FinanceIt

The Canada Greener Homes interest free loan is an excellent Federal incentive offered through the Canada Greener Homes Initiative, that can be used to fund a solar project up to $40,000.

When a homeowner applies for the Greener Homes loan, they will have the option to receive 15% of the loan value up-front, to help with their project deposit requirements. The remaining loan funds are not released, until the project has been completed and paid for. This is why the Canada Greener homes loan is often referred to as a “Reimbursement Loan”.

A question we often hear at Shift is, “Is there a way that I can get my project completed and funded via the Canada Greener Homes loan, without first paying out of pocket?”. Yes, you can! Shift has partnered with FinanceIt to offer our customers a 3-month deferred bridge financing option, with no interest or penalty, assuming the balance is paid within the 3-month deferral period. This bridge financing option breaks down as follows:

• Once you have signed off on your project and confirmed that you would like to use the bridge financing option, your solar consultant will send you an invite to apply for FinanceIt’s 3-month deferred financing.
• Once your Financeit application has been submitted and approved, Shift will request to draw your 25% project deposit directly from Financeit. Once you approve this request, Shift will begin working with you to schedule your site survey and installation dates.
• Once your solar installation has been completed, Shift will request to draw the remaining project balance from Financeit and then your 3-month deferral period will begin.
• You can pay off the balance of the FinanceIt loan at any time during the 3-month deferral period, without penalty, or interest. You should receive your Canada Greener Homes loan funds well within this period and you can use these funds to pay off the balance of your FinanceIt loan.

As you can see, our bridge financing option allows you to complete your solar project and fund it with the Canada Greener Homes Loan, without first paying out of pocket.

Are there any penalties for paying off the Canada Greener Homes loan, or the Financeit bridge financing loan, early?

There are zero financial penalties for paying off either the CGHL or the FinanceIt bridge financing loan, at any point.

What are the costs to set up a loan with FinanceIt?

There is a $149.00 processing fee charged by FinanceIt, which is rolled into the bridge financing loan. Nothing is due out of pocket, up front. If you pay off the balance of the loan during the 3-month deferral period, this is the only cost incurred.

What happens if I do not pay the FinanceIt loan balance before the end of the deferral period?

Your FinanceIt deferral will roll over into a higher-interest loan (interest rate as per the terms of your loan agreement), on a 3-year term, amortized over 20 years.

What happens if Shift secures my deposit through FinanceIt and then I decide to back out of the project?

Shift will reimburse you the funds from Financeit to pay off the deposit balance. Depending on your project, there could be a small fee retained to cover some costs. However, this is exceedingly rare, and in the event, it does happen, we will happily work with our clients to ensure complete satisfaction.

Will I be asked to pay any FinanceIt fees between the time that Shift draws my deposit and the time that Shift draws final funding?

There will be a monthly nominal amount drawn by FinanceIt, from the time your deposit is secured, until the time that the final project balance is secured. This is required to keep the loan active, and the entire amount is applied against the principal loan amount (it does not cost you anything).