What Home Renovation Savings pays for a heat pump water heater in Hamilton
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.
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.
Hamilton's older houses
61% of Hamilton households live in homes built before 1981, 72% in an eligible house type and 66% own. 6.6% report needing major repairs. A water heater swap is a small job inside a larger bundle for most of these houses.
A bundle that adds up
An older Hamilton house could do the water heater ($500), the attic (up to $1,500) and air sealing ($200 or $250) for three measures, plus the $500 bonus and the $600 audit refund. That could reach about $3,300 before audit and work costs, and air sealing depends on reaching a target set in your report.
Replacing what you have
The old tank has to be a natural gas water heater in a gas-heated home, or an oil, propane or electric water heater in a home heated by electricity, oil, propane or wood. A tank rented from a company may need to be bought out first, so ask your supplier before you book an installer.
Timeline
The post-audit must be scheduled by November 30 and completed by December 31, 2026. Water heaters are often ordered quickly, but the first assessment must come before the install, so book that first.
What the first assessment is
The first assessment is an EnerGuide home energy evaluation done by a registered energy advisor licensed by Natural Resources Canada, working for an authorized service organization. It must happen before any work, and the program recommends using the same advisor for the follow-up. After it you receive a report of recommended upgrades, from which you choose at least two to complete.
Earlier rebates and a second round
If you received, or expect to receive, a rebate for the same equipment from an earlier Enbridge or IESO program, you cannot be paid twice for it. A household that completes the assessment stream can apply again with new assessments, but the $600 audit rebate is paid only once and the total across rounds is capped at $5,000 for gas homes and $10,000 for others.
Space heating is a separate stream
If you also want a heat pump to heat the home, that is a different stream with no assessment, its own contractor list and its own pre-approval, with rebates of $500 or $1,250 per ton depending on your current fuel. The water heater rebate here is separate from it, so plan the two projects on their own timelines.
How to claim in Hamilton
- Confirm the tank you will replace and your main heating fuel.
- 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
Can I replace a rented tank?
Ask your supplier about buying it out first.
What does air sealing need?
The home must reach a target set in your report.
How much does a bundle pay?
Our arithmetic gives about $3,300 for water heater, attic and air sealing, including the bonus and audit refund.
Is the work done by anyone?
A licensed and trained professional.
What to do next
See Hamilton 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, Statistics Canada 2021 Census, table 98-10-0233-01. All Hamilton rebates → Every Home Renovation Savings rebate →
