The HRS retail rebate route.
For qualifying oil-heated Ontario homes, HRS currently offers $1,250 per ton for an eligible purchased cold-climate air-source heat pump, up to $7,500. The program requires the electric heating system—the heat pump plus electric resistance backup where required—to be sized to fully offset the oil heating load.
HRS does not require the existing oil heating system to be removed solely to receive the heat-pump rebate, but oil-tank and fuel-system work may be subject to other laws and TSSA requirements.
The income-qualified EAP route is different.
Save on Energy’s Energy Affordability Program has a current heat-pump route for qualifying oil-heated households. Approved assistance is arranged through the program and its delivery partners. Do not treat it as a rebate that can simply be deducted from a contractor’s retail quote.
If household eligibility may fit, investigate EAP before signing a retail installation contract so you do not accidentally choose the wrong route.
Full oil-load offset changes the design conversation.
For HRS, an oil-heated home cannot be approached as a small heat-pump add-on that leaves the oil system to carry most of the winter. The electric system needs to be designed to offset the oil heating load under the program rule. That makes heating-load calculations, low-temperature capacity and electrical backup especially important.
Ask the contractor to show the heating-load basis, the matched heat pump’s cold-weather capacity and the backup heat plan. A square-footage rule of thumb is not enough.
Plan the electrical work early.
An oil-to-electric project may add both a heat-pump compressor and electric backup heat. Older oil-heated homes can also have limited electrical service. Have the actual load assessed before assuming a 100 amp or 200 amp upgrade is required.
If electrical work is hired out in Ontario, it must be performed by a Licensed Electrical Contractor and the applicable ESA process must be followed.
Ottawa financing can help with qualifying retrofit work.
For eligible City of Ottawa homeowners, Better Homes Ottawa can finance heat pumps, associated electrical equipment and panel upgrades when they are part of the approved retrofit. The current loan carries 4.33% fixed interest over 20 years and is repayable.
Compare EAP assistance first if you may qualify, because a no-cost assistance route and a repayable municipal loan are fundamentally different.