What Home Renovation Savings pays for a heat pump water heater in Thunder Bay
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.
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.
Thunder Bay homes
73% of households live in homes built before 1981, 73% in an eligible type and 68% own. 21,420 are owner-occupied detached houses of that age, and 7.6% report needing major repairs.
Where the unit sits
A heat pump water heater takes heat from the surrounding air. With a record low of -31.9°C, ask the installer which room will hold the unit and whether it stays above freezing. The program sets no location rule.
Free help
The Energy Affordability Program from Save on Energy offers free upgrades to income-qualified households. Check it before booking an assessment.
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 Thunder Bay, 32% 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.
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.
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 Thunder Bay owner should choose the payment method early and keep copies of every document.
Choosing the second upgrade by the numbers
The partner measures pay different amounts. An attic can pay up to $1,500 in the assessment stream, exterior walls up to $3,600, windows and doors $100 per rough opening with a minimum of three windows or one door-type opening, and air sealing $200 or $250 if the home reaches a target in your report. Because the water heater is the smallest of these, many owners treat it as the add-on that completes a bundle.
How to claim in Thunder Bay
- Choose the room for the unit and ask about winter temperatures there.
- 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 cold matter for the unit?
It draws heat from surrounding air, so the room matters.
Is there free help?
Yes.
Is the rebate $500?
Yes.
Do I need a second upgrade?
Yes.
What to do next
See Thunder Bay 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 Thunder Bay rebates → Every Home Renovation Savings rebate →
