Quick quiz: how rebate programs work
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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 Nova Scotia rebate open today
Ottawa says you can combine them. Each program has its own rules. Amounts are the most you can get.
Applications open early 2027
Join the launch alert
- 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
Know someone with old heating? Send them this.
Only emails about this rebate. No spam, no sales calls. Unsubscribe anytime.
Read everything we know so far Official page: canada.ca
1. Know the program status before you plan around it
The federal Oil to Heat Pump Affordability Program, which paired up to $10,000 in federal money with up to $5,000 from the province, closed to new applicants on July 2, 2026 after its funding was fully allocated. If you already applied before the closure, you have until January 31, 2027 to complete the work and submit documents. If you haven't applied, that specific program is no longer an option — but up to $10,000 remains available through the Moderate Income and Home Energy Assessment Rebates, run by Efficiency Nova Scotia. (Efficiency Nova Scotia program page)
2. Budget for further Nova Scotia Power rate increases
Nova Scotia Power's rate rose 6.5% in a single step in January 2024, on top of prior increases, and the utility has a pattern of compounding hikes. Any payback calculation for a heat pump or insulation upgrade should assume the rate keeps rising, not stay flat, since a flat-rate assumption understates your real future savings.
3. If you have electric baseboard heat, get a walkthrough on efficient settings
Homeowners who switch from baseboards to a heat pump sometimes report a bill spike right after install, and the usual cause is the setback settings not being configured for how the household actually uses the space, not the equipment itself. Ask your installer to walk you through the schedule and setback temperatures before they leave, not just the thermostat's basic operation.
4. Insulate before, or alongside, switching off baseboards
Nova Scotia's older housing stock often has electric baseboard heat installed back when electricity was cheap, paired with thin wall insulation. Baseboards run at 100% efficiency; a heat pump runs at 300%+ for the same heat output. If your walls are poorly insulated, insulating first (or at the same time as the heat pump swap) means the heat pump doesn't have to work as hard to hold the temperature, which improves the payback on both upgrades.
5. Compare heating oil against electric before your next tank fill
Heating oil prices rose roughly 70% in a single year in Nova Scotia, which is the main reason demand for heat pump conversions spiked. If you're still on oil, run the comparison against a heat pump's operating cost at current Nova Scotia Power rates before locking in another season of oil deliveries.
6. Use the Winter Payment Plan if a spike catches you off guard
Nova Scotia Power's heating season can push bills up sharply as baseboards or oil systems run harder. If a bill lands higher than expected, ask about a payment plan that spreads the cost rather than absorbing the full hit in one month.
7. Seal and weatherstrip before winter, not during it
Door sweeps, outlet gaskets, and weatherstripping around window and door frames are the cheapest lever available and pay back within a season in a province this cold. Do it in fall, before the heating season starts, rather than mid-winter when it's harder to find and fix leaks.
8. Check your eligibility for the Moderate Income and Home Energy Assessment Rebates directly
With the federal oil-to-heat-pump program closed, this Efficiency Nova Scotia program is now the main standing incentive for a heat pump or insulation upgrade. Confirm your income tier and the current rebate ceiling before you get quotes, since the amount depends on both.
9. Use window coverings actively, not just as decoration
Open south-facing coverings on sunny winter days for free solar heat, close them at night to hold it in. It costs nothing and makes a real difference in a heating-dominated climate like Nova Scotia's.
10. Wash clothes cold and run full loads only
Water heating is one of the largest loads in a typical Nova Scotia home. Cold-water washing and full loads cut that load directly, at zero cost.
11. Get your real number before you commit
With the biggest federal program now closed to new applicants, the available rebate stack looks different than it did even a few months ago. Run your specific address through an assessment to see what's actually still available, rather than budgeting around a program that's no longer open.
Related Reading
- All Nova Scotia Rebate Programs
- Nova Scotia Heat Pump Rebate: What Happened to It
- Water Heater Buying Guide for Nova Scotia Homes
- Heat Pump Buyer's Guide: What Matters Before You Buy
Sources: Efficiency Nova Scotia — Oil to Heat Pump Affordability Program, CBC on Nova Scotia Power's January 2024 rate increase, CBC on heating oil price surge driving conversions.
