Ontario Home Renovation Savings: Book the Energy Audit First

By Sam Menard · Updated October 20, 2026

Canada’s new heat pump rebate is worth up to $10,000. Get an email the day it opens

Applications are not open yet. Ottawa says they open in early 2027, and that you can add this rebate on top of provincial ones.

Up to $10,000

if your household earns below the median income

$2,000

for other homeowners who qualify

Stack it with the Ontario rebate open today

• OntarioUp to $12,000

Ottawa says you can combine them. Each program has its own rules. Amounts are the most you can get.

Applications open early 2027

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• Launch-day email, with what to do first
• Who qualifies for the $10,000, once Ottawa says
• A short hello now, so you know it worked

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Read everything we know so far Official page: canada.ca

The audit comes before any work

In the assessment stream, a registered energy advisor visits your home for a pre-audit before any work starts. The advisor works at an authorized service organization. After the upgrades, a post-audit measures what changed. You need at least two qualified upgrades, and the program pays for them on top of the audit.

If a contractor starts work before the pre-audit, that work is not part of the stream. That is why we say: call the advisor first.

The dates that matter in 2026

• The post-audit must happen within 180 days of the pre-audit or by December 31, 2026, whichever comes first.
• Post-audits must be scheduled in the program's tracking system by November 30, 2026.

As of October 20, 2026, there are about ten weeks left. If you have not started, book the pre-audit now. The rules we read do not say whether the stream continues in 2027, so do not plan on it.

What you can claim

The program pays a $600 audit rebate, and $500 more if you complete three or more upgrades. Caps are $5,000 for Enbridge gas homes and $10,000 for homes heated by electricity, oil, propane or wood. Some of the upgrade amounts:

• Attic insulation to at least R-50: $1,500, $1,200 or $900, depending on how much insulation you start with.
• Exterior walls: $1,200, $2,100 or $3,600, depending on how much you add.
• Basement walls: $900 or $1,500. A basement slab pays $500 and a foundation header $300.
• Windows and doors: $100 per rough opening.
• Heat pump water heater: $500.
• Air sealing: $200, or $250 if you beat the base target by 10%.

Insulation can add up to $7,700 in total. Semi-detached and end-unit row homes get 75% of the wall and basement maximums, and middle-unit rows get 50%. Each measure has its own minimum area and starting level, so your advisor's report matters.

Three ways people lose the rebate

1. Work before the pre-audit. The audit has to come first.
2. Only one upgrade. The stream needs at least two qualified measures.
3. No post-audit booked. If it is not scheduled by November 30 and finished by December 31, the stream rebate is at risk.

Also note that homes that already got rebates under the older Home Efficiency Rebate programs cannot double-dip.

Choosing an advisor

You need a registered energy advisor at an authorized service organization. In Ontario, our directory lists 75 licensed organizations. Ask three questions: what is the price of both visits, how soon can you do the pre-audit, and will you schedule the post-audit for me?

NRCan says the two evaluations average $600 to $1,000 together, and are usually paid after the service. Since the program pays a $600 audit rebate, ask the advisor how that rebate shows up for you.

Only need attic insulation?

There is a separate attic stream with no assessment. It pays 50% of the after-tax attic insulation cost, up to $1,250 for an attic and $750 for a cathedral ceiling or flat roof. You pre-register, have an in-home visit before work, use a participating insulation contractor, and finish by November 30, 2026. It covers 100% of the roof assembly, so partial jobs do not count.

Common questions

More on the federal heat pump rebate

• Ontario rebates by city
• Ontario Home Renovation Savings explained

Sources, read October 20, 2026: Home Renovation Savings: assessment stream requirements (PDF), Home Renovation Savings: with an assessment, Home Renovation Savings: attic stream requirements (PDF), NRCan: find service organizations for existing homes.