What Home Renovation Savings pays for a heat pump in Ottawa
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.
Better Homes Ottawa loan
Repaid on the property tax bill over 20 years. Excludes gas upgrades. Up to the lesser of $125,000 or 10% of assessed value, over 20 years.
Ottawa: 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.
What cold-climate means in the rules
The heat pump must be on NRCan's cold-climate list and meet minimum ratings: HSPF2 of 6.6 for Region V, SEER2 of 15.2, a coefficient of performance of 1.8 at -15°C and at least 70% of its rated capacity kept at -15°C. It must be variable capacity and have a rated heating capacity of at least 12,000 BTU/h at 8.3°C. The program's own page says cold-climate models are designed to work in temperatures as low as -30°C.
Ottawa homes and fuels
The 2021 Census counts 407,250 households in Ottawa, with 64% owning and 69% in a house type the program accepts. 44% live in homes built before 1981. Gas homes get $500 per ton up to $2,000, while oil, propane, wood and electric resistance homes get $1,250 per ton up to $7,500. Oil homes must remove or empty the tank with a TSSA-registered contractor.
Backup heat is allowed
An Ottawa home can keep existing electric resistance or wood heat as a backup, and a gas home can keep its furnace. The backup is not rebated. For oil homes, the oil system must go, but new electric resistance backup is permitted. This matters in a city where the coldest days drop past the heat pump's best range.
Better Homes Ottawa
The City's Better Homes Ottawa loan is repaid on the property tax bill and excludes gas upgrades. We recorded up to the lesser of $125,000 or 10% of assessed value, over 20 years, with 0% for households under income thresholds. Check the City's page before relying on those terms.
Sizing option C or D
Electric, oil and wood homes must choose NRCan sizing option C (emphasis on heating) or D (sized on the design heating load). Gas and propane homes can also use options A and B. In a cold city, those two lower options leave more of the load to the backup, which is why they are not paid at the higher rate.
How to claim in Ottawa
- Check the model against NRCan's cold-climate list before you sign.
- 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
How cold must a model work?
It must keep at least 70% of rated capacity at -15 degrees Celsius and have a COP of 1.8 there.
Can I keep my old heating as backup?
Yes. Backup is allowed but not rebated.
Does the City loan cover gas?
No.
Which sizing options qualify for electric homes?
Options C and D only.
What to do next
See Ottawa 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, Better Homes Ottawa loan program, Statistics Canada 2021 Census, table 98-10-0233-01. All Ottawa rebates → Every Home Renovation Savings rebate →
