Heating with electricity? What the Ontario heat pump rebate offers your home
Electrically heated homes are in the higher Home Renovation Savings heat pump rebate group. Here is what the official pages say about the amounts, keeping your electric backup, mini-splits and the federal rebate.
If you heat your home with electricity, Home Renovation Savings puts you in the higher heat pump rebate group. Here is what the official pages say today, and the rules that matter most for electric homes.
Which rebate group you are in
Home Renovation Savings is the Ontario program open now. It is brought to you by Enbridge Gas and Save on Energy. The heat pump rebate depends on how you heat your home now.
An electrically heated home is in the electricity, oil, propane or wood group. Your home must be connected to the Ontario electricity grid through a local electricity utility or distribution company in Ontario.
There is one exception. Cornwall Electric customers who heat with electricity are on the Hydro-Québec grid. They are not eligible unless they are converting to or from Enbridge natural gas.
How much
- A cold climate air source heat pump gets $1,250 per ton, up to $7,500.
- A ground source heat pump gets $2,000 per ton, up to $12,000.
For an air source heat pump, the tons come from the minimum rated heating capacity at 8.3°C (47°F). The tonnage is not rounded. It is multiplied by the per-ton amount. The program's own example: a unit rated at 3.2 tons gets $4,000 in an electrically heated home.
Keeping your electric heat as backup
For electrically heated homes, you may keep your existing electric backup. The heat pump can work on its own or alongside a backup system. Only the heat pump gets the rebate, not the backup.
Mini-splits and multi-splits
If you choose a mini-split or multi-split, both the indoor and outdoor units must be installed. Replacing only one part, or adding a new indoor unit, is not eligible.
If your home has no ducts, our guide to ductless vs. central heat pumps explains the choices. For how capacity is chosen, see our sizing guide.
The usual rules still apply
- It must be the first space heating heat pump in the home. If you already have one, you are not eligible.
- The model must be on Natural Resources Canada's qualified products list.
- You must own the home and pay for the purchase and installation. Where an owner has tenants, the owner must apply.
- The home must be a single detached, semi-detached, row house, townhome, or mobile home on a permanent foundation. New builds occupied for six months or less do not qualify.
- The contractor must be registered and listed with the program before the installation.
- Pre-approval is mandatory. Installations done before approval are not eligible.
Once the post-installation application is approved, the cheque should arrive by mail within 60 days.
The federal rebate
The federal National Heat Pump Rebate was announced on October 8, 2026. The federal government says households can be eligible for $2,000, or up to $10,000 for low- to median-income households. It says an online portal will open in early 2027, and that the retroactivity period starts on November 1, 2026.
Rebate amounts, eligibility rules, eligible heat pumps and how to apply are to be published as of November 1, 2026. Until then, the federal rules are not decided in public. Home Renovation Savings is the program you can apply to today. For its full steps, see Home Renovation Savings, explained.
If you heat with electricity and want to see where you stand, you can check your rebate and ask for a free quote, with no obligation.
This post is based on this article.