Home energy rebate questions, answered

Sometimes. Programs such as LogisVert and Efficiency Manitoba let you claim after the heat pump is installed, within a deadline. Others, including Home Renovation Savings for heat pumps, need pre-approval first, so an install without it won't qualify.

Not always. 14 of the 28 provincial and utility heat pump programs we track pay without an energy assessment, and the National Heat Pump Rebate won't need one. Programs that pay for insulation, windows and several upgrades together usually start with an EnerGuide evaluation.

Usually yes. 13 of the 30 heat pump programs we track only pay when the work is done by an installer on the program's list. Ask the installer to show you their listing before you sign.

Most programs that publish a time pay within about 6 to 12 weeks of a complete claim. Home Renovation Savings says cheques arrive within about 60 days of approval; Efficiency Nova Scotia says about 90 days after the final assessment. Many programs publish no time at all.

Yes, if you heat with gas, oil or propane now: the heat pump runs on electricity, so that bill rises while the fuel bill falls or ends. If you heat with electric baseboards, your electricity bill usually goes down. Homes with electric baseboards and AC save about $849 a year on average with a heat pump; gas-and-AC homes about $169 (Clean Energy Canada model).

A few do. 12 current programs in our data pay or lend toward electrical work, such as Énergir's dual-energy subsidy and B.C.'s income-qualified Energy Savings Program. Most standard rebates don't.