Energy IQ / Build IQ
Home energy incentives: verify the program before you spend
Separate grants, rebates and tax credits, check current availability, and build a practical application plan for your retrofit.
Our articles are a starting point, not a professional assessment of your home.
DraftA work in progress, prepared by the HouseIQ.pro team.Editorial and professional review are not yet complete.
Start with the date, address and exact program
Older articles about the Inflation Reduction Act or Canada Greener Homes may describe unavailable benefits. This snapshot was checked on 8 October 2026. Read the current administrator's page before comparing quotes, and retain the applicable terms.
Record the property's location, heating fuel, utility, building type and primary-residence status. A Canadian home and a Florida seasonal property need separate checks. Ask the contractor for the exact rule supporting your application; familiarity with a different program does not establish eligibility.
Different kinds of help change your cash flow
Ask when the benefit actually reaches you. A point-of-sale or contractor-applied rebate can reduce the invoice, while a reimbursement requires you to meet conditions and wait for payment. A direct-install program organizes eligible work for participants. These arrangements should not be treated as interchangeable cash you can spend on any renovation.
A tax credit follows tax rules and the eligible tax year. For example, the former U.S. Section 25C credit was nonrefundable and could not be carried forward. A loan must be repaid even when its interest terms are favourable. HouseIQ's planning prompt is to keep the full project cost, confirmed assistance, payment timing and any borrowing obligations on separate lines.
| Benefit described | Question that matters |
|---|---|
| Rebate or grant | Who receives payment, and what must happen first? |
| Tax credit | Which tax year, expenses and taxpayer qualify? |
| Direct installation | Which work does the program select and arrange? |
| Loan | What must be repaid, when and on what terms? |
Canada's familiar program names need a fresh check
The Canada Greener Homes Grant is closed. NRCan identifies 31 December 2025 as its final document-submission date. New Canada Greener Homes Loan applications are also closed; the application deadline was 1 October 2025. Those closures are not a reason to assume that all Canadian retrofit assistance has ended, but the old grant and loan should not fund a new-project budget.
The separate Canada Greener Homes Affordability Program is described by NRCan as a direct-install approach for eligible lower-income households, including tenants. Applications go through participating provincial or territorial programs, rather than a federal household application. Follow the current local delivery route to confirm availability and eligibility. A familiar federal name on a sales flyer does not establish that a particular household or project is approved.
Ontario: distinguish the assessment and single-upgrade streams
Ontario's Home Renovation Savings program is delivered by Enbridge Gas and Save on Energy with provincial support. Its website separates bundled upgrades requiring an assessment from measures that can use a stream without one. Heat pumps, insulation and assessment support therefore should not be treated as a single offer with identical conditions.
In the assessment stream, the initial assessment must precede work, at least two qualifying improvements must be completed, and a follow-up assessment is required. The page lists a $600 assessment rebate after successful completion. That is conditional support for the process, not a promise that an assessment alone will be free. Start from the correct stream before booking or buying.
British Columbia: approval and contractor requirements come first
British Columbia's Energy Savings Program bases support on household income and other eligibility details. Its current page distinguishes ground-oriented homes from multi-unit homes and identifies heat-pump and heat-pump-water-heater offers. General requirements include a year-round primary residence and an eligible household electricity account. Renters need landlord consent; a holiday property should not be assumed to qualify.
The process is to review eligibility, pre-register for a code, obtain quotes from registered contractors, and proceed with the eligible installation. The contractor receives the rebate and the participant pays the balance. Ask which upgrades and amounts your approval covers, when the code expires, and whether the exact proposed contractor is registered. This illustrates why a provincial maximum is less useful than a project-specific approval.
Sources: [6]
U.S. Section 25C is not a credit for new 2026 improvements
The IRS says the Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit applies to eligible improvements through 31 December 2025. Do not deduct a 25C credit from the projected cost of a new 2026 heat pump, insulation project or energy audit. Older pages describing an ongoing annual opportunity need that date correction.
For qualifying earlier work, the IRS directs taxpayers to Form 5695, Part II, for the installation year. Product, audit, residence and expense requirements still matter; payment alone does not settle eligibility. Keep the installation records and ask a tax professional about your return or any correction. This entry does not calculate a credit for an individual taxpayer.
Sources: [7]
Federal rebate funding is separate from a federal tax credit
The U.S. Department of Energy describes two rebate approaches: HOMES supports whole-home energy improvements, while HEEHR supports qualifying efficient electric equipment and related work. State sites also use the name HEAR, and Georgia calls its whole-home stream HER. Read the full program name and administrator rather than relying on an acronym alone.
