What Home Renovation Savings pays for a heat pump water heater in Cambridge
We re-read the program's page and its eligibility requirements on October 3, 2026. There is no stand-alone water heater rebate in Ontario's program. The $500 comes with an assessment and at least one other upgrade.
Heat pump water heater
Paid for replacing a gas, oil, propane or electric water heater with an ENERGY STAR certified heat pump water heater on NRCan's list, installed by a licensed professional.
Not a stand-alone rebate
The $500 is only paid inside the assessment stream, which requires at least two qualified measures. A water heater counts as one.
Home energy assessment
$600 comes back when the program is completed. The first and follow-up assessments cost money up front, and $600 comes back when the program is completed.
Three or more upgrades
A third qualified upgrade, such as insulation, windows or air sealing, earns another $500.
Program cap
$10,000 for homes heated by electricity, oil, propane or wood and $5,000 for Enbridge gas homes, across all measures.
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.
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 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.
Read everything we know so far Official page: canada.ca
The post-audit must be scheduled by November 30, 2026 and completed by December 31, 2026, or within 180 days of your first assessment, whichever comes first.
The loan test
RetrofitWR's loan, up to $40,000 at 2.5% fixed over 10 or 15 years and repaid on the GrandBridge Energy bill, is for customers in Cambridge and North Dumfries and needs the project to cut energy use by at least 25%. A water heater helps, but you would likely need insulation or heating work too.
Cambridge homes
77% of households live in an eligible house type and 69% own. 48% live in homes built before 1981 and 12,780 are owner-occupied detached houses of that age.
Free coaching
The Region's Energy Coach is free for homeowners across Waterloo Region and can help you plan a bundle that meets both programs' tests.
When the house has tenants or a suite
The program requires you to own the home, and where an owner has tenants the owner must apply. In Cambridge, 31% of households rent. A house built as a single dwelling that later gained a secondary suite is eligible if the audit covers the whole home and a central heating system serves it. A house built as a multi-family dwelling is not eligible.
The calendar, in order
Sequence the steps: first assessment, then installation, then follow-up. The post-audit has to be scheduled by November 30, 2026 and completed by December 31, 2026, or within 180 days of the first assessment, whichever comes first. A water heater can be installed in a day, but the follow-up visit depends on the advisor's calendar, so book both early.
Paperwork and payment
At the follow-up assessment the advisor needs the invoices for both assessments and for each upgrade, plus a copy of your property tax bill. Once the advisor has submitted everything, the rebate arrives within 60 days by cheque or within 30 days by Interac e-Transfer. A Cambridge owner should choose the payment method early and keep copies of every document.
How to claim in Cambridge
- Ask GrandBridge Energy and the Region about the loan before booking.
- Book the first home energy assessment with a registered energy advisor before any work starts.
- Choose at least one more upgrade to pair with the water heater, such as insulation, windows or air sealing.
- Choose an ENERGY STAR certified heat pump water heater from NRCan's list and have a licensed, trained professional install it.
- Keep invoices and your property tax bill, and book the follow-up assessment before the December 31, 2026 deadline.
Common questions
Does a water heater alone meet the 25% test?
Probably not. Ask the Region.
Who can use the loan?
GrandBridge customers in Cambridge and North Dumfries.
Is coaching free?
Yes.
What is the rebate?
$500.
What to do next
See Cambridge insulation rebates, heat pump rebates and the Ontario rebate calculator.
By Sam Menard. Sources, last read October 3, 2026: Home Renovation Savings: assessment upgrades, Home Renovation Savings eligibility 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 →
