Ontario HVAC Rebates 2026: Every Rebate You Can Claim for Heating and Cooling Upgrades

Forty-three hundred dollars.

That’s what an Oakville homeowner left on the table last spring. She bought a cold-climate heat pump, qualified for two separate rebate programs, and only claimed one. Her contractor handed her the Enbridge Gas form at the end of the job and never said a word about the provincial program running through Save on Energy. She didn’t even know it existed.

I’ve been doing HVAC work across the GTA for over twenty years, and I run into this constantly. Homeowners spend hours comparing equipment specs and contractor prices, but they never dig into the rebate side of things. That’s real money walking out the door.

My name’s Tony Marchetti. I’m a senior technician at First Choice Heating & Air Conditioning. I’m TSSA-certified, I grew up in Woodbridge, and I’ve been installing and servicing furnaces, air conditioners, and heat pumps in Oakville, Mississauga, Burlington, and right across the GTA since the early 2000s. I wrote this guide because every week I talk to homeowners who are shocked to find out they could have claimed thousands more in rebates. Let me walk you through what’s actually available in 2026.

Disclaimer: Rebate amounts and program availability change without notice. Always verify current figures at the official program websites before committing to any purchase.

The Canada Greener Homes Grant Closed in 2024

Let’s clear this up right away, because at least half the homeowners I talk to still think this program is running.

The federal Canada Greener Homes Grant offered up to $5,000 for heat pump installations and was, for a few years, the single largest incentive available to Canadian homeowners. It closed to new applicants in February 2024. If you submitted your application before the deadline, you can check your status through Natural Resources Canada. If you didn’t get in under the wire, that program is done.

The good news? The provincial and utility programs that replaced it are solid, and in some cases the combined incentives actually exceed what the federal grant offered.

Ontario Home Renovation Savings Program

The Ontario Home Renovation Savings Program, administered through Save on Energy, is now the main provincial rebate for HVAC upgrades in Ontario. If you’re replacing a furnace, installing a heat pump, or upgrading your air conditioning in 2026, this is where you start.

Rebate amounts:

• Cold-climate air source heat pump: up to $7,500
• Ground source (geothermal) heat pump: up to $12,000
• Solar panels with energy storage: up to $10,000
• Attic insulation: up to $1,250
• Smart thermostat: $100
• Eligible appliances: up to $200

Here’s what makes this program better than the old federal one. You do not need a pre-upgrade EnerGuide evaluation. That was the single biggest headache with the Greener Homes Grant, and it’s gone. You apply directly after your installation is complete, submit your contractor’s invoice and equipment details, and wait for the cheque. Processing typically takes four to eight weeks.

Can you combine it with other incentives? Yes. That’s the whole point of this guide.

Enbridge Gas Rebates

If your home heats with natural gas, and most homes across the GTA do, Enbridge Gas runs a separate set of rebates that stack directly on top of the provincial program.

Current Enbridge offerings:

• Cold-climate air source heat pump: up to $2,000
• Heat pump (other eligible models): up to $3,000
• High-efficiency furnace (95%+ AFUE): $250 — only available when you complete at least two other qualifying upgrades at the same time
• Smart thermostat: $75–$125

Like the provincial program, Enbridge doesn’t require an EnerGuide evaluation. You apply online after installation with your proof of purchase and the contractor’s documentation. Expect six to eight weeks for processing.

The math on stacking: Install a cold-climate heat pump. Claim up to $7,500 from the Ontario HRSP plus up to $2,000 from Enbridge. That’s $9,500 in total rebates on a single installation. We’ve had homeowners in Mississauga and Oakville who got nearly ten grand back, and the equipment itself qualified because they chose the right model from the start.

Oil to Heat Pump Affordability Program

If your home currently heats with oil, the federal Oil to Heat Pump Affordability Program through NRCan offers up to $10,000 for replacing an oil furnace or boiler with a heat pump. This is separate from the now-closed Greener Homes Grant.

Eligibility is restricted to homes where oil is the primary heating fuel. Smaller pool of homeowners, sure, but if you qualify, the numbers are serious. Check current details through Natural Resources Canada.

Municipal Programs in the GTA

A few GTA municipalities run their own retrofit financing programs. Toronto’s Home Energy Loan Program (HELP) offers low-interest financing for energy retrofits, repaid through your property tax bill over ten to twenty years. The Ontario Energy Board lists additional support programs, including the Ontario Electricity Support Program for lower-income households.

These don’t hand you cash back the way the provincial rebate does, but the financing terms are often better than anything a bank will give you for a home improvement loan.

How to Stack Rebates in the Right Order

This is the part where people lose money. Rebate stacking has a sequence, and if you get it wrong, you can miss out on one of the programs entirely.

