MANITOBANS CAN BENEFIT TWICE ON HOME RENOVATION PROJECTS

February 25, 2009

(February 25, 2009) Ottawa – Manitobans can benefit twice on home renovations with two complementary programs, the Home Renovation Tax Credit and the ecoENERGY retrofit program says the Honourable Steven Fletcher, Member of Parliament for Charleswood-St. JamesAssiniboia.

"Many Manitobans want to make home improvements to save energy costs and lower their carbon footprints but are put off by the cost,” said Fletcher. “Together, these two programs will make more home renovation projects affordable.”

The Home Renovation Tax Credit introduced in Canada’s Economic Action Plan, is a 15 per cent credit that will be available for all home renovation projects completed between January 27, 2009 and February 1, 2010. The tax credit may be claimed on expenses between $1,000, and $10,000, and the maximum tax credit that can be received is $1,350. The credit can be claimed on your 2009 tax return.

The ecoENERGY Retrofit program provides homeowners with a grant of up to $5,000 to offset the cost of energy-efficiency improvements made to their homes. The grant applies to many different measures that reduce energy consumption and provide for a cleaner environment. To qualify for the grant, homes must undergo a residential energy efficiency assessment by an energy advisor certified by Natural Resources Canada.

“These programs are another two examples of how our government is stimulating our economy by helping average Canadians,” said Fletcher.

Manitobans can find more information on these programs at: http://www.budget.gc.ca/2009/pamphlet-depliant/pamphlet-depliant3-eng.asp and http://oee.nrcan.gc.ca/residential/personal/retrofit-homes/questions-answers.cfm?attr=4#intro1