Heat Pump Rebate Ontario: Eligibility Checklist (2026)
This is the eligibility deep-dive of our full heat pump rebate guide — six checks that decide whether your home qualifies under the Home Renovation Savings program, and the two mistakes that disqualify more people than everything else combined.
The six checks
You own the home
Owners apply — including for tenant-occupied properties, where the owner also pays for the installation.
Eligible housing type
Single or semi-detached house, row house or townhome, or a mobile home on a permanent foundation.
You’re on an eligible heating path
Gas homes need an active Enbridge account. Electric, oil, propane, or wood homes need a connection to the Ontario electricity grid.
A participating contractor does the work
The contractor submits your paperwork — not every HVAC company is registered. Verify before you sign.
Nothing starts before pre-approval
The #1 rebate-killer: equipment purchased or work started before approval is not eligible.
You’re inside the program window
The reported funding window runs to November 30, 2026 (no official end date is published) — and the realistic last day to start is months earlier either way.
How much you qualify for depends on your fuel
Gas-heated home (active Enbridge account)
$500/ton · max $2,000
Electric, oil, propane, or wood heating
$1,250/ton · max $7,500
Ground-source (geothermal), non-gas home
$2,000/ton · max $12,000
Your exact number depends on system size (tons). The calculator does the math for your home in two minutes.
The two killers, explained
Starting early. Pre-approval has to clear before anything is bought or installed — sign a contract on Saturday, get approved Monday, and the project can still be ineligible. The pre-approval guide covers the timing in detail.
The wrong contractor. Only registered, participating contractors can submit your paperwork. A perfectly good installer who isn't registered means a perfectly ineligible project. Here's how to verify yours before signing anything.
Pass all six?
Get your rebate number, then a quote from a participating contractor — free, no obligation.
Check my number →Federal · announced, not open yet
The federal National Heat Pump Rebate: what changes here, and what doesn't
On October 8, 2026 the federal government announced a National Heat Pump Rebate: an announced $2,000 toward an eligible cold-climate heat pump, or an announced up to $10,000 for households below the median income. As of Oct 11, 2026 there is no program document, no income table, no Eligible Products List and no start date — nothing can be applied for yet, and the amounts are not included in any estimate on this site.
What it does not change: Ontario's Home Renovation Savings Program is open today, pays up to $7,500 for an air-source heat pump in a non-gas home ($2,000 in a gas-heated home), and still requires pre-approval through a Participating Contractor before any work starts. Our calculator shows HRS and the other programs that are open now; the federal amount is kept out of every total until the program publishes its rules.
Timing: the Prime Minister said the online portal will be accessible by January — a spoken promise, not a program date; news reports say early 2027, which is reported, not confirmed; and whether an installation done this fall will count is reported in conflicting ways and not confirmed anywhere. If your heating needs replacing now, the order of steps is unchanged: HRS pre-approval first, and keep every invoice and the unit's AHRI number.
What's confirmed, what's announced and what's still unknown →Common eligibility questions
Do renters qualify for the heat pump rebate?
The program requires home ownership — for tenant-occupied properties, the owner applies and pays for the installation. If you rent, the practical route is bringing the numbers to your landlord; the rebate plus lower operating costs is often a persuasive pitch.
Do condos qualify?
The listed housing types are single and semi-detached houses, row/townhomes, and mobile homes on permanent foundations. High-rise condo units aren’t in that list; freehold townhouses are — so it depends which one you own.
I have gas heat but my supplier isn’t Enbridge — am I eligible?
The gas path requires an active Enbridge account. Some non-Enbridge gas homes still have options — we cover the workarounds in the Enbridge vs non-Enbridge guide.
What disqualifies people most often?
Starting work before pre-approval. Equipment bought or installed before the paperwork clears is not eligible — no exceptions. Second most common: using a contractor who isn’t registered to submit for the program.
Independent guide; not affiliated with the Government of Ontario or any utility. Rules verified against homerenovationsavings.ca. Verified June 2026.