Ontario's Home Renovation Savings Program: which 2026 rebates are actually worth claiming?

BuildersLTD
Fri, 17 Apr 2026 22:57:53 +0000
Ontario

Ontario’s Home Renovation Savings Program stacks Enbridge + Save on Energy rebates from $75 up to $17,000+ across heat pumps, insulation, windows, and smart thermostats — confirmed running through November 2026. Been getting a lot of questions at the shop this month about it, and half the homeowners I talk to either don’t know it exists or think it’s only for heat pumps. Figured it was time for a plain-English breakdown from the tool-belt side, not the marketing side.

What’s actually on the table

The program can stack rebates from about $75 (smart thermostat only) all the way up to $17,000+ if you’re swapping out oil heat for a cold-climate heat pump and layering the federal Oil-to-Heat Pump Affordability grant on top. Most homeowners I’ve quoted fall in the $1,500 to $7,500 range. Key line items worth knowing:

Up to $5,000 for gas-heated homes, up to $10,000 for electrically heated homes on heating upgrades

Up to $7,700 on the bundled insulation stream (attic + walls + basement + air sealing)

Up to $1,000 on the attic-only stream with no energy audit required

$100 per rough opening for qualifying windows and doors

$100 for a smart thermostat, up to $200 for some appliances

The two paths to know: single-upgrade (one measure, no audit, faster cheque) vs. bundled (pre- and post-retrofit audit, but you can layer rebates for a much bigger total). For any kitchen or bath gut-reno we’re doing this year, I’m leaning hard on the bundled path. The audit costs $400 to $600 and it pays for itself the moment you add insulation to the project scope.

The part homeowners keep missing

If you’re already tearing down walls for a kitchen reno, exterior doors, or a basement finish, that’s the moment to fold in the insulation and air sealing work. Once drywall is back up, you’ve lost your chance. I’ve seen people spend $80K on a gut reno and leave $4K to $6K of rebate on the table because the insulation scope got cut to stay “on budget.” It’s money you were going to spend anyway on a warmer house. Just time it with the reno.

The 2026 electrical code angle nobody’s talking about

The other thing to keep on your radar: the 2026 Ontario electrical code updates are now biting on renovation permits. Expanded AFCI protection, EV-ready rough-in in new construction, tighter GFCI zones, stricter outdoor and bathroom circuit rules. If you’re already opening up walls and doing a panel upgrade, add the EV-ready conduit run to the garage or driveway. Pulling a 40A circuit with conduit while drywall is down costs a few hundred dollars. Retrofitting it later is $3K to $5K. Same logic as the insulation: it’s about what’s cheap to do when the project is already open.

Quick personal opinion

The rebate program is good, but it’s a calendar risk. It’s confirmed through November 2026, and these things don’t always get renewed on schedule. If you’ve been sitting on the fence about a heat pump, attic insulation, or a window package for north-facing rooms, this is the year. I’d rather have the money in a homeowner’s pocket than left on the government’s table.

Over to you

Anyone on here gone through the bundled audit path? How did the pre/post inspection timing work with your reno schedule?

What’s the most surprising rebate you’ve actually collected this cycle?

Any stories of rebates that got denied? I want to help people avoid the same traps.

If you’re newer to the forum and want to catch up on how we break down permits, contractor vetting, and the usual renovation cost gotchas, start with the most commonly asked questions thread. It’s the fastest way to get oriented.

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