How to market heat pumps around Ontario's rebate programs

What the programs offer, as of October 2026

Short answer: one broad rebate program, one income-based program, and an announced federal rebate that isn't open yet.

Home Renovation Savings Program

Delivered by Save on Energy (IESO) and Enbridge Gas, with Government of Ontario support. When we checked the program page on October 22, 2026:

• cold-climate air source heat pumps qualified for rebates of up to $7,500, and ground source heat pumps up to $12,000, with amounts depending on the size of the system;
• the heat pump needed to be on Natural Resources Canada's qualified products list;
• single upgrades could proceed without a home energy assessment, while bundled upgrades, such as insulation, windows and air sealing, started with one;
• the page said rebates are available whether a home is heated with electricity, natural gas, oil, propane or wood.

The program had no closure notice on its official pages that day.

Energy Affordability Program

Run by Save on Energy, the Energy Affordability Program provides free efficiency upgrades to income-eligible households. For oil-heated homes that qualify, a stream co-delivered with the federal oil-to-heat-pump program covers a cold-climate air source heat pump at no cost, removes an above-ground oil tank, and is capped at $25,000 of heat pump value. That stream is described as available for a limited time; we couldn't verify an end date.

Federal programs

• The National Heat Pump Rebate Program was announced on October 8, 2026. It isn't open; federal pages point to a 2027 launch.
• The Canada Greener Homes Grant stopped taking new applicants in February 2024, and the Canada Greener Homes Loan closed to applications on October 1, 2025.
• Ontario had no agreement under the federal Canada Greener Homes Affordability Program as of October 22, 2026, according to the NRCan program page.

If your website still promotes the Greener Homes Grant or Loan, remove or update those pages now. Old program pages confuse buyers and make every other claim on your site look stale.

Who you're really talking to

Short answer: mostly gas-furnace owners, plus a smaller but motivated group heating with propane, oil or electric baseboards.

According to Statistics Canada, 58% of Ontario households heated primarily with natural gas in 2023, 18% with electricity and 4% with propane. Each group asks different questions:

• Gas-furnace owners want to know whether a heat pump will keep them warm in January, whether to keep the furnace as backup, and how operating costs compare.
• Propane and oil households often face higher fuel costs and are more open to switching; oil-heated, income-eligible homes may qualify for the Energy Affordability Program's free heat pump stream.
• Electric baseboard homes have no ducts, which makes ductless systems the natural pitch.

Write a separate page for each group. One generic heat pump page can't answer all three.

Building the pages

Short answer: a rebate hub, a comparison page and fuel-specific pages, all dated and linked.

The rebate hub

1. Headline with a date: "Ontario heat pump rebates, checked October 2026."
2. A plain summary of each current program in two or three sentences.
3. What the homeowner should do: check eligibility on the official page, then request a quote.
4. What you do: assess the home, recommend a system and, where the program allows, help with the paperwork the customer needs.
5. Links to each program page, and a note that the administrator decides eligibility.

The comparison page

Heat pump versus high-efficiency furnace, in honest terms: comfort, cold-weather performance, backup heat, installation scope and what the rebate does and doesn't cover. Avoid promising bill savings; they depend on the home, equipment and energy prices.

Fuel-specific pages

One each for propane, oil and electric baseboard homes, each answering the questions above.

Building the ads

Short answer: match program-name searches, say "up to", and land on the hub.

• Ad groups for "Home Renovation Savings heat pump", "heat pump rebate Ontario" and the same phrases with your towns.
• Headlines such as "Heat pump rebates up to $7,500: check eligibility" rather than "Get $7,500 back".
• Landing page: the rebate hub, not your home page.
• Schedule: heavier in spring and early fall, when homeowners plan upgrades.

Claims that get companies into trouble

Short answer: unconditional rebates, hidden fees and vague green claims.

The Competition Act prohibits false or misleading representations. The Bureau describes drip pricing as advertising prices that can't actually be paid because mandatory fees are added later, and it has published guidance on environmental claims. In practice:

• Don't headline the maximum rebate as if everyone gets it.
• Don't advertise an after-rebate price without the full price and conditions beside it.
• Don't claim a system "eliminates emissions" or "cuts bills in half" without evidence for that home.
• Do date every figure and link the source.

When you follow up quote requests by text or email, remember that Canada's anti-spam law requires consent, sender identification and an unsubscribe option for commercial messages. None of this is legal advice; if in doubt, ask a lawyer.

A monthly accuracy routine

Short answer: fifteen minutes a month keeps your rebate marketing honest.

1. Open each program page and compare amounts, eligibility and status with your hub.
2. Update the "checked" date on the hub, even if nothing changed.
3. Pause any ad that mentions a changed figure until the copy is fixed.
4. Note any changes for your sales team, so quotes match the website.

Rebate marketing is one of our services, and it pairs naturally with seasonal Google Ads. For regional detail on where heat pumps make the most sense, see the areas pages, or return to the guides.