Home Renovation Savings Program Ontario 2026: Complete Rebate Walkthrough

What HRS Actually Pays For in 2026 (Measure-by-Measure)

HRS is co-delivered by Save on Energy (the Independent Electricity System Operator) and Enbridge Gas under provincial oversight. The program is confirmed through November 30, 2026 on a first-come-first-served budget.[5] These are the per-measure rebate amounts published on the Save on Energy program page as of April 2026. Amounts can change. Always confirm current values on the official portal before you commit to a project.

Heat Pumps (the biggest line item)

Insulation, Air Sealing, Windows and Doors

The total program cap is $5,000 for natural-gas-heated homes and $10,000 for homes heated by electricity, oil, propane, or wood , plus up to $600 back for the EnerGuide assessment on the bundled path.[1][3] The $7,500 figure everyone quotes is the single-measure air-source heat pump cap in an electrically heated home. It is not the whole-program cap.

Eligibility: Home Type, Ownership, Existing Equipment Age

You must own the home and live in it as your primary residence. Eligible property types are single-detached, semi-detached, townhome, or row house in Ontario. Condominium units are generally excluded from standalone HRS, although condo corporations may access related IESO programs. Seasonal cottages and investment properties are not eligible.

Your home must be heated primarily by electricity, natural gas, oil, propane, or wood. There is no household income test for standard HRS, which is a meaningful difference from the Energy Affordability Program. For heat pump rebates, the existing heating system has to be functional and the new equipment has to be sized, installed, and commissioned by a participating contractor. There is no hard age floor on the equipment being replaced, but the system being removed must be the actual primary heating source.

The Pre-Retrofit EnerGuide Audit Requirement

This is the single biggest source of rejections, so read carefully. If you are doing two or more upgrades and want the full program caps, HRS requires a pre-retrofit EnerGuide evaluation before any work starts .[7] The evaluation has to be performed by a Natural Resources Canada registered energy advisor using the EnerGuide Rating System. DIY audits, HVAC contractor heat calculations, and builder energy ratings do not count.

A typical pre-retrofit evaluation runs $500 to $700 including blower door testing and the written EnerGuide report. Save on Energy refunds up to $600 for one of the two evaluations on the bundled path, effectively covering one of them.[1]

To find a participating advisor, use the NRCan registered energy advisor lookup and confirm the advisor is specifically enrolled with Save on Energy HRS. Not every NRCan-registered advisor is active with HRS, and an advisor who is not enrolled cannot file the evaluation into the HRS system, which means your file cannot move forward even if the audit itself is valid. See ourEnergy Audit Ontario guidefor the full advisor-vetting checklist.

How to Apply: Step-by-Step Walkthrough

This is the actual workflow, in order, using the Save on Energy portal.[2]

1. Pick your path. Single-upgrade if you are doing one measure (for example only a heat pump). Bundled if you are doing two or more (heat pump plus insulation plus air sealing is the most common stack). The path decision drives everything downstream.
2. Register on the HRS portal. Create an account at homerenovationsavings.ca using the same email you will use for communications.[2] Your contractor will reference your application ID on their end.
3. Book the pre-retrofit EnerGuide evaluation if you are on the bundled path. Confirm the advisor is enrolled with HRS before the appointment. Receive the EnerGuide report and H2K file.
4. Select a participating contractor. Heat pump, insulation, and window installers must be enrolled with HRS. The Save on Energy contractor finder is the authoritative list.[1] Verify enrolment on the portal before you sign a contract, not after.
5. Install the upgrades. Retain all invoices, ENERGY STAR product specs, AHRI certificates for heat pumps, and photos of installed insulation depths. The contractor submits their portion of the file to HRS.
6. Book the post-retrofit EnerGuide evaluation (bundled path only). This evaluation documents the efficiency improvement in the EnerGuide rating and is required for the rebate to be approved.[9]
7. Submit the final application package in the HRS portal. Save on Energy reviews, approves, and issues payment. Plan on 6 to 12 weeks from complete-submission to funds landing.

Stacking HRS with Enbridge HER+

For 2026 residential retrofits, HRS and Enbridge are effectively one application. Enbridge Gas is a co-delivery partner and natural gas customers apply through the same Save on Energy portal for most measures.[6] The legacy HER+ program that ran as a standalone Enbridge rebate was rolled into HRS for new residential applications, which means you should not expect a second cheque from Enbridge for the same heat pump or the same insulation job.

There are still a few edge cases where HER+ style rebates operate separately. Commercial gas conservation measures, certain in-flight residential files that were started under HER+ before HRS opened, and specific boiler and tankless water heater incentives can still flow through Enbridge channels. The governing rule is one rebate per measure. You cannot collect HRS money for a heat pump and also HER+ money for the same heat pump. If you are unsure, ask your contractor to confirm which portal the rebate is being filed in, and read ourOntario HVAC Rebate Stacking Guidefor the full compatibility matrix.

