Unlike BC, where the heat pump rebate scales with your household income, Ontario's Home Renovation Savings Program scales the rebate by two completely different questions: what fuel are you switching from, and are you installing an air-source or ground-source system? Get the framing right and the number makes sense immediately.
Question 1: What are you switching from?
The program splits homeowners into two groups:
- Enbridge Gas customers currently heating with natural gas — the lower tier
- Everyone else — electric baseboards, oil, propane, or wood heat — the higher tier
The logic: gas furnaces are already relatively efficient and lower-emission than oil, propane, or electric resistance heat, so the program pushes harder (with a bigger incentive) to get homes off those fuels first.
Question 2: Air-source or ground-source?
Air-source heat pumps (the common wall-mounted or ducted units, pulling heat from outdoor air) are cheaper to install but less efficient in extreme cold. Ground-source (geothermal) systems cost far more upfront but perform consistently regardless of outdoor temperature — and the rebate reflects that cost gap.
| Current fuel | Air-source | Ground-source |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas (Enbridge) | up to $2,000 ($500/ton) | $3,000 flat |
| Electric, oil, propane, or wood | up to $7,500 ($1,250/ton) | up to $12,000 ($2,000/ton) |
✅ What "per ton" means
The rebate is calculated per ton of rated heating capacity at 8.3°C (47°F) — a standard cold-climate rating point. A typical Toronto home needs a 2–3 ton system, so most households land somewhere in the middle of their tier's range, not at the maximum cap.
What about renting a heat pump instead of buying?
Heat pump rentals are eligible too, at the lower rate regardless of your current fuel — up to $2,000 for air-source, $3,000 for ground-source. If you're not ready to commit to ownership, this is worth comparing against a purchase plus the higher-tier rebate.
A worked example
Say you're in a Toronto home currently heating with a gas furnace, and you install a 2.5-ton cold-climate air-source heat pump:
- You're an Enbridge Gas customer switching from gas — lower tier
- 2.5 tons × $500/ton = $1,250 (under the $2,000 cap, so you get the full $1,250)
Now compare a household with electric baseboard heat installing the same 2.5-ton system:
- Switching from electric — higher tier
- 2.5 tons × $1,250/ton = $3,125
Same equipment, same city, 2.5x the rebate — purely because of the current fuel.
How to check which model qualifies
There's no pre-approved brand list. Instead, the heat pump must appear on Natural Resources Canada's qualified products list for either cold-climate air-source or ground-source heat pumps. Ask any participating HVAC contractor to confirm the specific model is listed before you commit — it's a quick check on their end.
See your exact heat pump number
Tell us your current fuel and we'll calculate your Toronto-specific range.
Estimate my rebate →Source: homerenovationsavings.ca — heat pump rebate details. Confirm current rates there before applying.
Full Toronto heat pump rebate page → · All HRSP categories explained → · 6 mistakes that get this rebate rejected →