Funding allocated to a state is not confirmation that residents can apply. An announced launch, interest-registration form, eligibility calculator and approved reservation represent different stages. DOE directs households to their state or territory energy office for current status and rules. Ask whether your proposed work, existing equipment and household circumstances fit the current stream before agreeing to an installation date.
Florida, South Carolina and Texas: do not count pending rebates
The official pages checked for these three states did not establish an open rebate application for a new project. The table records their stated status, rather than predicting a launch. Check again when planning work: an estimated launch year is not an approval, and joining an interest list is not a funding reservation.
For a Florida homeowner, follow the FDACS link to its Florida Energy Saver Program portal. The portal describes contractor-applied discounts but says applications are expected to open in the future. Do not confuse a similar-looking commercial website with the state administrator. For urgent replacement work, ask the utility about its own current programs rather than assuming a pending state offer will reimburse the work later.
| State | What the administrator states |
|---|---|
| Florida | Applications expected to open in the future; registration is for notification. |
| South Carolina | Home Energy Rebates not yet available; programs remain in development. |
| Texas | The 21 August 2026 status update says rebates are not available and launch awaits DOE approval. |
Georgia: read the pause notice before the general offer
Georgia's specific HEAR update says the program paused new applications on 14 August 2026. It announces a limited October 2026 reopening, with assistance only for wiring and panel upgrades alongside an eligible HER project. The page checked here does not confirm a completed reopening or an exact opening day. Ask the administrator before treating that announcement as an available benefit.
This narrower notice matters more than a broad homepage list of appliances. It also does not mean every Georgia rebate pathway is paused: HER is a separate stream. Existing approved reservations have their own questions, which the notice directs to the program contact centre. Confirm your stream, reservation status, eligible measures and available funding rather than applying an old HEAR maximum to a new quote.
Sources: [12]
Do not add advertised maximums together
Combining support requires checking each program's rules for the same expense. Ontario's assessment-stream terms restrict another rebate for a measure already supported by specified Enbridge, Save on Energy or Ontario programs. They also state that applicable terms and amounts can change before the post-retrofit assessment. Ask the administrator how that affects a proposed project and keep its response.
Build a simple project record with the eligible measure, full quoted cost, confirmed program amount, applicant contribution and payment conditions. Mark unapproved assistance as uncertain. Ask who bears the cost if funding or eligibility changes before completion, and have any contract condition explained before signing. For taxation or treatment of combined assistance, get advice specific to the relevant program and tax jurisdiction.
Sources: [5]
Keep the application sequence beside the work plan
Your practical next step is a short conversation with the actual program administrator or its approved delivery organization. Confirm whether an assessment, registration or reservation must happen before the deposit, purchase or installation. Then ask who submits the claim and what evidence is required at completion. The sequence matters as much as the equipment specification.
Keep approvals, applicable terms, itemized quotes, equipment identification, invoices and required assessment records together. Read what you attest to before signing; inaccurate information can jeopardize an application. Ask the contractor to distinguish its installation work from the administrator's eligibility decision. Assistance should support a suitable renovation, not decide the entire project for you.
Questions worth taking with you
- Is this exact program stream accepting applications for my address and project today?
- Which step must precede the deposit, purchase or installation?
- Is the proposed assessor or contractor approved, and is this exact equipment eligible?
- What amount is actually approved, who receives it, and when?
- Can this assistance be combined with the other support in the quote?
- Which records and tax advice will I need, and who follows up if payment is delayed?
Sources
- Natural Resources Canada Eligible retrofits and grant amounts — closed Canada Greener Homes Grant
- Natural Resources Canada Canada Greener Homes Affordability Program
- Enbridge Gas / Save on Energy Home Renovation Savings
- Enbridge Gas / Save on Energy Energy assessment required upgrades
- Enbridge Gas / Independent Electricity System Operator Assessment Program Stream — Terms and Conditions
- Government of British Columbia / Better Homes BC Energy Savings Program
- Internal Revenue Service Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit
- U.S. Department of Energy Home Energy Rebates Program
- Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Florida Energy Saver Program Portal
- South Carolina Office of Regulatory Staff — Energy Office South Carolina Home Energy Rebates
- Texas Comptroller — State Energy Conservation Office Inflation Reduction Act Rebates and Tax Credits
- Georgia Environmental Finance Authority HEAR Program Updates