Clean Energy Improvement Program (CEIP)

Improve Property Values and Achieve Your Community Sustainability Goals.

Due to an extraordinary response, the Lethbridge Clean Energy Improvement Program (CEIP) is currently at full capacity for year one of the four-year program.

Pre-qualification submissions will be placed on a waitlist and will be processed on a first-come, first-served basis as space becomes available. As not all submissions received to date will move forward to full application stage, the anticipation is that space may become available in the next four to six months. Other submissions will be processed when year two of the program opens in February 2024.

The Clean Energy Improvement Program (CEIP) is Alberta’s innovative financing tool that enables residential property owners to pay for energy efficiency and renewable energy upgrades. CEIP is now available to City of Lethbridge residents.

The Clean Energy Improvement Program helps make your home’s energy efficiency and renewable energy upgrades affordable. With access to financing, you can install a range of upgrades that will start lowering your energy bills immediately. The money you save on utilities every month can then help you pay back what you borrowed.

To learn more about the CEIP program watch the video, download the brochure or read the FAQ's below.

CEIP Brochure for Property Owners

Lethbridge Terms and Conditions

CEIP FAQ's

Title	Accordion Answer	Expand On Page Load	Sort Order
What is CEIP?	CEIP is a financing program designed to make energy efficiency and renewable energy upgrades more attainable to residential property owners by providing flexible financing through the City of Lethbridge with repayment collected through property taxes. The program is administered by Alberta Municipalities in partnership with the City of Lethbridge. Learn more about CEIP here www.ceip.abmunis.ca.	No	1
How to start	CEIP financing is accessible to residential property owners. Visit Clean Energy Improvement Program (abmunis.ca) to review the terms and conditions for eligibility details. The next step is to complete the pre-qualification form Residential Pre-Qualification – Clean Energy Improvement Program (abmunis.ca) and submit. For further information go to City of Lethbridge – Clean Energy Improvement Program (abmunis.ca)	No	3
Are permits required?	Many of the upgrades require permits from the city. No monies will be advanced unless proper permits are in place.	No	3
Will CEIP increase my property tax?	Only the property owners participating in the program would see an increase on their property tax bill. This increase is the result of the repayment of the financed project costs, which appears as a separate line item on the bill. If you don't participate in the energy upgrade program, it will not impact your property taxes	No	5
Why is CEIP good for Lethbridge?	CEIP improvements reduce greenhouse gas emissions and can lead to reduced energy costs for the property owner. Programs like CEIP support our local economy. The home improvement projects that qualify for CEIP will create work for local energy efficiency and renewable energy contractors.	No	7
What types of home upgrades are eligible for the program?	Energy efficiency and renewable energy upgrades are eligible for the program. A list of upgrades eligible for The City of Lethbridge program can be found here ceip.abmunis.ca/residential/upgrades.	No	10
I am a contractor working in energy efficiency and renewable energy in Lethbridge - how can I participate?	We encourage local contractors to visit ceip.abmunis.ca/contractor to learn more about the program and apply to be added to our Contractor Directory. Only contractors listed on the Directory are eligible to participate in the program. Many of the upgrades require permits from the city. No monies will be advanced unless proper permits are in place.	No	15
Can I start on my project now and access CEIP financing later?	No, projects that begin prior to the program launch will not be eligible for financing. An application will need to be submitted and approved prior to any work being started on the project.	No	20
Can I apply for financing now?	The City of Lethbridge CEIP program is now open for applications. The first step is to review the terms and conditions and fill out the pre-qualification form at ceip.abmunis.ca/residential/locations/city-of-lethbridge/	No	25
What makes the Clean Energy Improvement Program different from other financing options?	CEIP uses innovative financing known as Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) which allows property owners to access flexible, long-term financing through their municipal property taxes for energy efficiency or renewable energy upgrades. Repayment is facilitated through an added Clean Energy Improvement charge to the participant's regular property tax bill. This charge is linked to the property where the upgrades are installed and not the property owner. CEIP has its own unique guidelines and requirements that are specific to Alberta context and designed to support the local economy while also protecting property owners.	No	30
Clean Energy Improvement Bylaw	In order to participate in the program, municipalities need to first pass a CEIP bylaw. That bylaw authorizes a municipality to borrow money for the purpose of financing clean energy improvements, and use the property tax system to facilitate repayment from property owners. On August 10, 2022, Lethbridge's Clean Energy Improvement Bylaw was passed by Lethbridge's City Council. The bylaw enables the city to offer CEIP in Lethbridge.	No	50

Next Steps

With the passing of Lethbridge's Clean Energy Improvement Bylaw, the city has been approved on a funding application to the Federation of Canadian Municipalities for a loan and grant to support the program. The loan will be used to finance clean energy improvement projects and the grant will support the delivery and administration of the program. CEIP is now available to City of Lethbridge residents. To apply please go to https://ceip.abmunis.ca/residential/locations/city-of-lethbridge/ to review terms and conditions and complete the pre-qualification form.

Timeline

August 2022 - Clean Energy Improvement Program Bylaw approved
Fall 2022 - Finalize program design
February 28, 2023 - Program launch

For more information

Online: Submit a service request
Phone: 311 or 403-320-3111 (if outside of Lethbridge)
Address: City Hall, 910 4 Avenue South, Lethbridge, Alberta, T1J 0P6