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How Efficiency Nova Scotia's New Construction Programs Can Benefit Your Clients | ④ The Broker Briefing

Efficiency Nova Scotia is offering significant financial incentives and free assessments for new energy-efficient homes. The EnergyForward New Homes program provides up to $25,000 for builders and buyers meeting high efficiency standards. These initiatives enable homeowners to achieve long-term savings and qualify for mortgage insurance rebates.

THE BROKER BRIEFING

8/8/20254 min read

How Efficiency Nova Scotia's New Construction Programs Can Benefit Your Clients

As mortgage brokers, we’re always looking for ways to add value to our client conversations — helping clients not just secure financing, but make smarter long-term decisions. That’s why we sat down with Dan McAfee, Program Manager at EfficiencyOne, to learn about two of their key initiatives: the EnergyForward New Homes program and the New Home Research Project.

If you’re not familiar, EfficiencyOne is the non-profit operator behind Efficiency Nova Scotia, delivering energy efficiency and conservation incentives and research throughout the province. These programs could offer meaningful benefits for homebuyers and builders — and open up new opportunities for brokers to guide clients on building future-ready homes.

A Little Background

Canada’s National Building Code 2020 outlines a path for all new buildings to be built to net-zero energy-ready standards by 2030. Nova Scotia is actively moving towards this goal, adopting new performance tiers that will increase energy efficiency standards over the next few years.

To support that transition, EfficiencyOne Nova Scotia has rolled out:

  1. EnergyForward New Homes: For new construction projects looking to meet higher energy efficiency standards

  2. New Home Research Project: For newly built homes within six months of occupancy, especially in areas outside Halifax’s core

1. EnergyForward New Homes: Incentives for Smart Building

This program offers up to $25,000 in incentives for building energy-efficient homes. Both homebuyers and builders are eligible to register, but only one party can receive the incentive — whichever registers first. Investors building new homes are also eligible. Registration costs $199 plus tax.

Eligibility:

  • Detached, semi-detached, townhouses, rowhouses, mini-homes

  • Must be year-round residences under Part 9 of the National Building Code of Canada 2020

  • Not Eligible: homes heated with oil

The Incentives:

  • $25,000 Incentive: Achieve an annual energy bill target of $0 (modeled between $0–$500)

  • $15,000 Incentive: Achieve an annual energy bill target of $1,000 (modeled between $500–$1,000)

EfficiencyOne notes that achieving net-zero energy typically costs $50,000–$60,000, so the top-tier incentive covers nearly half of that investment. The incentive will not increase, so if the cost of building increases, clients who invest in this program now will get the best value.

Project Timeline:

  1. Enrollment: Customers must enroll within 30 days of receiving their building permit or before starting construction. There's a $199 + tax registration fee paid directly to the Service Organization partner (AmeriSpec, Homesol, or ThermalWise).

  2. Expert Guidance: An Energy Advisor will model the home's energy performance based on plans and offer recommendations to achieve specific energy bill targets for the home’s desired incentive level.

  3. Construction & Assessment: Clients have 18 months from enrollment to complete their project and complete the final assessment. An optional pre-drywall air-tightness test can be booked to help identify air leaks so they can be addressed before the home is finished. This optional service starts at $250 plus tax.

  4. EnerGuide Label: Upon completion, an Energy Advisor will perform a final energy model of the home and send it to Efficiency Nova Scotia. The client will receive a federal EnerGuide label and report.

  5. Incentive Payment: The targeting pay for the client is within 60 days from the final assessment.

Example scenario: Buyers relocating to Atlantic Canada who have substantial assets but limited Canadian income documentation.

2. New Home Research Project: Free Energy Assessments

EfficiencyOne also has a pilot program for new homes built outside the core of Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM). It’s planned to operate for three years, depending on interest and uptake. While the program’s main goal is to gather vital data on the energy efficiency of newly built homes, ultimately helping to shape future building codes and prepare the industry for the upcoming 2030 net-zero targets — there are benefits to the home owner.

This pilot project offers a free EnerGuide assessment for eligible homes that includes:

  • A blower door test

  • Detailed home performance report

  • Official EnerGuide label

Eligibility:

  • Single-family homes outside HRM core

  • Still within 6 months of occupancy

  • Some limitations for multi-unit buildings and repeat builders

  • Not eligible: mobile homes and manufactured homes

For full eligibility and a list of excluded postal codes, visit: Efficiency NS: New Home Research Project.

What This Means for Mortgage Brokers

Efficiency Nova Scotia’s programs aren’t just about energy efficiency — they’re strategic tools we can use to help clients build smarter and invest better. Here’s why this matters to us as mortgage professionals:

Lower Energy Costs = Long-Term Savings

Even if clients have the money to build energy-efficient homes, they probably still want to think about long-term savings. Lower energy bills might not affect their mortgage approval, but they do lower the cost of owning a home over time. That’s something worth talking about — especially when clients are thinking about retirement, resale, or keeping monthly costs down.

Opportunities for Mortgage Insurance Rebates

Energy-efficient homes may qualify for insurance premium rebates through CMHC Eco Plus, SAGEN, or Canada Guaranty. That’s immediate savings we can help clients unlock — and it gives us another way to strengthen their overall financing picture.

A Smart Conversation Starter

Even if you don’t often deal with new builds, this is an easy way to bring added value to the table. Whether someone’s building, buying new, or investing, we can help them understand how energy efficiency fits into their broader financial strategy — especially with Nova Scotia following Canada’s 2020 national model codes and moving toward building net-zero energy-ready homes by 2030. Tier 1 of Nova Scotia’s adoption plan is already in effect, with new tiers coming in April 2026 and April 2027. Helping clients get ahead of these changes positions us as advisors who think beyond just rates.

In Case you Skipped to the End

Efficiency Nova Scotia has two key programs brokers should know about:

  • EnergyForward New Homes: Offers up to $25,000 in incentives for building energy-efficient new homes — helping buyers or builders offset the cost of meeting net-zero targets.

  • New Home Research Project: A free EnerGuide assessment for eligible new homes outside HRM’s core. It’s a no-cost way for clients to get a professional read on energy performance, plus a certified label to show for it.

Both programs help clients build homes that cost less to operate, qualify for insurance premium rebates, and hold long-term value — all things that make our financing conversations that much stronger.

Let’s Talk: Have you had clients build new construction homes recently? What have you seen in terms of energy efficiency and financing? Drop a comment or reach out — we’re always keen to collaborate on smarter solutions.

If you’re looking for more information on these programs Dan McAfee at EfficiencyOne told us to pass along his contact information: dmcafee@efficiencyns.ca! Thanks again for taking the time to talk to us about these two programs.

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