What Home Renovation Savings pays for a heat pump in Cambridge
We re-read the program's heat pump page and its requirements document on October 3, 2026. No home energy assessment is needed for this stream, but a participating HVAC contractor and written pre-approval are.
Air-source, electric, oil, propane or wood heat
For a cold-climate air-source heat pump replacing electric resistance, oil, propane or wood as the main heat. A 3-ton system pays $3,750 and 6 tons or more reaches the cap.
Air-source, Enbridge gas heat
For homes primarily heated by an Enbridge gas furnace or boiler. The cap is reached at 4 tons.
Ground-source
For electric, oil, propane or wood homes. Gas homes get a flat $3,000. The system must be a full installation sized to the home's load.
Rented heat pump
Rentals are eligible for any primary heating fuel: $500 per ton for air-source, up to $2,000, or a flat $3,000 for ground-source.
More than one outdoor unit
If several outdoor units are needed to heat the whole home, their tons add up and one rebate is paid on the total, for example 3 + 3 tons for $7,500.
One rebate, pre-approved
One rebate per home. The contractor needs written pre-approval before installing, files the post-installation application within 30 days, and the cheque arrives within 60 days of approval.
RetrofitWR loan
Up to $40,000 over 10 or 15 years. For GrandBridge Energy customers in Cambridge and North Dumfries, repaid on the bill, for projects that cut energy use by 25% or more.
Cambridge: Federal heat pump rebate coming in early 2027: up to $10,000 for households below the median income and $2,000 for other eligible homeowners. Home Renovation Savings pays now, and Ottawa says the federal rebate can be combined with provincial programs. Read what is confirmed or decide whether to wait.
Canada’s new heat pump rebate is worth up to $10,000. Get an email the day it opens
Ottawa says you can add it on top of provincial rebates like the ones on this page.
- Up to $10,000
- if your household earns below the median income
- $2,000
- for other homeowners who qualify
Stack it with the Ontario 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.
How Ottawa says it will work (plans, not final rules)
- Apply online when your heating breaks or gets old
- Approved in 24 hours no home energy audit needed
- Payment approved in 5 days sent by direct deposit after you upload receipts
Read everything we know so far Official page: canada.ca
The requirements document lists no end date, but the program's other streams close in late 2026, so check the program page before you sign a contract. Pre-approval is mandatory: an installation done first earns nothing.
The loan and the rebate
RetrofitWR's loan is repaid on the GrandBridge Energy bill over 10 or 15 years, for customers in Cambridge and North Dumfries. The project must reduce energy use by at least 25%. A heat pump replacing electric baseboards or oil may reach that on its own, while a heat pump added to a gas home may need other measures. Ask the Region what evidence it needs.
Cambridge housing
The 2021 Census counts 51,270 households in Cambridge. 48% live in homes built before 1981, 57% in detached houses, 77% in an eligible type and 69% own. 12,780 are owner-occupied detached houses of that older era. 5.2% report needing major repairs.
Ground-source and the Region
Where a lot has room for a ground loop, ground-source pays $2,000 per ton up to $12,000 for electric, oil, propane and wood homes, or $3,000 flat for gas homes, and the loan can finance the higher upfront cost. Direct-expansion systems are not eligible, and the loop must be sized to the home's load.
Free coaching across the Region
The Region's Energy Coach is free for homeowners in Waterloo Region, whether or not they qualify for the loan. Use it to compare quotes, since heat pump sizing and ductwork are the usual sources of disagreement between contractors.
Owner and payer
The applicant must own the home and be the person paying for the purchase and installation. A Cambridge owner using the RetrofitWR loan is still the payer, with the loan repaid on the utility bill. Where an owner has tenants, the owner applies, and a tenant cannot apply for the owner.
How to claim in Cambridge
- Ask GrandBridge Energy and the Region about RetrofitWR before you sign a contract.
- Confirm eligibility on the program's short form and get the list of participating HVAC contractors.
- Choose a contractor from that list. Ask for a load calculation and the NRCan sizing tool form for each outdoor unit.
- Wait for written pre-approval before any installation starts.
- After the install, check that the contractor files the post-installation application within 30 days, with the final itemized invoice and photos.
Common questions
Who can use the loan?
GrandBridge customers in Cambridge and North Dumfries.
What must the project achieve?
A 25% reduction in energy use.
Is the rebate separate from the loan?
Yes.
Is coaching free?
Yes.
What to do next
See Cambridge insulation rebates and the Ontario rebate calculator.
By Sam Menard. Sources, last read October 9, 2026: Home Renovation Savings: heat pumps, Heat Pump Program Stream requirements (PDF), Save on Energy: Home Renovation Savings, Retrofit Waterloo Region, Statistics Canada 2021 Census, table 98-10-0233-01. All Cambridge rebates → Every Home Renovation Savings rebate →
