Ontario Window and Door Rebates in 2026: What’s Open, What’s Closed, and How to Claim

Rebate programs for windows and doors change almost every year, and a lot of what you’ll find online is out of date. This is the current picture for Ontario homeowners as of September 2026: what’s open, what’s closed, how much you can actually get, and the steps to claim it without losing your rebate on a technicality.

What’s Available in 2026 at a Glance

Home Renovation Savings Program

The Home Renovation Savings Program is the main game in Ontario right now. It’s delivered jointly by Save on Energy (the IESO) and Enbridge Gas with backing from the provincial government, which means it’s open to homeowners whether you heat with natural gas, electricity, propane, or oil. If you remember the old Enbridge Home Efficiency Rebate Plus program, this is its successor.

For windows and doors specifically, the program pays $100 per rough opening. A rough opening is the structural hole in your wall, so one window or one exterior door equals one opening, regardless of how many panes or sashes it has. Replace 14 windows and 2 doors and you’re looking at $1,600 back.

The catch is that windows and doors sit in the “two or more upgrades” stream, which requires:

• A home energy assessment before and after the work, done by a registered energy advisor. The program rebates a portion of the assessment cost, currently up to $600 for the pair.
• At least two qualifying upgrades from the eligible list. Windows and doors count as one upgrade. Common partners are attic insulation, air sealing, basement or wall insulation, a heat pump, or a heat pump water heater.
• ENERGY STAR certified window and door models, verified against Natural Resources Canada’s product list.
• Products installed by a contractor, with itemized invoices that show the models installed.

The other rebates in the same stream make the bundle worthwhile. Attic, wall, and basement insulation can qualify for several thousand dollars combined, and air sealing carries its own rebate. Windows on their own rarely justify the assessment, but windows plus insulation usually do.

Canada Greener Homes: Grant, Loan, and Affordability Program

A lot of blog posts and sales pitches still promise “up to $5,000 in federal grants” or “a $40,000 interest-free loan.” Here is where those programs actually stand:

Canada Greener Homes Grant

Closed to new applicants in early 2024. Homeowners already in the program were allowed to finish their retrofits, but no new files are being opened. If a contractor tells you they can get you the grant today, that’s a red flag.

Canada Greener Homes Loan

The interest-free loan of $5,000 to $40,000 was the last piece of the original program still open, and it has now closed too. Natural Resources Canada’s own page states that funding is fully committed and new loan applications cannot be approved. Applications stopped being accepted on October 1, 2025. Existing approvals are still honoured.

Canada Greener Homes Affordability Program

This is the federal government’s replacement focus: an $800 million program that funds no-cost energy retrofits for low- to median-income homeowners and tenants, delivered through provincial and utility partners rather than direct applications. Eligibility is based on household income and home type. If your household qualifies, this can cover insulation, air sealing, and in some cases windows at no charge, so it’s worth checking before you spend anything.

What Makes a Window or Door Qualify

Every current program leans on the same standard: ENERGY STAR certification for the Canadian market. In practical terms:

• The window must appear on Natural Resources Canada’s searchable list of certified products, under the exact manufacturer and series name on your invoice.
• For 2026, certification means an Energy Rating (ER) of 34 or higher, or a U-factor of 1.22 W/m²·K or lower. Most quality double-pane Low-E argon units clear this; builder-grade clear-glass units don’t.
• The whole unit, including the frame, must be new. Natural Resources Canada is explicit that replacing only the glass, the sash, or a door slab without its frame does not count. Both retrofit (insert) and full-frame installations qualify as long as a complete new frame goes in.
• Exterior doors need their own ENERGY STAR certification. Sliding patio doors are rated as windows.

Ask your contractor for the ENERGY STAR label or the certification reference for each product before you sign. We include them on every quote as a matter of course.

Step-by-Step: How to Claim

1. Register with the program first, before any assessment or work. Registration is online through the Home Renovation Savings website.
2. Book a pre-retrofit home energy assessment with a registered energy advisor. They’ll do a blower door test and give you a report listing recommended upgrades.
3. Get itemized quotes for at least two upgrades, with product models and ENERGY STAR references shown.
4. Complete the work. Keep every invoice and the product labels or documentation.
5. Book the post-retrofit assessment. The advisor confirms what was installed and measures the improvement.
6. Submit your claim with invoices and both assessment reports. Rebates are typically paid by cheque or direct deposit within several weeks.

Mistakes That Cost People Their Rebate

• Starting the work before the first assessment. This is the most common way people lose the rebate, and there’s no fix after the fact.
• Only doing one upgrade. Windows alone don’t qualify in the assessment stream. Pair them with insulation or air sealing.
• Installing a non-certified series. The same manufacturer often sells certified and uncertified lines. The invoice has to match the certified one.
• Vague invoices. “Supply and install 12 windows” won’t pass. The program wants model names, quantities, and the address.
• Missing the funding window. Programs have run out of money before their published end dates. Don’t sit on a completed project.

Is It Worth the Assessment?

Run the numbers honestly. The two assessments typically cost a few hundred dollars after the program’s own rebate on them. Windows alone at $100 per opening on a 12-window home returns $1,200. Add attic insulation and air sealing, which the assessment will almost certainly recommend in an older Ontario home, and the total rebate can climb into the several-thousand-dollar range while your heating bill drops for good.

If you’re only replacing three or four windows, the assessment may not pay for itself, and it’s fine to skip it. If you’re doing the whole house, it almost always does.

WideView Contracting

A family-owned business that supplies and installs high-quality windows and doors throughout Mississauga, Oakville, London, and surrounding areas in Ontario. Over 20 years of experience and a reputation built entirely on customer referrals.