Step 1: Get quotes from licensed contractors first. Confirm the specific equipment model numbers meet the efficiency thresholds for both the Ontario HRSP and Enbridge before you buy anything. A unit that saves you $300 on the purchase price but doesn’t qualify for a $7,500 rebate just cost you a fortune.

Step 2: Proceed with installation. Make sure your contractor provides proper documentation, including model numbers, serial numbers, and AHRI certification numbers. No AHRI number, no rebate. Simple as that.

Step 3: Apply for the Ontario Home Renovation Savings Program rebate through saveonenergy.ca/homerenovationsavings.

Step 4: Apply separately for Enbridge Gas rebates through their online portal. These are two different applications, two different organizations.

Step 5: Check your municipality for any additional programs.

Organizations like HRAI and NRCan publish updates when program budgets are getting thin. Budget runs out, program closes, sometimes with barely any warning.

Which Upgrades Get You the Most Money

Cold-climate air source heat pump: up to $9,500+ total. This is the single highest-rebate HVAC upgrade available in Ontario right now. You get heating and cooling from one system, which is why the government incentives are so aggressive. Heat pumps from Daikin, Goodman, and Lennox all have cold-climate models that meet the program requirements. We install all three at First Choice.

Ground source heat pump: up to $12,000+ total. The Ontario HRSP alone covers up to $12,000 for geothermal systems. Higher upfront cost, no question about it, but the energy savings over fifteen to twenty years are substantial.

High-efficiency furnace: up to $250 from Enbridge, but only when bundled with two other qualifying upgrades. Not a huge number on its own, but it adds up if you’re doing a full system replacement alongside insulation or a smart thermostat.

Ductless mini-split heat pump: Same provincial and utility programs apply if the unit meets cold-climate specs. We’ve installed a lot of these in older Burlington and Oakville neighbourhoods where adding central ductwork just doesn’t make sense.

At First Choice, we install heat pumps and furnaces from Daikin, Goodman, Lennox, Amana, Clean Comfort, and Rheem, plus Rinnai tankless water heaters and Bradford White boilers. We’re a Goodman Private Label Plus Dealer and a Rinnai Pro installer, which means we get better pricing and extended warranties that we pass directly to the homeowner. All our technicians are in-house, TSSA-certified, and we’ve been at this for twenty years. We help with the rebate paperwork on every single job because we’d rather see you claim the money than leave it for someone else. Get a free quote and we’ll map out exactly what your home qualifies for before you commit to anything.

FAQ

Can I claim rebates on a rental property?

The Ontario HRSP and most utility programs target owner-occupied primary residences. Investment properties and rental units are generally excluded, though some Enbridge programs may still apply depending on the setup. Check with each program directly.

Do I need a specific contractor to qualify for rebates?

No, you can use any licensed HVAC contractor. But the contractor must hold a valid TSSA registration for gas work, and the equipment has to meet the published efficiency standards. Some contractors know the rebate paperwork inside and out, and that makes a real difference in how fast your application gets processed. Some don’t.

How long until the rebate cheque arrives?

Ontario HRSP rebates typically process in four to eight weeks after submission. Enbridge rebates take six to eight weeks. Plan for two to three months total from installation day to cheque in your mailbox.

Can I combine rebates with financing?

Yes. You can finance the full installation cost and still claim every eligible rebate. The rebate money comes directly to you. If you’re using a municipal financing program like Toronto’s HELP, the rebates reduce your outstanding loan balance.

What if I already started my Greener Homes Grant application before it closed?

Contact Natural Resources Canada directly to check your application status. If your pre-upgrade EnerGuide evaluation was completed before the February 2024 deadline, you may still be eligible under the old program rules.

Pull your last three Enbridge gas bills. Look at the annual usage trend. If your furnace is burning more gas each winter, the efficiency has dropped, and the math on upgrading, especially with current rebates stacked on top, starts looking very different from the sticker price on that new unit.

Ready to find out exactly which rebates your home qualifies for? Call First Choice Heating & Air Conditioning at 905-334-7885 or get a free quote at firstchoicehvac.ca. We’re TSSA-certified, backed by 43 five-star Google reviews, and we’ve been serving Oakville, Mississauga, Burlington, and the GTA for over twenty years. Every installation is done by our own technicians, not subcontractors, and we’re available 24/7 when emergencies hit.

About the Author:

Tony Marchetti is a TSSA-certified HVAC technician with over 20 years of hands-on experience. Born and raised in Woodbridge, Vaughan, he’s spent his career installing and servicing HVAC systems across Oakville, Mississauga, Burlington, and the Greater Toronto Area. As a senior technician at First Choice Heating & Air Conditioning, he holds Goodman Private Label Plus Dealer and Rinnai Pro certifications and works alongside a team of in-house technicians dedicated to honest, straightforward HVAC work.