AC replacement cost in Ontario after rebates (2026)
Last verified October 19, 2026 against official program pages. How we check
As of October 19, 2026, no program open today pays for a like-for-like central air conditioner in Ontario. A central AC typically costs $4,760 to $4,990 installed (a Canada-wide range: no Ontario-specific figure is published).
A heat pump also cools, and replacing your AC with one gets about $1,500 back if your home is heated by natural gas: about $8,500 to $17,500 after rebates.
Every program here is listed on Ontario home energy rebates, and the heat pump ones on heat pump rebates in Ontario. The biggest typical amount comes from Home Renovation Savings Program. How programs combine is in our stacking guide.
Worked example: a heat pump instead, OntarioIf your home is heated by natural gas
Cold-climate air-source heat pump, installed
- Typical installed cost
- $10,000–$19,000*
- Your rebates open todaytypical 3-ton system
- − $1,500
- You’d pay about
- $8,500–$17,500
- + $2,000 more if the National Heat Pump Rebate opens before you install. Not counted above.
*Typical range from RBC (checked October 17, 2026), not a quote. Program administrators decide eligibility. Your installer’s quote decides the cost.
What you’d pay in Ontario, worked out
Typical cost minus the typical rebate from programs open today. Program maximums, loans and city-only programs are not subtracted. Some don’t need an energy assessment: see heat pump rebates without an assessment.
| Home | Typical cost | Rebates open today | You’d pay about |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central AC, like for like | $4,760–$4,990 | None found | $4,760–$4,990 |
| Home | Typical cost | Rebates open today | You’d pay about |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heat pump instead, heated by natural gasHome Renovation Savings Program | $10,000–$19,000 | − $1,500 | $8,500–$17,500 |
| Heat pump instead, heated by electricity, oil, propane or woodHome Renovation Savings Program | $10,000–$19,000 | − $3,750 | $6,250–$15,250 |
Cost: Canadian Climate Institute (Dunsky technical report), published February 14, 2024, checked October 17, 2026. Modelled installed cost for a detached house (mid-cost case, 2024 report). Typical, not a quote. Heat pump cost: RBC, published May 30, 2024, checked October 17, 2026. Typical, not a quote. Rebates: program pages, last verified October 19, 2026.
Enter your quote
See what you’d pay in Ontario after the typical rebates open today.
Typical rebates open todayNone found
You’d pay aboutEnter a quote
+ $2,000 more if the National Heat Pump Rebate opens before you install. Not counted above.
Program administrators decide eligibility. Some programs cap a rebate at a share of the cost, so a small job can get less. See every program for your home
Key facts
- Typical central AC cost
- $4,760–$4,990 (a Canada-wide range: no Ontario-specific figure is published). Source: Canadian Climate Institute (Dunsky technical report), published February 14, 2024, checked October 17, 2026. Modelled installed cost for a detached house (mid-cost case, 2024 report). Typical, not a quote.
- Central AC rebates
- None in our data.
- Heat pump instead, gas-heated home
- $10,000–$19,000 installed, about $1,500 back, so about $8,500–$17,500. Source: RBC, published May 30, 2024, checked October 17, 2026. Typical, not a quote.
- Heat pump instead, other fuels
- $10,000–$19,000 installed, about $3,750 back, so about $6,250–$15,250. Source: RBC, published May 30, 2024, checked October 17, 2026. Typical, not a quote.
- Ended
- CoolSaver Program (Save on Energy Local Initiatives) no longer takes applications.
- Announced, not open
- National Heat Pump Rebate: $2,000 more if it opens before you install. Not counted above.
- Last verified
- October 19, 2026. Program administrators decide eligibility. Your installer’s quote decides the cost.
Programs that pay for a central AC in Ontario
- 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, 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 - 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.
Free
Free upgrade - 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
Free upgrade
Questions people ask
Comparing options? See heat pump cost in Ontario.
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