Definition — the three rebate streams to know about
Federal: The Canada Greener Homes Grant offered up to $5,000 for eligible home retrofits including cold-climate heat pumps, plus interest-free loans. The grant portion closed to new applications in early 2024. [GATHER: current federal residential heat-pump program status July 2026 — has a successor been announced?]
Provincial / utility: Enbridge Gas's Home Efficiency Rebate Plus (HER+) has offered co-funded incentives with NRCan for eligible retrofits including heat pumps. Save on Energy (delivered through the IESO) has offered heat-pump and equipment incentives for eligible customers. [GATHER: current HER+ and Save on Energy heat-pump incentive amounts + eligibility July 2026].
Enbridge and utility programs typically require an EnerGuide pre-retrofit audit by a registered energy advisor and a post-retrofit audit — the audit itself has been co-funded historically.
When rebates realistically apply to your project
Rebate programs typically require: cold-climate ENERGY STAR certified equipment, a licensed contractor, an eligible fuel-switching or efficiency-improvement scenario, and often a pre- and post-retrofit EnerGuide audit.
Rental units and secondary suites are frequently excluded or have separate program rules. Commercial and multi-residential projects have entirely different program paths.
Failure modes — the classic rebate mistakes
The most common mistake: signing an installation contract before booking the pre-retrofit EnerGuide audit. Most programs require the audit be completed first — signing before the audit disqualifies the project.
The second most common: choosing equipment that isn't on the program's qualified-products list. Even a cold-climate heat pump can be disqualified if that specific model wasn't submitted for listing. Verify the model number against the current qualified-products list before signing.
Third: assuming the rebate amount your neighbour got two years ago still applies. Program caps get hit, rules get revised, and quotes need to reflect current terms — not last year's.
Proof — where to verify current program status
Federal residential energy programs: check the Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) website — natural-resources.canada.ca — for current program status and eligibility.
Provincial gas-utility incentives: check Enbridge Gas's residential energy programs page directly. Save on Energy (IESO) publishes current residential incentives on saveonenergy.ca.
This information changes without notice. Always verify at the current program page before committing to any specific rebate amount in a purchase decision.
Action — the questions to ask your installer
Before signing any quote, ask: (1) which specific rebate programs is my equipment eligible for at today's date? (2) will you help with the paperwork, or is that on me? (3) can I see the program's qualified-products list and confirm my model number is on it? (4) if the rebate closes before my install date, what happens to the quoted price?
Reputable installers volunteer this information without being pressed. Metroheat states what's currently confirmable at time of quote — never promises a rebate amount we can't verify with the program that day. Call (416) 283-5698 to book a consultation.