On this page
No. The Better Homes Hamilton Pilot Program closed to applications on February 1, 2024, and no new intake has been announced. In Hamilton, Home Renovation Savings Program (Up to $7,500 for an air-source heat pump ($12,000 ground-source) in homes not heated by gas; several upgrades can be combined) and Energy Affordability Program (Free upgrades (no cost to eligible households)) are open instead. The National Heat Pump Rebate has been announced but isn't open yet.
Key facts
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Status today | Closed |
| Stopped taking new applications | February 1, 2024 |
| Run by | City of Hamilton |
| What it paid | Up to $20,000 at 0% (closed) |
| Covered | Loans & financing, Heat pumps, Insulation, Air sealing, Smart thermostats |
| Open replacements in Hamilton | 6 programs listed on this page |
| Official notice | hamilton.ca |
Better Homes Hamilton Pilot Program: status and replacements, from our program database
Program data last verified
RebateHub, “Hamilton heat pump rebates: Better Homes Hamilton closed, here's what's open”, https://rebatehub.ca/alternatives/better-homes-hamilton#key-facts (last verified October 12, 2026).
Add up what's open for your home
Pick your province and upgrades. The receipt adds up every open program that would apply, with the federal rebate on its own line until it opens.
Your rebate stack
Ontario · Heat pumps, Insulation
1 program
Could add up to
Depends on how you heat
$9,700–$12,000
+ $2,000 when the National Heat Pump Rebate opens
Verified against official sources ·
How it adds up
- National Heat Pump Rebate+ $2,000
Cold-climate air-source heat pump (other eligible homeowners) · Rebate · Not open yet · not in the total
- Home Renovation Savings Programup to $12,000
Cold-climate air-source heat pump (home heated by electricity, oil, propane or wood) + Insulation (assessment track: attic, walls, foundation, crawlspace, exposed floor) · Rebate
Free upgrade · Toronto only
City loans in 7 Ontario cities, from about $53/month per $10,000 · not counted
Program maximums for an air-source heat pump. Ground-source systems can get more. Your amount depends on your home and the equipment. City-only programs aren’t counted in the total.
4 income-qualified programs hidden.
What happened to the Better Homes Hamilton Pilot Program
Pilot opens: 0% loans up to $20,000, repaid on the property tax bill
Pilot closes to applications
Better Homes Hamilton was a pilot that offered interest-free loans of up to $20,000 per home, repaid as a special charge on the property tax bill over 10 or 15 years, with an optional 30% advance to pay contractors. It focused on switching homes from gas, oil or propane to electric heating, with work such as insulation, air sealing and cold-climate heat pumps.
The pilot aimed to fund about 50 homes, with up to $1 million in total. Applications opened December 1, 2023 and closed February 1, 2024, and all applicants have been told the outcome. No new intake has been announced.
The full record, with every source we checked, is on the Better Homes Hamilton Pilot Program program page. Every change we log is on the rebate tracker.
What you can get instead in Hamilton
These programs are open today and cover the same upgrades. They are ranked the same way as on the program page: money you keep first, then programs for the whole province, then the biggest amount.
- Last verified October 12, 2026OpenProvincialOntario
Home Renovation Savings Program
Ontario's main home-retrofit rebate program. You can claim single upgrades such as a heat pump, attic insulation, solar with a battery, a smart thermostat or ENERGY STAR appliances without an energy assessment, or do an assessment and two or more upgrades for envelope rebates.
$12,000
max rebate
Rebate - Last verified October 12, 2026OpenProvincialOntario
Energy Affordability Program
Income-qualified Ontario electricity customers can get free energy upgrades. These range from free saving kits to a full home visit that can include new appliances, insulation, draft-proofing and, for electric or oil-heated homes, a cold-climate heat pump.
Free upgrades (no cost to eligible households)
Free upgrade - Last verified October 12, 2026OpenUtilityOntario
Home Winterproofing Program
Income-qualified households heated by Enbridge natural gas can get a free home energy assessment, plus free insulation, draft-proofing and a smart thermostat where needed.
Free upgrades (no cost to eligible households)
Free upgrade - Last verified October 12, 2026OpenProvincialOntario
Peak Perks
Get $75 for enrolling an eligible smart thermostat that controls central air or a heat pump, then $20 for each year you stay enrolled. On a few hot weekday afternoons, your cooling is adjusted slightly.
$75
max rebate
Rebate - Last verified October 12, 2026OpenFederalCanada-wide
Canada Greener Homes Affordability Program
Federally funded, no-cost home energy upgrades for low- and median-income homeowners and tenants. You apply through your province's or utility's partner program, not through Ottawa.
Upgrades at no cost to eligible households
Free upgrade - Last verified October 12, 2026UpcomingFederalCanada-wide
National Heat Pump Rebate
A new federal rebate announced on October 8, 2026 that will pay $2,000 toward an eligible cold-climate air-source heat pump, or up to $10,000 for households below the median income. Applications are not open yet.
$2,000
max rebate
Up to $10,000 if income-qualified
Rebate
| Program | Amount | Assessment first | Income-tested | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home Renovation Savings Program | Up to $7,500 for an air-source heat pump ($12,000 ground-source) in homes not heated by gas; several upgrades can be combined | No | No | Open |
| Energy Affordability Program | Free upgrades (no cost to eligible households) | Yes | Yes | Open |
| Home Winterproofing Program | Free upgrades (no cost to eligible households) | Yes | Yes | Open |
| Peak Perks | $75 to enrol + $20/year | No | No | Open |
| Canada Greener Homes Affordability Program | Upgrades at no cost to eligible households | Depends on the path | Yes | Open |
| National Heat Pump Rebate | $2,000, or up to $10,000 for households below the median income | No | No | Upcoming |
Before you book: what each replacement needs
Not sure which apply to your home? The heat pumps rebates in Ontario page lists every program by heating fuel, and the Ontario rebates hub covers every upgrade.
If you already applied
A closed program usually still honours files it accepted before the cut-off, on its own deadlines. Follow up with City of Hamilton directly: we don't take applications and can't check a file for you.
Planning new work? Some replacements need pre-approval or an energy assessment before anything is installed. Read the guide to stacking heat pump rebates for the order to do things in, and how to spot a rebate scam before you sign with anyone who mentions a "government program".
Frequently asked questions
Sources
Last updated . Amounts and rules come from the official program pages below. If something has changed, please tell us.
- 1Better Homes Hamilton Pilot Program · City of Hamiltonhamilton.ca
- 2Home Renovation Savings Program · Save on Energyhomerenovationsavings.ca
- 3Energy Affordability Program · Save on Energysaveonenergy.ca
- 4Home Winterproofing Program · Enbridge Gasenbridgegas.com
- 5Peak Perks · Save on Energysaveonenergy.ca
- 6Canada Greener Homes Affordability Program · Natural Resources Canadanatural-resources.canada.ca
- 7National Heat Pump Rebate · Government of Canadacanada.ca