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

Fix First Home › British Columbia › Home Energy Retrofit Financing

Home Energy Retrofit Financing open

Administered by the City of Nanaimo, with City Green Solutions.

Nanaimo's interest-free loan for home energy upgrades: up to $15,000, repaid over 10 years on the property tax bill, for switching from fossil fuel to a heat pump, solar on an electric home, or insulation and windows. Applications close on 31 October 2026, and acceptance is not announced until late May or early June.

source · verified 27 September 2026

What it pays

Interest
0%
Most you can borrow
$15,000; the City's example: borrow $15,000 and repay $1,500 a year
Term
10 years, on the property tax bill
Deposit
Up to 25% of the total retrofit cost, to a maximum of $5,000
Other work
Up to 30% of the loan can go to non-energy measures
Energy evaluation
About 35 discounts of $200 on the pre-upgrade EnerGuide evaluation, on top of the City's own $150 rebate; the post-upgrade evaluation can be financed

What it finances

  • Switching from fossil fuel space heating to an electric heat pump
  • Solar panels, where the home already has electric heat, and a backup battery where solar is already in place
  • Door and window replacements and insulation

Who is eligible

Who can apply

  • A property within City of Nanaimo boundaries, with taxes up to date and assessed at no more than $1.23 million
  • Household income ABOVE the Energy Savings Program's first income line, unless you are already in that programme, and under the City's ceiling below
  • A financing agreement signed before any work, a pre-upgrade EnerGuide evaluation, an approved contractor, and the free Home Energy Navigator programme
  • Second homes may qualify; the owner applies and tells the tenants
Income ceiling, by adults in the home
AdultsMaximum income
1$185,505
2$230,947
3$283,919
4 or more$344,712

What disqualifies you

The rules people find out about after the work is done.

  • Dual-fuel heat pumps.
  • Work begun before the financing agreement.
  • A property assessed at more than $1.23 million.

Where the application goes

Apply to the City between 14 September and 31 October 2026. Acceptance comes in late May or early June, then a petition to Council and a bylaw in July before you sign and choose a contractor.

Where the application goes
If this is youApply here
Applynanaimo.ca

The thing most pages get wrong

It is not a low-income programme. Your household income has to be above the Energy Savings Program's Level 1 line, unless you are already accepted in that programme, and below the City's ceiling, which is set at Nanaimo's 90th income percentile and counts adults, not household size.

A long road from applying to starting

Applications close on 31 October 2026, but the City notifies successful applicants in late May or early June, and each group of loans needs a Council petition and a bylaw, expected in July. It is a pilot with limited funding, and it ranks applications rather than taking them first-come, first-served; seniors living alone may get priority.

Sources