Fix First HomeWhat home-upgrade rebates actually pay — and who you apply to.

Fix First Home › CMHC Eco Improvement

CMHC Eco Improvement open

Administered by Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation.

The one federal energy programme a homeowner still applies to Ottawa for — and it is not a rebate. If you have a CMHC-insured mortgage and complete at least $20,000 of energy-efficient renovations after buying, CMHC refunds 25% of your mortgage insurance premium.

source · verified 23 September 2026

What it pays

No published cap — and that is the honest answer

The refund is 25% of a mortgage insurance premium you already paid, so the dollar figure depends entirely on that premium. There is no published maximum and no honest way to state one.

25% of your mortgage insurance premium

Who is eligible

mortgage
A CMHC-insured mortgage. Eligible condominium units and prefabricated homes count.
minimum spend
20000
timing
Renovations may be completed up to 2 years after the mortgage closes, and the refund application must be submitted within 2 years of closing.
categories
Building envelope, mechanical systems, and renewable energy systems.
documents
Supporting documents may be used for up to 5 years, including by a subsequent purchaser.
processing time
Approximately 8 to 10 weeks, stated by CMHC on the page.

The thing most pages get wrong

This is the only live federal programme in the dataset that a household applies for directly. It pays nothing towards the upgrade itself; it returns part of an insurance premium, and only to recent buyers with a CMHC-insured mortgage.

This programme by upgrade

Every programme that pays toward the same upgrade, side by side.