Heat pumps are the single biggest growth area in residential trade work in Canada right now, driven by federal and provincial rebates that put real money toward switching homes off oil, propane and electric baseboard heat. The opportunity is genuine, but the rebate map changes constantly. Budgets run out, rates get cut, and programs close without much notice. The discipline that protects you and your client is the same every time: never quote a rebate figure from memory. Check the program's own live page on the day you quote.
Why rebate amounts are not in this guide
You will notice this guide names programs but does not list dollar amounts or deadlines. That is deliberate. This is the most fast-moving topic in the whole trade. A figure that was right last quarter can be wrong today, a program can be paused, and a stream can be fully subscribed and closed while still showing on an old blog post. Quoting a stale number to a homeowner who then does not get it is the fastest way to a complaint. So treat every rebate amount as something to confirm at source, every single time. Amounts and deadlines change often: check the program's own page before you quote a client.
The federal picture
The original Canada Greener Homes Grant, which paid toward insulation, windows, heat pumps and more, closed to new applicants in February 2024 and wound up completely at the end of 2025. The interest-free Canada Greener Homes Loan closed to new applications in January 2026. Neither has a direct like-for-like federal grant replacement. Two federal programs remain active heading into the second half of 2026:
- The Canada Greener Homes Affordability Program (CGHAP). This is the federal successor, but it works completely differently from the old grant. It is a no-cost, direct-install model for lower-income households, the federal government does not take applications directly, and it is delivered through each participating province or territory. A contractor who wants this work registers with the relevant provincial delivery organisation. Confirm whether your province has signed on, and what it covers, at the program page.
- The Oil to Heat Pump Affordability Program (OHPA). This is the most significant federal program still open for contractor-driven residential work. It provides an upfront payment to eligible homeowners switching from oil heat to an electric heat pump. There is no mandatory home energy evaluation under OHPA: the installer signs an attestation, and the equipment must appear on NRCan's eligible heat-pump list. The home must be on an integrated electricity grid. Application windows and the amount differ by province and by whether the province co-delivers, and some provinces have already exhausted their share. Confirm the current deadline, amount and your province's status at the program page before you sign anything.
The federal home page for all of these is natural-resources.canada.ca.
The provincial picture, in outline
Almost every province runs its own heat pump rebate, usually administered by the electric utility or a provincial efficiency agency, and these are where the bulk of the money sits. Rather than quote figures that will date, here is what to check in each:
- Ontario: the Home Renovation Savings Program, delivered through Enbridge Gas and Save on Energy. Pre-approval before installation is mandatory, and you must be on the program's participating-contractor list. Check homerenovationsavings.ca.
- British Columbia: CleanBC Better Homes and the income-qualified CleanBC Energy Savings Program, plus BC Hydro and FortisBC add-ons. Pre-registration is mandatory and, from 1 June 2026, the work must be done by a Home Performance Contractor Network (HPCN) member or the application is rejected. Check betterhomesbc.ca.
- Quebec: stands alone with its own programs, covered below.
- Atlantic Canada (Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, PEI, Newfoundland and Labrador): among the most generous in the country because of high oil-heat prevalence, delivered through Efficiency Nova Scotia, NB Power, efficiencyPEI and takeCHARGE. Several Atlantic streams have wound down or paused as funding was used up, so status checking matters most here.
- Prairies (Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta): more modest provincial rebates plus federal OHPA. Alberta has no confirmed province-wide residential heat pump rebate at the time of writing.
In every one of these, the amount, the deadline and whether the stream is still open change often. Check the program's own page before you quote a client.
Quebec stands alone
Quebec runs its heat pump programs separately from the federal stack, through Hydro-Quebec and the provincial government, and uses its own energy-advisor process (Renoclimat) rather than NRCan's EnerGuide. The three names to know are LogisVert (Hydro-Quebec's main heat pump grant), Renoclimat (the audit gateway) and Chauffez Vert (the oil-switch program). All require the work to be done by a contractor licensed by the Regie du batiment du Quebec (RBQ), and applications go through the Hydro-Quebec portal within a set window after installation. Equipment must be on Hydro-Quebec's eligible-model list before you order it. Confirm the current rates and windows at hydroquebec.com, because they too change.
How to protect yourself on every job
- Confirm the program is open and funded on the day you quote, not from an old note.
- Confirm you are a registered or approved contractor for that program before you bid. Many programs only pay the rebate if the installing contractor is on their list.
- Confirm the exact equipment model is on the program's eligible list before you order it. An unlisted model voids the rebate no matter how good it is.
- Get the homeowner's pre-approval in writing before you start. Several programs disqualify any work begun before approval.
Common mistakes
- Quoting a rebate amount from memory or an old article. The single biggest source of complaints in this work. Check the live page every time.
- Starting work before pre-approval. In Ontario, BC, PEI and others, work begun before written approval is automatically ineligible.
- Ordering an unlisted model. If it is not on the program's eligible-product list, the rebate is gone.
- Not being a registered contractor. Many programs only pay out when the installer is on their approved list, so check your status before you bid.
Know someone who needs this?
Keep reading
Was this guide useful?
Didn't find what you were looking for?
Spotted something wrong or out of date? Email us at hello@kilnguides.co.uk.
In crisis? 988 Suicide Crisis Helpline (call or text 988) ·