The order of application is simple in 2026: HRS is primary, Enbridge is the co-delivery channel, and any residual HER+ lines sit underneath. File in the HRS portal first.

Stacking HRS with the Federal CGHAP Program

The federal Canada Greener Homes Affordability Program (CGHAP) replaced the closed Canada Greener Homes Grant and is now an income-qualified, direct-install-style program delivered through provincial partners. CGHAP has an $800 million envelope over five years starting 2025-26 and is explicitly designed to stack with provincial programs like HRS.

The practical stacking math for an income-qualified household doing a bundled heat pump and insulation retrofit:

• CGHAP (federal): up to roughly $10,000 toward heat pump and envelope measures, subject to income verification
• HRS (provincial): up to $5,000 (gas home) or $10,000 (electric home) for the same package, minus any measures already covered by CGHAP to avoid double-counting
• Combined: up to approximately $15,000 on a single project for a household that qualifies for both

Not every HRS rebate line is stackable with CGHAP dollar for dollar. Where the same measure is covered by both programs, the funder with the higher per-measure amount typically takes priority and HRS tops up to the provincial cap. Always confirm the current stacking rules on the Save on Energy and NRCan pages before assuming the full $15,000.[8]

Common Application Rejections and How to Avoid Them

Six issues account for the majority of HRS file delays and rejections. Every one of them is avoidable if you read the program rules before the work starts.

1. Pre-retrofit audit missing or late. Bundled applicants who install before the pre-retrofit EnerGuide evaluation lose the bundled path entirely. Book the audit first.
2. Non-participating contractor. The installer must be enrolled with HRS at the time the work is invoiced. Check enrolment status on the Save on Energy contractor finder before you sign.
3. Wrong ENERGY STAR tier. HRS references specific ENERGY STAR Most Efficient or CCHPWG cold-climate heat pump tiers. Installing a model that is ENERGY STAR certified but does not hit the HRS tier is a common rejection.
4. Missing AHRI certificate. Heat pump rebates require an AHRI certificate matching the installed outdoor and indoor unit combination. Your contractor should provide this automatically, but confirm it is in the final package.
5. Incomplete insulation documentation. Insulation claims need pre and post installation photographs, product data sheets, and installed R-value calculations. Missing photos are the number one insulation rejection.
6. Mismatched names or addresses. The name on the HRS application has to match the homeowner of record, and the address has to match the property tax roll. Common law partners and recently moved homeowners hit this constantly.

Post-Retrofit Audit and Rebate Disbursement Timeline

After the upgrades are installed, the bundled-path post-retrofit EnerGuide evaluation confirms the efficiency gain. The advisor files the updated H2K file into the HRS system, which automatically recalculates the eligible rebate based on the measured improvement.[9]

From the date the last required document lands in the HRS portal, expect:

• Weeks 1 to 3: Save on Energy administrative review and eligibility verification
• Weeks 3 to 6: Technical review (heat pump sizing, ENERGY STAR tier, insulation R-value)
• Weeks 6 to 10: Approval notice and payment processing
• Weeks 10 to 12: Funds landing via direct deposit or cheque

If your file is past 12 weeks without an approval notice, log into the HRS portal and check for a pending-documents flag. Most delays past 12 weeks come from a document request the homeowner missed.

Real Ontario Household Example: Worked Math

A typical 1980s detached home in Mississauga, 2,100 square feet, currently heated with natural gas. The homeowner is replacing a 20-year-old furnace and air conditioner with a cold-climate air-source heat pump plus backup gas furnace, topping up attic insulation from R-20 to R-60, and installing a smart thermostat.

If the same household were in an electrically heated home instead of gas, the heat pump line alone would jump from $1,500 to $3,750 and the overall HRS subtotal would clear $5,700 before any CGHAP stack. See ourHeat Pump vs Furnace Ontario guidefor the equipment selection side of this decision.

When HRS Is Not the Best Rebate

HRS is the default program for most Ontario homeowners in 2026, but there are three situations where a different program is a better fit.

Income-qualified households: The Save on Energy Energy Affordability Program and the Home Winterproofing Program provide the same upgrades as HRS at no cost to the homeowner. If you qualify, start there. HRS is still useful as a top-up for measures those programs do not cover.

Condo owners: Standalone HRS generally excludes condos. Work with your condo corporation to access commercial-side IESO programs instead.

Emergency replacements: If your furnace dies in January and you have no time for a bundled-path pre-retrofit EnerGuide audit, the single-upgrade path is your only option. You will lose access to the bundled caps, but you keep the single-measure rebate. Plan ahead where possible.

Related Guides

• Ontario HVAC Rebate Stacking Guide(the full stacking matrix across HRS, CGHAP, HER+, and municipal programs)
• Ontario Home Energy Rebates 2026(overview of every rebate program)
• Energy Audit Ontario(how to pick a registered energy advisor)
• Heat Pump vs Furnace Ontario
• Rebates Pillar

Frequently Asked Questions