Last checked: October 2026. Rebate programs open, close and change their rules every few months, so confirm the current terms on the program site before you count on a figure. We check what applies to your installation when we quote, and we handle the paperwork for anything that does.
The honest picture first: in 2026 most rebate money in Ontario is aimed at heat pumps, insulation, air sealing and windows, not at replacing a gas furnace with another gas furnace. A high-efficiency furnace still saves you real money on the gas bill, but the cheque from a program is smaller than it was a decade ago, and in some years there is none at all.
Where the money is
- Enbridge Gas and Save on Energy home programs. Enbridge, which supplies gas across the Hamilton area, runs home efficiency programs jointly with the province. In recent years these have paid rebates for a home energy assessment plus upgrades such as attic and wall insulation, air sealing, smart thermostats and heat pumps. A gas furnace on its own has not been the focus; a furnace replaced as part of a package of upgrades sometimes qualifies through the assessment route. Check the current program on the Enbridge site.
- Federal programs. The Canada Greener Homes Grant closed to new applicants in 2024. The Greener Homes Loan, an interest-free loan for eligible upgrades, and the Greener Homes Affordability Program for lower-income households have continued in some form; eligibility and the list of qualifying equipment change, so read the current terms.
- Manufacturer and utility promotions. Furnace makers run seasonal rebates, typically in spring and fall, on specific models. These are small, a few hundred dollars, but they are real and we apply them when they are open.
- Smart thermostat rebates. Often the easiest money: a modest rebate on a qualifying thermostat, which we can install with the furnace.
What a furnace replacement can still claim
- Any manufacturer rebate on the model you choose.
- A thermostat rebate where the program is open.
- Program rebates where the furnace is part of a wider efficiency job with an energy assessment before and after.
- Nothing at all in some seasons, which is worth knowing before a salesperson promises otherwise.
Heat pumps and hybrid systems
The large rebates are for air-source heat pumps, including hybrid systems that keep a gas furnace for the coldest days and run the heat pump the rest of the time. Heat pumps are not on our service list today, so nobody here is trying to sell you one; but if you are weighing a hybrid against a straight furnace replacement we will give you an honest read on the operating cost for your house. A furnace replaced today can be paired with a heat pump later if the two are chosen with that in mind.
How to claim
Most programs follow the same sequence: register before the work starts, use a registered contractor, keep the invoice with the model and serial numbers, and submit within the deadline after installation. Where an energy assessment is required, it must be booked before anything is replaced; a furnace installed before the assessment is usually ineligible. Tell us you want to claim when you ask for the quote and we will sequence the job to fit.
What is not a rebate
A quote that shows a large "instant rebate" with no program named is usually a discount dressed up. Ask which program, and look it up. Financing offers are not rebates either; they spread the cost, with interest, and should be compared against your own line of credit.
For a quote that includes any rebate that is currently open, and the paperwork done for you, ask about furnace installation. The installed price ranges are in what a new furnace costs in Ontario.
Written by the 365 Heat technical team, TSSA-certified gas technicians working in Hamilton-area homes every day. General information for homeowners, not a diagnosis of your system; call for advice on your own furnace.
