Retrofit Assist being offered to new communities

Retrofit Assist program expanding in 2026

February 17, 2026

Community Energy Association is inviting municipalities interested in improving energy efficiency and comfort or residential buildings to complete an expression of interest for Retrofit Assist. 

CEA’s Retrofit Assist program has worked with hundreds of people across six communities in BC, helping them improve the comfort and energy efficiency of their homes. Home energy upgrades made by Retrofit Assist participants are saving 180 tonnes of GHG emissions and 4,385 GJ of energy each year. It has also worked with contractors and tradespeople in each active community to build their knowledge, interest and skills related to home energy efficiency.

This opportunity to pair workforce development alongside homeowner education and support emerged from CEA’s research and engagement on the best pathways for local governments to increase energy retrofits in their communities. The Retrofit Assist program is therefore a uniquely relevant and beneficial program for local governments looking for a proven and ready-to-go solution to improve existing residential building stock and create safer, more efficient, and resilient homes in the community.

The program launched in 2022 in Rossland, Whistler and Squamish, and has steadily grown since then. With successes and demand growing, CEA is now excited to invite more local governments to become Retrofit Assist communities and make the program available to homeowners, renters, and contractors.

With demand for energy-efficient retrofits in Canada predicted to grow to almost 250,000 homes in 2032 (Build Force, 2024) a retrofit program can not only catalyze community economic activity and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, it can also ensure residents have access to safe, comfortable, and energy efficient homes that protect them against rising energy costs for years to come.

Yet there continue to be challenges and obstacles to greater uptake and literacy around home energy retrofits. This includes persistent complexity of retrofit and rebate processes that many residents hesitate to face on their own, lack of trusted and digestible information for homeowners, and limited access to trades and contractors with the skills and training to undertake comprehensive retrofit work.

Retrofit Assist Program Manager, Mariah Byers explains, “We have worked with people that have rushed into things and sadly lost their chance to receive thousands of dollars in rebates because they have not followed the right process. It’s also common for homeowners to make assumptions about what is required to improve their home, often resulting in larger issues such as  mould or oversized mechanical systems that do not work efficiently.

“Our job is to ensure that homeowners receive guidance and support that matches their specific home and situation. This starts with an EnerGuide Evaluation so we have a foundational and full understanding of their home, right from the beginning. From there we can help participants make a retrofit plan and connect them with qualified contractors. We also make sure their plan sets them up to be eligible for as many rebates and incentives as possible.”

This knowledge and experience of rebate and incentive programs has proven to be very beneficial over the years Retrofit Assist has been operating; participants receive timely updates to changes. Byers noted, “Funding programs have come and gone over the years, so it’s quite easy to lose track if you are not staying up to date on these programs daily .”