Energy-efficient Housing Made More Affordable with Mortgage Loan Insurance
CMHC Green Home
Energy-efficient homes can be linked to increased comfort and healthier living while improving energy efficiency reduces greenhouse gas emissions and lowers the cost of owning and maintaining your home.
CMHC Green Home offers a premium refund of up to 25% to borrowers who either buy, build or renovate for energy efficiency using CMHC-insured financing.
Am I Eligible?
Homes built under the following building standards are automatically eligible for a partial mortgage loan insurance premium refund.
Built Green™ (National)
ENERGY STAR® (National)
GreenHouse™ (ON)
GreenHome™ (YK)
LEED Canada for Homes (National)
Novoclimat (QC)
Power Smart for New Homes (MB)
Homes NOT built under an eligible building standard must be assessed by a NRCan qualified energy advisor and have a rating that complies with the following requirements:
15% Premium Refund
25% Premium Refund
EnerGuide Rating 0-100 Scale
EnerGuide Rating Gigajoules per year Scale
Rating of at least 15% lower than “A Typical New House”
Rating of at least 40% lower than “A Typical New House”
NRCan is introducing updates to the EnerGuide rating scale. During the transition period, provinces and territories will continue to use the 0-100 scale until they are ready to adopt the new gigajoules per year scale.
Apply Online
or Download the Application Form to Apply by MailPDF
Condominium units in high rise buildings built to the LEED Canada New Construction standard (Certified, Silver, Gold and Platinum) automatically qualify for a 15% premium refund.
You may also be eligible if your building meets the following criteria:
The building is designed to be 20% more energy-efficient than compliance with the applicable building code
The building is designed to be 40% more energy-efficient than compliance with the applicable building code
Apply Online
or Download the Application Form to Apply by MailPDF
If you purchase an existing home and make energy-efficient improvements you may be eligible for a CMHC Green Home premium refund*. To qualify, your home must be assessed by a Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) qualified energy advisor before and after the energy efficiency improvements are made.
NRCan is introducing updates to the EnerGuide rating scale. During the transition period, provinces and territories will continue to use the 0-100 scale until they are ready to adopt the new gigajoules per year scale.
If your province has NOT adopted the new rating scale:
15% Premium Refund
25% Premium Refund
If Pre‐retrofit rating ≤ 55**
Increase rating by 10 points
Increase rating by 20 points
If Pre‐retrofit rating ˃ 55
Increase rating by 5 points
Increase rating by 10 points
If your province has adopted the new rating scale:
15% Premium Refund
25% Premium Refund
If pre‐retrofit rating is 200 GJ/year or higher***
If Pre‐Retrofit rating is lower than 200 GJ/year
Apply Online
or Download the Application Form to Apply by MailPDF
*CMHC mortgage loan insurance premium refunds remain available to borrowers that used CMHC financing for a refinance of an existing home where energy-efficient improvements were made.
**To be eligible, the post retrofit energy evaluation must achieve a minimum rating of 60.
***To be eligible, the post-retrofit energy evaluation must achieve an EnerGuide rating of no higher than 250 GJ/year.
