What the Home Renovation Savings program pays for windows and doors in Thunder Bay
We re-read the program's page and its eligibility requirements on October 3, 2026. Windows and doors are paid only inside the assessment stream, so every amount here comes with an assessment and at least two upgrades.
Windows and doors
One payment per opening in an outside wall, not per unit. A bay window with three panes in one opening earns $100.
Smallest qualifying job
Three window openings, or one door, sliding door or skylight opening, count as one qualified measure. Two windows alone earn nothing.
Home energy assessment
$600 comes back when the program is completed. Covers the cost of the first and the follow-up assessment once the program is completed.
Three or more upgrades
Windows count as one upgrade. Insulation, air sealing and a heat pump water heater are the others in this stream.
Program cap
$10,000 for homes heated by electricity, oil, propane or wood, and $5,000 for homes heated by Enbridge gas.
The program is run by Enbridge Gas and Save on Energy. Post-audits must be scheduled by November 30, 2026 and completed by December 31, 2026, or within 180 days of your first assessment, whichever comes first.
Old and cold
The 2021 Census counts 21,420 owner-occupied detached houses built before 1981 in Thunder Bay, the second-largest older-house share we found after Sault Ste. Marie. 65% of households live in detached houses and 68% own. 73% live in an eligible house type. The record low from 2015 to 2024 was -31.9°C.
Repairs first, windows second
With 7.6% of households reporting a home needing major repairs, many Thunder Bay owners face a list of jobs. The program requires the first assessment before any measure is installed, so book it before the contractors start. A house with a failing roof or wet basement should fix those first, and the audit will help you order the work.
Rough openings in older houses
The rebate counts each rough opening once, whether it contains one pane or several. Ask installers to confirm the number of openings in writing, and remember that a glass-only or sash-only repair does not qualify. Only a complete unit with frame earns the $100.
Low-rise buildings
Thunder Bay has 16% of households in apartments in buildings under five storeys and 2,390 in duplexes. Both are outside the program. Check that your house was built as a single dwelling.
Payment and paperwork
After the follow-up assessment and once the advisor has submitted everything, the rebate arrives within 60 days by cheque or 30 days by Interac e-Transfer. Keep the invoices for the audits and each upgrade, the property tax bill and the ENERGY STAR labels, and ask the advisor for a copy of the final report for your records.
How windows fit the minimum
A Thunder Bay owner replacing a single patio door or one skylight clears the window and door measure on its own, while two window openings do not. Because two measures are required, pair the doors or windows with insulation or another upgrade from the audit, and book both installations before the December 31, 2026 deadline.
Mobile homes and other eligible types
The program accepts single detached and semi-detached homes, row housing, townhomes and mobile homes on a permanent foundation. It does not accept new builds before six months of occupancy, triplexes, duplexes or stacked townhomes. Thunder Bay owners should read the program's list of excluded home types before booking, because the eligibility test comes before the assessment, not after.
After the follow-up visit
A Thunder Bay owner who finishes the work and completes the follow-up assessment has not yet been paid: the advisor still has to submit the file. Ask for a copy of the final report, keep the audit and upgrade invoices with the property tax bill, and leave the ENERGY STAR labels on. Payment follows, by cheque within 60 days or Interac e-Transfer within 30.
One door can be enough
For a Thunder Bay house, one patio door or one skylight replaced on its own counts as the window and door measure, while two window openings do not. Since two measures are needed to take part, pair the door with insulation or another upgrade from the audit and book both installations before December 31, 2026.
How to claim in Thunder Bay
- Confirm you own the home, it has been occupied for six months and it is one of the eligible house types.
- 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 windows, and get quotes that count rough openings the way the program does.
- Book the audit before any repair contractor starts.
- Have a professional install complete windows or doors with frames, keep the ENERGY STAR labels on until the follow-up assessment, and book it.
Common questions
How cold is Thunder Bay?
The January average low is -14.2 degrees Celsius.
Do glass-only replacements qualify?
No.
How many openings do I need?
Three window openings, or one door-type opening.
What is the audit rebate?
$600 after the program is completed.
What to do next
See Thunder Bay insulation 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 →
