The Home Renovation Savings Program is part of the Ontario government’s $10.9 billion, 12-year investment in energy efficiency. Photo Credit: Pexels.
At the end of January, the Ontario government announced the launch of a new program which will offer rebates of up to 30 per cent for home energy efficiency renovations and improvements, including new windows, doors, insulation, air sealing, smart thermostats, and heat pumps as well as rooftop solar panels and battery storage systems.
The program, called the Home Renovation Savings Program, is part of the Ontario government’s $10.9 billion, 12-year investment in energy efficiency.
The announcement was made by Stephen Lecce, who was Ontario’s Minister of Energy and Electrification at the time, at A-Plus Air in Stoney Creek.
Later in 2025, the program will expand to include rebates for energy efficient appliances as well, including refrigerators and freezers.
Additionally, with the passing of the government’s Affordable Energy Act, which came into effect on Dec. 4, 2024, the Home Renovation Savings Program and other programs are now available to those who heat their homes with propane and oil, instead of being restricted to those who heat with electricity.
The province will also continue to support 12 other energy efficiency programs offered by the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) through their Save on Energy initiative.
All of their programs are available at www.saveonenergy.ca, while the Home Renovation Savings Program is available at www.homerenovationsavings.ca.
Donna Skelly, Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) for Flamborough-Glanbrook, says that the new program will “lower energy bills, put more megawatts into Ontario’s energy grid, and ultimately put more money back into your pockets.”
The province says that by 2036 the expansion of energy efficiency programs is forecasted to reduce the province’s peak demand by 3,000 MW which is the equivalent of taking three million homes off the grid.
They also say that the $10.9 billion investment is estimated to result in $23.1 billion in “electricity system benefits,” saving taxpayers $12.2 billion in electricity system costs as the build out of new power generation will not be needed.
The IESO has forecasted that electricity demand in Ontario will increase by 75 per cent by 2050 as the province’s population grows, new manufacturing facilities are built, and more industries are electrified.
Scott Andison, the CEO of the Ontario Home Builders’ Association, says that the Home Renovation Savings Program will also “boost activity in the professional renovation sector, which is responsible for over 350,000 jobs in Ontario.”
The new Home Renovation Savings Program should not be confused with Enbridge Gas’ Home Winterproofing Program or Save on Energy’s Energy Affordability Program, which provide free energy upgrades, but only for those below a certain income level.
The new Home Renovation Savings Program is open to all Ontarians.
Meanwhile, the Enbridge Home Winterproofing Program provides free insulation upgrades, draft proofing, and smart thermostat installation for those who have a specific before-tax household income or receive assistance from a government program such as Ontario Works.
Through Save on Energy’s Energy Affordability Program, Ontarians who qualify could even receive a cold climate air source heat pump if their home is currently heated by electricity.
For those two programs, total before-tax income must be below $47,090 for a one-person household, below $66,595 for two people, $81,561 for three people, $94,179 for four people, $105,295 for five people, $115,345 for six people or $124,586 for seven people or more.
Again, those receiving assistance through programs such as Ontario Works would also be eligible.
More details on the Home Winterproofing Program can be found here, while details on the Energy Affordability Program are available here.
Based in Hamilton, he reaches hundreds of thousands of people monthly on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter. He has been published in The Hamilton Spectator, Stoney Creek News, and Bay Observer. He has also been a segment host with Cable 14 Hamilton. In 2017, he received the Chancellor Full Tuition Scholarship from the University of Ottawa (BA, 2022). He has also received the Governor General’s Academic Medal. He formerly worked in a non-partisan role on Parliament Hill in Ottawa.
