Federal and provincial rebate programs are essential incentives for Canadians to adopt greener HVAC solutions. That means HVAC pros must stay on top of the available rebates, even as each program’s specifics change. 

To make that more accessible, we’ve gathered some critical updates to rebate programs across Canada. 

Update on Federal Greener Homes Grant (April 18, 2024)

Late last year, the federal government announced it would stop accepting new applications for the Greener Homes Grant in March 2024. The program proved so popular that it met its $2.6 billion budget years earlier than expected. Anyone who already has an approved application and is waiting for their projects to be completed will not be impacted. 

In April, the government released a new budget, which includes the launch of a Canadian Greener Homes Affordability Program (CGHAP). Beginning in 2025, an investment of $800 million over five years will install energy efficiency retrofits for Canadian households with low to median incomes.

Provincial HVAC rebate updates for 2024 

A handful of provinces adjusted their rebate and incentive programs in 2024. If you’re in the habit of educating homeowners on some of the savings available, ensure you’re up to date on the latest details. 

British Columbia 

BC has the BC Hydro Home Renovation Rebate and FortisBC’s Heat Pump Rebate that homeowners can use. Both of these have carried over since 2023, but with the closure of the Greener Homes Grant, some of the eligible savings have been lowered. 

For instance, previously, you could receive up to $11,000 in rebates for heat pump installations when switching from natural gas, oil or propane—$5000 of which came from the Greener Homes Grant. In 2024, the maximum rebate for installations like this is $6000. 

Saskatchewan 

SaskEnergy’s Residential Equipment Replacement Rebate offers modest rebates for replacing older HVAC equipment with newer high-efficiency solutions in Saskatchewan. For example, installing an ENERGY STAR-certified tankless water heater is eligible for a $1000 rebate, while installing a new furnace with a 96.0% to 96.9% AFUE is eligible for a $325 rebate. 

You can see the latest details and a full range of options on the SaskEnergy website.

Manitoba 

Manitoba homeowners can save with Efficiency Manitoba’s Heat Pump Program or Manitoba Hydro’s Home Energy Efficiency Loan. 

The former provides rebates based on square footage. For example, installing an air-source heat pump can equal a rebate of up to $1.65 per square foot, while installing a ground-source heat pump equals a rebate of up to $2.50 per square foot. 

Meanwhile, the Home Energy Efficiency Loan isn’t a rebate but provides up to a $20,000 loan for eligible geothermal heat pump or solar photovoltaic system installations. 

Ontario 

If you’re a resident of Toronto, you can take advantage of the city’s Home Energy Loan Program, which is similar to the one offered by Manitoba Hydro. This program provides up to a $75,000 loan for eligible air source heat pump upgrades or installations. 

Other incentive programs around the corner? 

With the early closure of the Greener Homes Grant and increasing Canadian interest in installing higher-efficiency heating and cooling equipment, we’ll likely see more announcements from the federal and provincial governments shortly. 

Early this year, BC Premier David Eby hinted that more collaboration with the federal government on financial aid for heat pump installations, for example, could be needed. But we’ll have to wait and see. 

In the meantime, it’s essential for HVAC pros to stay on top of the ever-changing rebate landscape—especially since they’re just powerful incentives for homeowners to upgrade their existing heating and cooling systems.