One program does the heavy lifting for Ontario HVAC rebates in 2026: the Home Renovation Savings Program, run by Save on Energy with Enbridge Gas since January 2025. Current Ontario rebates run $500–$7,500 depending on the system, with heat pumps sitting at the top of that band and furnace-only upgrades typically seeing $500–$1,500. Most of what else circulates online — the Canada Greener Homes Grant, Enbridge's HER+ — is closed to new applicants and cannot be claimed.
Qualifying measures, amounts and registration windows shift during a program year. Treat any figure you read, including ours, as a starting point and confirm the current rules on the Save on Energy program page before you sign a contract. The contractor files the claim; your job is to keep the paperwork clean.
Which Ontario rebate programs are open in 2026
- Home Renovation Savings Program (Save on Energy with Enbridge Gas, launched January 2025) — the live provincial program, covering heat pumps, smart thermostats, insulation, air sealing and water heating measures
- Oil to Heat Pump Affordability (federal, OHPA) — only for households that currently heat with oil and are moving to a heat pump. Gas- and electric-heated homes are outside it
- Canada Greener Homes Grant — closed to new applicants in 2024. No contractor can reopen it for you
- Enbridge Home Efficiency Rebate Plus (HER+) — ended. A quote that still shows HER+ money is working off an old spreadsheet
- Burlington Hydro, Oakville Hydro and Alectra Utilities in Hamilton — none of them runs its own furnace, air conditioner or heat pump rebate. The provincial program is the one that pays
What the Home Renovation Savings Program actually covers
The program is measure-based: each qualifying upgrade earns its own amount, and a project can carry several. Heat pumps hold the largest amounts, which is why the electrification measures get the attention. A smart thermostat included in an install qualifies for $75, and insulation, air sealing and water heating are separate measures with their own rules.
Gas furnaces sit lower down the list because provincial policy now favours fuel switching. That does not make a furnace a bad buy — it means a furnace earns its money back on the gas bill rather than at the rebate desk. Furnace-only upgrades typically see $500–$1,500, and the full furnace cost picture matters more to your budget than the rebate line does.
How the rebate money actually reaches you
- Get a written quote from a participating contractor. Programs verify the installer, and a homeowner-purchased unit installed by a friend is the fastest way to lose the claim
- Have the project registered before any equipment is ordered or installed — registration after the fact is the single most common disqualifier
- Confirm the model you are buying appears on the program's qualified product list, and get the model number written on the contract, not just the tonnage
- Keep the itemized invoice showing equipment, labour and permit separately. A lump-sum invoice slows verification
- The rebate arrives after installation and verification, so budget for the full price up front and treat the cheque as a reimbursement
Programs that closed, and how to spot a stale quote
The Canada Greener Homes Grant stopped accepting new applicants in 2024, and Enbridge's HER+ has ended. Both were generous and both are gone, which is why 2024-vintage blog posts and quote templates still float around with numbers no one can claim. The federal Canada Greener Homes Loan is a separate product from the closed grant — check its current status on the Natural Resources Canada page rather than assuming it applies to you.
- The quote names HER+, the Greener Homes Grant, or a per-ton rebate figure with no program page cited
- A rebate amount is deducted from the contract price up front, as though it were a discount the contractor controls
- The salesperson will not name the program or link to its page when you ask
- The claim is contingent on signing today because funding is 'about to run out'
Oil to Heat Pump Affordability is for oil-heated homes only
OHPA is a federal program for households currently heating with oil that switch to a heat pump. If there is a fuel-oil tank in the basement or beside the house — still the case for a scattering of properties in rural Halton and the north end of Flamborough — it is worth reading. If you burn natural gas or run electric baseboards, it does not apply, no matter how a quote presents it. Amounts and eligibility are set federally and are worth reading on the program page rather than taking from a contractor.
Rebate or no rebate: the decision rule
Buy the system the house needs, then claim what it earns. A rebate is worth a few thousand dollars once; a mis-sized or wrong-fuel system costs you every month for 15 years. If a heat pump only pencils out because of the incentive, the sizing or the fuel comparison is doing something wrong.
The timing rule is simpler: replace when a repair costs more than half a new unit and the equipment is over 12 years old. Under that line, keep the repair and bank the difference. No incentive on offer is large enough to justify scrapping a healthy 8-year-old furnace, and a hybrid setup lets you add a heat pump later without touching the furnace you already paid for.
Mistakes that cost homeowners the rebate
- Ordering equipment before the project is registered, which voids the claim on most measures
- Substituting a different model at install time without updating the paperwork — the serial number is checked
- Choosing a unit that is not on the qualified list because it was $500 cheaper, and losing far more than that in rebate
- Assuming a rental water heater or a landlord-owned furnace qualifies the same way an owned unit does
- Discarding the invoice and permit copy after the work passes inspection, then being unable to answer a verification request
How we handle rebate paperwork on an install
We register the project before ordering, quote equipment that appears on the qualified list, and submit the claim with the itemized invoice attached so nothing bounces back for missing detail. Written pricing comes before the work, and the quote shows the rebate as a separate line rather than a discount baked into the price. If financing is the practical route while the rebate is processed, our financing options run through lending partners with no prepayment penalty.
Zobir and the crew work out of Burlington and cover Oakville, Hamilton and the wider GTA with TSSA-licensed gas technicians on every install. If you are weighing equipment as well as incentives, start with heat pump versus furnace for Ontario homes or our heating services, then book a free quote and we will tell you which measures your project can realistically claim.
Frequently asked questions
Can I still apply for the Canada Greener Homes Grant?
No. The grant closed to new applicants in 2024 and has not reopened. Homeowners who were already in the program worked through their own timelines, but there is no path in now. The live Ontario program is the Home Renovation Savings Program, run by Save on Energy with Enbridge Gas since January 2025.
Does Burlington Hydro or Alectra offer its own HVAC rebate?
No. Burlington Hydro, Oakville Hydro and Alectra Utilities in Hamilton deliver electricity; they do not run separate furnace, air conditioner or heat pump equipment rebates. Provincial measures are delivered through Save on Energy, so that is the program page to read. Ignore any quote claiming a local utility rebate on equipment.
Do I have to remove my gas furnace to get a heat pump rebate?
No. A hybrid setup keeps the furnace as backup and lets the heat pump carry most of the season, and it is a normal configuration in Ontario. It also spreads the cost, since the furnace stays until it reaches end of life. Confirm the current measure rules on the program page before you order equipment.
How long does a rebate take to arrive after installation?
Plan on weeks, not days, and budget as though the rebate does not exist until it lands. Verification depends on the submitted invoice, the model and serial numbers, and the program's queue at that point in the year. Keep your permit copy and itemized invoice until the payment clears.
Are rebates worth waiting for before replacing a dead furnace?
No. If you have no heat in January, get the heat back on and handle the paperwork around the work. Programs pay on qualifying equipment installed by a participating contractor, not on how patiently you waited. Tell the contractor at the quote stage so the project is registered correctly from the start.