Manitoba Hydro’s Home Energy Efficiency Loan covers up to $5,000 of radon mitigation costs over a 5-year term at 6.20% annual interest (O.A.C.), with monthly payments added directly to your hydro bill. For most Manitoba homes, that amount is enough to cover the full cost of a properly designed sub-slab depressurization system installed by a C-NRPP certified contractor — with no down payment required and Manitoba Hydro paying the contractor directly once the work is complete.
This guide walks through exactly what the loan covers, who qualifies, what you need to know before you book the install, and how to apply. If you’ve already tested above the Health Canada guideline of 200 Bq/m³ and you’re ready to act, this is one of the most affordable ways to pay for the work.
Here are the key numbers for radon mitigation financing under the current program:
| Detail | What you need to know |
|---|---|
| Maximum loan for radon mitigation | $5,000 |
| Maximum term | 5 years |
| Annual interest rate (first 5 years) | 6.20% (O.A.C.) |
| Down payment | None |
| Minimum loan amount | $500 |
| Minimum monthly payment | $15 |
| Contractor requirement | Must be C-NRPP certified |
| Overall cap per residence | $12,500 across all eligible upgrades |
| How it’s repaid | Monthly payments added to your Manitoba Hydro bill |
You can confirm the current details on the official Manitoba Hydro Home Energy Efficiency Loan page. Program terms can change, so it’s worth checking before you apply.
The loan is designed to cover the full cost of a complete radon mitigation project, not just the equipment. That includes the labour, materials, fan, piping, sealing work, electrical hookup, and any permits required for the install. As long as the work is performed by a C-NRPP certified contractor and approved by Manitoba Hydro before the project starts, the cost is eligible up to the $5,000 cap.
For a typical Manitoba home, a sub-slab depressurization system — the standard approach Health Canada recommends because it reduces radon levels by 90% or more — fits comfortably under that cap. Larger homes, homes with multiple sumps, homes with crawlspaces, or homes that need a custom system design may come in higher, in which case the $5,000 still covers most of the project and you’re only out of pocket for the difference.
One thing the loan won’t cover: do-it-yourself labour. Manitoba Hydro will finance materials and equipment for DIY projects in some categories, but radon mitigation specifically requires a certified professional install. There’s no path to financing a self-installed system.
Manitoba Hydro requires radon mitigation work to be performed by a contractor certified through the Canadian-National Radon Proficiency Program (C-NRPP). This is the same certification standard Health Canada recognizes for residential radon mitigation across the country, and it exists because a poorly designed system can actually make radon levels worse, not better.
C-NRPP certification covers system design, installation, post-mitigation testing, and ongoing professional development. A certified mitigator knows how to read your existing radon test results, evaluate your foundation type, account for your home’s air pressure dynamics, and design a system that will pull radon out from under the slab without creating new problems like backdrafting on your furnace or water heater.
Westman Radon is C-NRPP certified, which means our installs meet the eligibility requirement for the loan automatically. We can also help you apply for Manitoba Hydro’s Home Energy Efficiency Loan as part of the project — we’ll walk through the paperwork, submit it on your behalf, and coordinate the timing so the loan is approved before we start work.
The basic eligibility rules are straightforward, but there are a few details that catch people off guard:
The loan also can’t be used for a home under construction, a garage, or a commercial property. Used equipment isn’t eligible either. None of these tend to be issues for a typical residential radon mitigation project, but they’re worth knowing.
Manitoba Hydro structures the application as a four-step process, and a participating supplier like Westman Radon handles most of the paperwork for you.
Step 1: Confirm you’re eligible and your project qualifies. This usually happens during the initial site visit when we evaluate your home, review your radon test results, and design the mitigation system. We’ll let you know whether the project fits within the program parameters before we go any further.
Step 2: Complete the loan application. We help you fill out the Loan Agreement and submit it to Manitoba Hydro along with our detailed quote. All owners on title need to sign the agreement, and the signatures must be witnessed by a third party. The paperwork is straightforward and we’ll walk through it with you.
