What window rebates pay in Halifax
From Efficiency Nova Scotia's Home Energy Assessment rebate guide (August 2026), still linked from its program page on October 3, 2026.
ENERGY STAR windows and doors
Through the Home Energy Assessment. Paid per opening you replace with an ENERGY STAR certified product.
Air sealing
Often the cheaper way to stop the drafts people blame on windows.
Assessment total
Window money counts toward the same $5,000 cap as insulation and heat pumps.
Canada’s new heat pump rebate is worth up to $10,000. Get an email the day it opens
Planning a heat pump too? This one is on top of the rebates above, and we’ll email you the day it opens.
- 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
The honest math
A Halifax house replacing 12 windows and 2 doors has 14 rough openings. At $30 each, that is $420. New windows for a whole house cost far more than that, so the rebate covers a small slice. If your windows are failing (rot, broken seals, fogging), replace them and take the $420. If they are just old, compare them with the insulation and air sealing in your assessment report first.
What counts as a rough opening
A rough opening is the framed hole in the wall that a window or door sits in. Efficiency Nova Scotia counts the openings you replace with ENERGY STAR certified products and pays $30 for each. Doors count too, as long as the product is ENERGY STAR certified. Ask your window supplier for the certification and keep the paperwork for your final assessment.
Halifax homes and windows
About 45% of Halifax households live in homes built before 1981, according to Statistics Canada's 2021 Census. If your windows are original to a house that age, they are the ones most likely to be due. About 8% of Halifax households live in homes built before 1946, where windows can be part of a home's character. Refurbishing and adding storm windows may suit those houses better than full replacement.
Renters can't claim this rebate, because the homeowner must book the assessment. That leaves out a large share of Halifax: 42% of households rent.
When to do windows, and when to wait
Do the assessment before you sign a window contract. The advisor's report shows where your house actually loses heat. If it points to the attic or basement, those rebates are bigger: up to $750 for the attic and $1,200 for basement walls. Air sealing pays $200 and can stop drafts around frames for much less than new windows. If you are planning a heat pump too, doing the shell first can let you buy a smaller unit.
If your household income is lower, HomeWarming may cover draft-proofing and insulation at no charge. Moderate-income homes heated with oil or propane can get up to $5,000 more through the Moderate Income Rebate, with pre-approval.
Why Nova Scotia's window rebate looks small
If you have read about window rebates elsewhere, Nova Scotia's will look low. In British Columbia, BC Hydro and FortisBC pay $100 per window or door, up to $2,000. Efficiency Nova Scotia's bigger amounts go to heat pumps, insulation and free upgrades for lower-income homes instead. That is a good hint about where your own money goes furthest in a Nova Scotia house, and why the assessment report is worth reading before you order anything.
How to get the window rebate in Halifax
- Book a Home Energy Assessment before you order windows ($199, or free if your income qualifies).
- Read the report. Compare window replacement with the insulation and air sealing it recommends.
- Buy ENERGY STAR certified windows and doors, and keep the certification paperwork.
- Finish the installation within 12 months of your first assessment.
- Book the final assessment so the advisor can count your new openings.
Common questions
How much is the window rebate in Halifax?
$30 per rough opening for ENERGY STAR certified windows and doors, through Efficiency Nova Scotia's Home Energy Assessment.
Do I need an assessment for the window rebate?
Yes. The window rebate is paid only through the Home Energy Assessment, with a visit before the work and a final visit after.
Is it worth replacing windows for the rebate?
Not for the rebate alone. It covers a small part of the cost. Replace windows that are failing, and compare them with the insulation and air sealing your assessment recommends.
Do doors count for the Nova Scotia window rebate?
Yes. ENERGY STAR certified exterior doors count as rough openings at $30 each.
What to do next
See insulation rebates in Halifax, which pay more per dollar, or the full list of Efficiency Nova Scotia rebates.
By Sam Menard. Sources, last read October 9, 2026: Efficiency Nova Scotia: Home Energy Assessments, Home Energy Assessment Rebate Guide (Aug 2026), NRCan: ENERGY STAR windows and doors, Statistics Canada, 2021 Census table 98-10-0233-01. All Halifax rebates → Every Efficiency Nova Scotia rebate →
