BetterHomes Huntsville: A $40,000 Retrofit Loan Repaid on Your Property Tax Bill

BetterHomes Huntsville is a municipal home-energy retrofit financing program run by the Town of Huntsville, backed by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities' Green Municipal Fund. It is a $10 million program targeting roughly 300 homes. Everything below reflects the program's published terms as of July 2026; terms and cap amounts change as regional funding is committed, so confirm the current figures on the program's official website before applying.

The core offer is a loan of up to $40,000 at 2.0% interest, or 0% for income-qualified households, plus a maximum incentive of $10,000 that is deducted from what you repay. Repayment happens through your property tax bill rather than a separate lender statement, and you can pay the balance off early in a lump sum with no penalty.

The process is sequential and worth understanding before you call a contractor. You submit a full application, which takes five to ten business days to review. An approved applicant receives a Notice of Eligibility and then has 60 days to plan. A Retrofit Coach is assigned, a pre-retrofit EnerGuide assessment establishes the baseline, and a Property Owner Agreement is signed — work cannot start before that signature. Renovations must be completed within 12 months and all receipts kept. A post-upgrade EnerGuide assessment confirms the savings, final payment is released within two to four weeks with the incentive deducted, and repayment begins on the property tax bill.

Eligibility centres on ownership and occupancy. You must own a home in Huntsville with taxes up to date, and it must be a full-time primary residence — occupied either by the owner or by a tenant. Detached homes, semis, townhomes, duplexes and triplexes are covered, and landlords may qualify under certain conditions. The project must achieve at least a 25% reduction in energy use, and at least 80% of costs must go to energy efficiency, leaving up to 20% for other eligible upgrades.

Eligible work spans the envelope and the mechanicals: insulation in the attic, walls, foundation and basement; air sealing; windows, doors and skylights; heat pump or solar water heating and drain water heat recovery; solar PV and battery storage; heat pumps, HRV/ERV ventilation, ductwork and thermostats; and permanently affixed lighting and controls. Within the 20% allowance you can also cover flood prevention, accessibility upgrades, electrical work and EV charging, and permit and assessment costs. Appliances, cosmetic upgrades, routine maintenance and already-completed work are not eligible.

Given how broad that eligible-upgrade list is, it helps to sequence the work rather than do everything at once — Solify's residential incentives guide walks through a sensible order, starting with air sealing and insulation before you size a heat pump.

Two questions come up constantly. First, there is no credit check — the loan is secured against the property. Second, the loan stays with the property if you sell, and the new owner takes over the payments. You can also choose your own contractor, though some work requires a certified tradesperson and the Retrofit Coach reviews quotes. Building permits are still required where applicable; loan approval does not replace them.

The program lists info@betterhomeshuntsville.ca, 1-888-791-7157 and betterhomeshuntsville.ca as its contact points. This article is an independent summary, not an official program page, so treat the official site as the authority on current terms.