What are you upgrading?

Often, yes. Federal, provincial, utility and city programs are often designed to work together, so one heat pump or insulation job can draw on several of them.

There are limits: some programs reduce their payment by what you get elsewhere, some cap the combined total at the cost of the work, and a few can't be combined at all. Each program page on RebateHub lists what it can be combined with, and the official program has the final word.

It depends on the program. Many whole-home programs require an EnerGuide evaluation by a registered energy advisor before any work begins, and another one after. Others, especially single-equipment rebates, need no audit at all.

If a program requires a pre-retrofit evaluation and you skip it, you usually can't qualify afterwards, so check before you sign a contract.

Sometimes. Many programs require pre-approval or registration before work starts and won't pay for jobs finished earlier. Others accept applications for a set period after installation.

Keep your invoices, proof of payment and the equipment model numbers, and check each program's rules on timing. For programs that are announced but not yet open, don't assume past installs will qualify until the rules are published.