the amount of moisture flow into the attic. In order to effectively stop the movement of vapor through air leakage, the vapor barrier should also be able to act as an air barrier, or air sealing needs to be assured such as an airtight drywall ceiling. If opt for plastic or latex, the layer must be continuous and uninterrupted to stop the movement of vapor via leaks in air vents. This essentially means there might be a need for taping or caulking all joints and penetrations in order to achieve lasting results.

Probably the best answer to this question, considering the factors above, is to talk to a professional. Our professionals at Canada Energy Solution will analyze all factors such as sizing, shape, type of Blown-in insulation, and rebate qualifications against Ontario Energy Rebate Programs.

Blown-in Attic Insulation

R-value is an essential standard to consider for measuring and decisions when selecting an insulation material for a property. The term R-value is used to define the insulation’s resistance to heat loss. Measuring the ability of a material to impede the flow of heat along with a continuous solid mass. Most of a property’s heat is usually lost through conduction, in which heat travels through a solid material due to a difference in temperature which intensifies the need for proper attic insulation. Heat is also lost through convection, where the movement of air and vapor moves heat to other (colder) locations, such as the attic during winter.

Cellulose insulation comes from recycled newsprint, where waste paper from nationwide landfills is taken through several industrial chemical processes to make it suitable for home insulation use. The R-value of loose-fill cellulose is R-3.2-3.8 per inch.

Fiberglass insulation is a common type of fiber-reinforced plastic using glass fiber. The fibers may be randomly arranged, flattened into a sheet (called a chopped strand mat), or woven into a fabric. The plastic matrix may be a thermoset polymer matrix—most often based on thermosetting polymers such as epoxy, polyester resin, or vinylester—or a thermoplastic. The R-value of loose-fill fiberglass is R-2.5-3.2 per inch.

When installing loosefill insulation in a home’s attic, the highest R-value or installation depth is not necessarily the best. A professional contractor or existing energy codes will provide the right R-values for you, depending on your home’s climates. The best R-value for your home will also depend on your type of roof assembly and attic build. The R-value of your selected material also depends on its density and the depth of the installation, for instance, if energy codes in your area specify that you should install R-38, then you will need a depth of 10-12 inches of cellulose or 12-14 inches of fiberglass loosefill insulation.

Loose-fill insulations are materials with such high R-values, are inexpensive and easy to install.  You can also rely on these materials to repel insects and mold as they are treated with non-toxic borate compounds.

Installation: How to Put Insulation in the Attic

Ontario Home energy Blown-in Insulation Attic

Insulating a house is now more of a requirement than an option these days. The cost of installing Blown-in insulation can be remarkably high especially in larger areas or with extremely low levels of existing insulation. Thankfully, it can be handled in one weekend. Here are some steps you can take to ensure that you get the best quality possible from the contractor doing the attic insulation upgrade:

Remove all the accumulations (junk) from the attic

Having stored or unnecessary items (anything other than rough ins or insulation)  in the attic will negatively affect the process of adding the right layer of insulation, so it is best to remove any boxes, items or wood stored that may interfere with the effectiveness of the new insulation.

Material Selection

Loose-fill insulation is packed in bags and blown into your attic using equipment that expands and pumps it through an application hose. Loose-fill insulation is perfect for attics that have many obstructions that need working around, irregular joist spacing, or gaps in existing Blown-in insulation that need to be filled out.

Batt insulation is more flexible as it comes packed in rolls between 16-24 inches so that it fits between the studs and joists in your house’s framing. You can add as many layers as you need to achieve the insulation you need. If your attic has standard joist spacing and fewer obstructions, then batts are a more suitable option for you.

In order to calculate the amount of Blown-in insulation needed, it's necessary to Measure the attic’s area in square feet, and also determine the R-value desired. The most optimal range of R-values is R-49-R-60, and with this value range and the area of the attic, one can calculate the amount of bags necessary to provide. The bags of loose-fill cellulose or fiberglass also come with ready information about the amount needed to fit the attic and those charts could be consulted in case of a DIY project.

It is NOT suggested to do your attic yourself as it introduces chances of damaging your ceiling when tried with insufficient experience.