Lac La Biche County

Lac La Biche County's Clean Energy Improvement Program is currently at capacity. All new pre-qualification submissions will be placed on a waitlist and processed on a first-come, first-served basis if space becomes available. 

What is the Clean Energy Improvement Program?

• The Clean Energy Improvement Program offers loans to eligible property owners to finance a wide variety of energy efficiency and renewable upgrades to their home, so property owners can save on energy bills and enjoy a more comfortable, efficient home. 
• This is a program enabled by the Government of Alberta, and offered across the province in many other municipalities. 
• The program is administered by Lac La Biche County and Alberta Municipalities (ABmunis). 
• The financing is tied to the property, not the owner.
• Property owners pay back the loan over time through their property tax bill (similar to a local improvement charge).

What are some examples of eligible projects?

While this is not an exhaustive list, some eligible projects include:

• Doors, windows and insulation
• Heating, ventilation and air conditioning
• Renewable energy, e.g., solar PV energy systems
• Water heating
• Lighting

Projects may include one or more different types of upgrades.

Financing and Terms

• Lac La Biche County has chosen to offer a 0% interest rate as an incentive for homeowners to participate.
  • A Program Administration Fee of 5% of the Capital Cost of the Upgrade will be applied to your loan. 
• The term of the financing is determined by the useful life of each upgrade, but cannot exceed 20 years. 
• If a project includes multiple upgrade types, each upgrade will have its own separate term duration. 
• Financing is available from $3,000 to $50,000 per property.

Participant and Property Eligibility

• Participants must be the legal owner of a residential property within Lac La Biche County and meet other terms and conditions.

Information About Contractors and Door to Door Sales

• Applications for the Clean Energy Improvement Program must be completed by the property owner. CEIP does not allow third parties to complete and submit an application on your behalf. 
• Exercise caution when responding to advertisements or sales representatives, particularly those that ask you for personal information or guarantee financing or energy savings. 
• CEIP is a financing tool available through your municipality. The municipality does not sell property owners upgrades, such as solar panels, home insulation, or windows.  
• We encourage property owners to request multiple quotes for their projects and work with a CEIP Qualified Contractor (a list of Qualified Contractors can be found on CEIP Contractor Directory – Clean Energy Improvement Program. 
• Alberta Municipalities administers CEIP on behalf of your municipality. If you have any questions about the application process, please contact hello@myceip.ca or contact your municipality’s office. 

Thinking about applying and being placed on a waitlist? Here are some things to do that will help ensure it goes smoothly.

Let all the property owners on title know about the intention to apply.

All property owners will need to sign the Project Application Form and Program agreements. Additionally, one property owner needs to sign the Pre-Qualification Form and Upgrade Completion Forms. Ensure that you read the Terms & Conditions before applying. 

Check that:

1. Your property type is eligible for CEIP financing – certain types of properties are ineligible. [TERMS AND CONDITIONS]
2. Your property meets the financial requirements and property tax requirements. – There are requirements that are indicators of good financial standing that must be met. [TERMS AND CONDITIONS]
3. Your mortgage agreement, insurance policies, and building policies allow for you to obtain CEIP financing. 
4. Review the pre-qualification form: ensure you have the documents needed. 

What is the process for applying?

Applying and completing a CEIP project follows these eight steps: 

Step 1: Pre-Qualification

Read the [CEIP Terms and Conditions]. Complete the Pre-Qualification Form. Alberta Municipalities and Lac La Biche County will verify that you and your property meet the basic program qualification criteria.

Step 2: EnerGuide home evaluation

Once pre-qualified, schedule an EnerGuide home evaluation to learn about your home’s energy performance. This will help you understand your priority options for home improvements. You will pay for this upfront, if you continue the agreement phase you may choose to include the cost of the EnerGuide home evaluation with the loan. It will be reimbursed by Alberta Municipalities, and then you will pay it back over time along with the capital costs of the improvement. 

Step 3: Project application

Choose a Qualified Contractor and plan your project (click here for the list). Then, submit your Project Application to Alberta Municipalities.

Step 4: Agreements

Once approved, you’ll enter into a Clean Energy Improvement Agreement that includes the financing terms with the County, and a Project Agreement that functions as the contract between you, your contractor, and Alberta Municipalities.

Step 5: Project installation

After signing agreements, work with your Qualified Contractor to ensure all permits are in place and complete the improvements.

Step 6: Upgrade completion

Submit your upgrade completion forms as your improvements are completed. Payments to the contractor will be made by Alberta Municipalities. 

Step 7: Post-project EnerGuide home evaluation

After your upgrades are complete, a post-project EnerGuide evaluation will provide a new rating and label based on your home’s upgrades.

Step 8: Repayment

You’ll repay the project cost through your property tax bill over the lifespan of the upgrades as per your Clean Energy Improvement Agreement.

For Questions, please contact:

Email: ceip@laclabichecounty.com 

Telephone: 780-623-6815 or 780-623-6816