Ontario Home Renovation Savings Program

The program is for energy upgrades, not general renovation work

The Ontario Home Renovation Savings Program is an incentive program for homeowners completing approved energy-efficiency and clean-energy upgrades. It is not a general renovation grant for finished basements, kitchens or cosmetic work.

For electrical buyers, the important point is timing. Many rebate programs require quotes, applications, pre-approval, an energy assessment or other documentation before the contractor starts. If you install the equipment first and ask about the program afterward, you may lose eligibility even if the work itself is high quality.

Use the program page as the final source for current eligible measures, rebate amounts and application rules. Program terms can change, and some measures may be added, removed or moved into a different stream.

City Power’s role is the electrical side: load calculations, safe circuit design, ESA-permitted wiring where required, invoices and technical documentation that support the application. If you are still deciding which upgrades make sense, start with an Ontario home energy audit and electrical review so the electrical capacity, panel condition and likely upgrade path are clear before you price equipment.

Homeowners usually need to confirm eligibility before signing the work order

Eligibility depends on the current program rules, the property type, the account holder, the proposed measure and whether the application steps are completed in the right order. Detached, semi-detached and townhome owners may have different requirements than condominium owners, rental properties or multi-unit homes.

Before booking electrical work, confirm:

• The home is in Ontario and the applicant meets the current homeowner or account-holder rules.
• The measure is listed as eligible on the current program page.
• The program requires a pre-retrofit energy assessment, contractor quote, application approval or equipment model approval before work starts.
• The electrical contractor’s scope is separated clearly from the equipment supplier’s scope if more than one trade is involved.
• The invoice will show the address, work performed, equipment installed, permit or ESA notification where applicable, and payment details required by the program.

Condominium owners should also confirm board approval, service capacity and any Condominium Act or building rules before applying. A smart thermostat inside a suite is very different from a battery system, EV charger, heat-pump circuit or solar-ready conduit that may affect common electrical rooms, exterior walls, roof penetrations or utility equipment.

Landlords should confirm whether the program allows rental properties and whether tenant consent, utility-bill access or Residential Tenancies Act considerations apply. Do not assume a rebate available to an owner-occupied house applies to every rental or secondary suite.

Electrical-adjacent measures need proper wiring, not just rebate paperwork

The program is about energy savings, but several eligible or related upgrades depend on electrical infrastructure. The electrician’s job is to make sure the home can safely support the equipment, the wiring method matches the Ontario Electrical Safety Code, and the ESA documentation is available when required.

This is where homeowners often underestimate the project. A heat pump is not just an HVAC appliance; it may need a properly sized circuit, an outdoor-rated disconnect within the right location, surge protection decisions and confirmation that the existing panel can carry the load. A battery is not just a wall-mounted box; it changes how selected circuits are backed up and how the system behaves during an outage.

If panel capacity is tight, the answer is not automatically a larger service. We first review the actual loads, existing breakers, planned equipment and whether load-management equipment is acceptable for the application. If a service upgrade is needed, it should be planned before rebate paperwork is finalized so the quote reflects the real scope.

For broader planning, our home electrical safety checklist for Ontario homes explains the types of panel, grounding, GFCI, detector and wiring issues that often surface when a home is being upgraded.

Applications depend on quotes, invoices and inspection documents matching the work

Most rebate problems are paperwork problems. The program reviewer needs to see that the measure was approved, installed at the correct address, installed by appropriate contractors where required, and supported by invoices and documents that match the application.

Before work starts, ask whether the program needs:

• A pre-retrofit energy audit or assessment.
• Pre-approval or a reservation of funds.
• A written contractor quote with model numbers or technical specifications.
• Photos of existing equipment, the panel or installation area.
• Proof of ownership, utility account information or tax documentation.
• Confirmation that the equipment appears on an approved list.

After work is complete, keep:

• The final paid invoice.
• ESA Certificate of Acceptance or inspection documentation where an ESA notification was required.
• Load calculation or panel-capacity note if the upgrade required one.
• Photos of installed equipment, labels, disconnects and panel changes.
• Product model information and commissioning documents from the equipment supplier.

City Power can supply the electrical documents within our scope. That can include a written quote, circuit description, load calculation, ESA notification and inspection documentation where required, and a final invoice describing the electrical work. We do not control program approval, rebate processing or whether a measure remains eligible by the time you apply.

If you are comparing incentive options, start at our Ontario rebates and programs hub. Toronto homeowners may also want to compare financing with the Toronto Home Energy Loan Program, especially when the rebate does not cover the full project scope.

City Power fits when the upgrade touches the panel, circuits or controls

City Power Electrical Services is a Licensed Electrical Contractor in Ontario, ECRA/ESA #7015314. Sam, a licensed electrician, founded and runs the company, with fifteen-plus years in the trade. We serve Toronto and the GTA from our North York office at Fairview Mall, Sheppard and Don Mills.

For this program, we are useful before you commit to equipment. We can review whether the existing electrical service has capacity, whether the panel has safe spare breaker space, whether older wiring creates an insurance or inspection problem, and whether the proposed route for new wiring is practical in finished walls.

We commonly support rebate-related planning with:

• Load calculations for heat pumps, battery systems and future electrification.
• ESA-permitted dedicated circuits and disconnects.
• Smart thermostat wiring and control troubleshooting.
• Solar-ready conduit and panel preparation.
• Battery-storage electrical coordination and backup-load planning.
• Clear invoices and permit documentation for your application file.

Every job that requires ESA notification is permitted and inspected. We also provide free written estimates and clean up when the electrical work is finished.

The best first step is to confirm the current Home Renovation Savings Program terms, then book the electrical review before ordering equipment. If you are considering battery backup, read our guide on whether a home battery is worth it in Ontario before deciding how many circuits you want backed up.