Canada Greener Homes Grant and Loan status in 2026: what’s closed and what to do instead

Canadians still open a 2023 tab that says “apply for Greener Homes” and then spend a Saturday on a portal that will not take a new file. The Canada Greener Homes Grant and the Canada Greener Homes Loan are closed to new applicants. That is not a rumour. It is the banner on Natural Resources Canada’s own pages.

This is a date-stamped status map for September 2026: what closed, which existing files still move, and where to look instead. It is not a grant application. If you are shopping a heat pump, pair it with provincial rebate hygiene and heat pump vs furnace.

Grant closed to new applicants; documentation deadlines date-stamped

NRCan’s Grant process page and the closed-Grant page (used 20 Sep 2026) say the same thing in large type: this program is closed. Applications were open from May 2021 to February 2024. 31 December 2025 was the last day to submit documents. Requests uploaded by that deadline continue to be processed. There is no new “open the portal and start a file” path.

The old story — pre-retrofit EnerGuide, eligible upgrades, post-retrofit visit, then an evaluation contribution of up to $600 inside a completed grant — is history. Do not budget that $600 against a 2026 advisor invoice unless a live provincial path reimburses it. See what an evaluation includes.

Loan: application closed; funding fully committed

The Loan was a different product: an unsecured, interest-free personal loan from $5,000 to $40,000 over 10 years, delivered through the Canada Greener Homes Loan Initiative portal. That product is closed.

NRCan’s January 2026 Greener Homes Initiative progress update is useful context for how many files moved. It is not an application window. If a salesperson says “the Loan reopened for 2026,” ask them to show the live NRCan URL with today’s date in the browser bar.

If you already have approval: portal steps and post-retrofit EnerGuide

Approved Grant claimants work in the Canada Greener Homes portal. Approved Loan borrowers work in the CGHLI portal (cghli.ca). They are not the same login. NRCan is explicit: do not let a contractor submit documentation on your behalf, and the Loan team will never ask for a deposit.

1. Open the portal that issued your approval email — not a Google ad.
2. Complete only the retrofits that were on the approved application. Loan rules: you cannot add extra measures later. If you drop a measure, the final amount can shrink (and must stay at least $5,000).
3. Keep invoices. DIY labour is not eligible; materials bought in Canada can be, if the measure was on the file.
4. Book a post-retrofit EnerGuide evaluation with an NRCan-listed service organization. Upload can take up to 30 days.
5. Loan borrowers: sign back in and choose Request Funding. Final costs above the estimate do not increase the loan. The remainder typically lands in about 10 days after approval of that request.
6. Then you repay for 10 years. The Loan is reported to the credit bureau.

If the portal is confusing, use the numbers NRCan publishes: Grant inquiries via the Grant email/phone on the closed-Grant page; Loan inquiries 1-866-292-9517 or Questions@cghli.ca. Do not use a number from a flyer on your door.

Why “Greener Homes” still appears in search — and how to avoid outdated advice

The phrase is still a good search query. The pages that rank are often 2022–2024 walkthroughs with screenshots of a live Apply button. Treat any article that does not say closed in the first screen as stale.

• Start at the NRCan Greener Homes Initiative hub. Look for “THIS PROGRAM IS CLOSED.”
• Check the “Date modified” line. The Loan page we used is 17 April 2026. The closed-Grant page we used is 30 January 2026.
• Municipal “green your home” pages sometimes still list Greener Homes as if it were open. Call the municipality or follow their link all the way to NRCan.
• A quote that deducts “$5,000 Greener Homes” from today’s price is a sales document, not a government commitment.

The Canada Greener Homes Affordability Program is a different, income-targeted retrofit path delivered with provinces. It is not a DIY grant you apply for beside an old EnerGuide PDF. Check the current NRCan pointer; do not invent an amount.

Where to look next: provincial and utility directories, plus OHPA wind-down notes

Live money, if any, is on provincial efficiency sites and utility programs:

• Ontario: Save on Energy / Home Renovation Savings, plus the income-qualified Energy Affordability Program.
• B.C.: CleanBC Better Homes (including the income-tested Energy Savings Program).
• Québec: Hydro-Québec LogisVert / Efficient Heat Pump pages and the provincial Chauffez vert oil path.
• Atlantic: Efficiency Nova Scotia, SaveEnergyNB / ecoénergienb, efficiencyPEI — several 2026 clocks have already closed; verify.
• Prairies: often thinner. Alberta has no provincial heat-pump rebate as of this draft; municipal CEIP financing is a different product.

Federal OHPA intake closed 31 July 2026. Existing oil-to-heat-pump applicants have a 31 January 2027 document deadline. That is not a new Grant.

EnerGuide evaluations are still useful without federal grant stacking

A registered energy advisor still measures the house, runs a blower door, and hands you a GJ/year label plus a renovation list you can make contractors bid against. NRCan’s public cost note remains about $600–$1,000 for the pre- plus post-retrofit pair. You pay it. That is cheaper than a mis-sized compressor or a blown-in attic over open chases.

Rank the upgrade report with a practical ROI order — air sealing before solar nostalgia. Then price only live provincial stacks the week you sign.