Step 3: Wait for Manitoba Hydro approval before any work starts. Once we have the green light, we book your install date and complete the work. Starting work before the loan is approved disqualifies the project, so this step is non-negotiable.
Step 4: Sign the Completion Certificate and start your payments. Once we’ve installed your system and the work is complete, you sign the Completion Certificate authorizing Manitoba Hydro to pay us directly. Your monthly payments start showing up on your hydro bill the following billing cycle. We’ll also schedule post-mitigation testing in the weeks after the install to confirm the system has dropped your radon levels below the Health Canada guideline.
One detail worth knowing: if you decide to pay off the loan within the first six months, Manitoba Hydro charges a $20 administration fee. After six months, you can make additional payments or pay it off in full at any time with no penalty.
Manitoba has some of the highest residential radon levels in Canada, and the Westman region is the hardest-hit part of the province. Health Canada’s 2012 Cross-Canada Survey found that 19% of Manitoba homes test above the radon guideline of 200 Bq/m³ — close to triple the national average of 7%. But the regional breakdown is even more striking.
The Prairie Mountain Health Region, which covers Brandon and the surrounding communities including Minnedosa, Neepawa, and Carberry, reports approximately 41% of tested homes above the guideline — among the highest concentrations of high-radon homes anywhere in the country. According to data compiled by the Canadian Association of Radon Scientists and Technologists (CARST), Souris has been measured at 48%, and certain rural municipalities in the Parkland region have reported rates as high as 71% to 79% of homes above the guideline.
The reason is geological. Radon forms when uranium in soil and bedrock breaks down, and the Westman region sits on top of formations with naturally higher uranium content than most of Canada. Combine that with our long winters — most homes are sealed up tight from October through April, with negative pressure pulling soil gas through any small foundation crack or service penetration — and you get conditions where radon can accumulate to dangerous levels in basements and lower living areas.
The good news: radon is one of the few air quality problems that’s both easy to diagnose and straightforward to fix. A long-term radon test tells you exactly what you’re dealing with, and a properly designed mitigation system can drop levels by 90% or more, usually within 24 hours of being switched on. With the Home Energy Efficiency Loan covering the cost, there’s not much reason to leave it.
For more information on radon in Manitoba, the Manitoba government’s radon resource page and Take Action on Radon’s Manitoba page are both solid starting points.
Yes — radon mitigation is one of the eligible upgrades under Manitoba Hydro’s Home Energy Efficiency Loan, with a maximum of $5,000 financed over a 5-year term. The system must be installed by a C-NRPP certified contractor, and your application has to be approved before any work begins.
Up to $5,000 specifically for radon mitigation. There’s an overall $12,500 cap per residence across all Home Energy Efficiency Loan upgrades combined, so if you’ve already financed other energy upgrades like windows, insulation, or a furnace through the program, the amount available for radon mitigation may be reduced.
Yes — Manitoba Hydro requires radon mitigation work to be performed by a contractor certified through the Canadian-National Radon Proficiency Program. This is the same standard Health Canada recognizes for residential radon mitigation in Canada, and it covers system design, installation, and post-mitigation testing.
No — Manitoba Hydro must approve your application before any work starts or materials are purchased. If you install first and apply after, the project no longer qualifies. This is one of the strictest rules in the program, and there’s no path to retroactive approval.
The remaining loan balance becomes due and payable when ownership of the home transfers. The loan isn’t transferable to the new owner, so it has to be paid off at the time of sale or refinanced separately. After the first six months you can make additional payments or pay it off in full at any time with no penalty.
The Home Energy Efficiency Loan is for primary residences only — either yours or your tenant’s. Seasonal dwellings, cottages, apartment buildings, garages, and commercial properties aren’t eligible. The home must be detached or semi-detached, and you must own it.
If your home has tested above the Health Canada guideline and you’re ready to mitigate, we can walk you through the Home Energy Efficiency Loan application as part of booking your radon system installation. We handle the paperwork end to end so the financing is approved before we start any work.
