Ductless Installation
One slim wall head can heat the main living area of most older Cape Breton homes, with no ducts to install.
Read more: Ductless InstallationAs of November 6, 2026, three Nova Scotia heat pump programs are taking applications and a federal rebate is close behind. Each one is explained below in plain language. The rules shift often, so check with the program itself before you sign anything.
How Much Could Your Heat Pump Rebates Add Up To?
Answer a few questions about your house. The estimator suggests the kind of heat pump that usually fits, then adds up the Efficiency Nova Scotia rebates and the new federal heat pump rebate your project may qualify for. It uses the program rules published as of November 6, 2026.
Your answers stay in your browser and are not sent anywhere unless you choose to add them to a quote request. This is an estimate, not an approval: each program confirms your rebate when you apply.
Nova Scotia Heat Pump Rebates Open Right Now
Do It In This Order: Apply, Assess, Install, Reassess
The order matters, and getting it wrong can cost you money. Step one: if you might qualify on income, apply for the Moderate Income Rebate at efficiencyns.ca and wait for approval. Approved households get the assessment free, so applying first can save the $199. Step two: book the initial Home Energy Assessment with a registered energy advisor. Step three: get quotes and have the work done within 12 months of that first assessment. Step four: book the final assessment with the same advisor. Efficiency Nova Scotia's guide says to expect the rebate cheque within 90 days of the final assessment.
How Does The Efficiency Nova Scotia Home Energy Assessment Rebate Work?
The Home Energy Assessment rebate pays you back for part of a new heat pump after an energy advisor visits the house before and after the work. The first assessment costs $199, and it must be done before the system is installed.
Payment is based on tons of heat pump capacity. The August 2026 guide sets $300 a ton for ductless units, $500 a ton for central ducted systems and $600 a ton for geothermal, with a $5,000 limit per home and never more than the job cost. Work has to be done within 12 months of the first assessment.
| Heat pump type | Rebate per ton | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Ductless | $300 | A 2-ton ductless system earns about $600 |
| Centrally ducted | $500 | A 4-ton ducted system earns about $2,000 |
| Geothermal | $600 | A 4-ton system earns about $2,400 |
| Heat pump water heater | $800 flat | Tanks under 56 gallons and 56 gallons or more |
Who Qualifies For The Moderate Income Rebate?
The Moderate Income Rebate covers owners who live in the home, meet the income limits and rely mostly on oil, propane or another non-electric fuel. Wood heat is not accepted as the main source here, and electrically heated homes are left out.
It adds $500 per ton for a ductless heat pump and $1,500 per ton for a ducted one, up to $5,000 more. Combined with the Home Energy Assessment, that can reach $10,000. Efficiency Nova Scotia must approve you before the work starts.
What These Rebates Do Not Cover
The June 2026 Efficiency Nova Scotia guide rules out several things under both the Home Energy Assessment and the Moderate Income Rebate. Replacement heat pumps, working or not, do not qualify; only newly added capacity earns a rebate. Ducted, compact ducted and mixed-ducted mini-split systems do not qualify. Heat pump equipment in unconditioned space, such as ductwork through a cold attic, does not qualify. Heat pumps must be on the eligible list at efficiencyns.ca/heatpump and installed by a certified Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Mechanic. Equipment must be new and bought in Canada, and the rebate can never be more than the cost of the work.
Can You Combine Programs?
Some programs stack and some do not. The Home Energy Assessment and the Moderate Income Rebate are built to work together, for up to $10,000 on qualifying upgrades. HomeWarming is separate: the guide says only one Efficiency Nova Scotia program will pay for any given upgrade, so a heat pump paid for through HomeWarming cannot also earn the assessment rebate. A heat pump water heater can get $800 off in store through the instant rebate or $800 through the assessment, not both. How the new National Heat Pump Rebate will combine with provincial programs is not yet known.
Rebates For Cottages And Second Homes
The Moderate Income Rebate requires the home to be your primary residence, so a cottage or camp does not qualify. The Home Energy Assessment guide does not list primary residence as a rule, but it does require proof of ownership, a home connected to the grid, in livable condition, with a working automated heating system. A seasonal place that meets those rules may qualify; a camp with only a wood stove or no year-round power likely will not. Call Efficiency Nova Scotia at 1-877-999-6035 to confirm before booking. The federal National Heat Pump Rebate does not require a primary residence, so a cottage you own can qualify if the system heats the whole place. It is limited to one rebate per household, so pick the home where it does the most good.
What Is The HomeWarming Program?
HomeWarming pays for upgrades such as heat pumps and insulation for homeowners who meet its income limits. It grew on June 29, 2026, with room for about 1,600 more households across the province.
Efficiency Nova Scotia arranges the work through HomeWarming. If you think you may qualify, call them at 1-877-999-6035 before you book a private heat pump install.
What Do We Know About The New Federal Heat Pump Rebate?
Ottawa announced its National Heat Pump Rebate on October 8, 2026. It is worth $2,000 for an eligible system, rising to as much as $10,000 for low- to median-income households.
The program opens in early 2027, and the federal page says eligible heat pumps installed from November 1, 2026 will qualify. No energy audit is needed. The federal eligible product list is now published (search by the AHRI number), so check the model before you buy. Keep an invoice that shows your name and address, the installing company, the make, model and AHRI number, the number of heat pumps and the total cost, and send it in within 6 months.
The National Heat Pump Rebate: What To Do Before Early 2027
If you are installing a heat pump this winter and hope to claim the federal rebate, keep good records from the start. Make sure the model will be on the federal eligible products list once it is published. Keep the itemized invoice, proof of payment and the model and serial numbers of every indoor and outdoor unit. Note the installation date, since only installs from November 1, 2026 are covered. Canada.ca says the eligibility rules, rebate amounts and product list will be posted from November 1, 2026, and the online portal opens in early 2027. Check that page before you sign a quote that counts on the federal money.
Which Heat Pump Programs Have Closed?
Nova Scotia's Oil to Heat Pump Affordability Program stopped taking applications in 2026. Both federal Greener Homes programs, the grant and the loan, have ended as well.
If a salesperson at the door promises a grant from one of these programs, be careful. Check with Efficiency Nova Scotia before you sign anything.
Is There Help With Heating Bills This Winter?
Yes. The province's Heating Assistance Rebate Program gives $400 toward the heating bill to single people with net income up to $30,000 and families up to $45,000. You can apply between October 1, 2026 and March 31, 2027.
This is help with the bill, not a heat pump rebate, but many Cape Breton homes qualify for both.
What Does The Rebate Invoice Need To Show?
For the rebate, Efficiency Nova Scotia wants the invoice to show each heat pump model, its AHRI number, the room each indoor unit went into, the date of the work and the Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Mechanic number of the person who did it. We write every invoice to match.
How Do You Start A Heat Pump Rebate?
Book two things: a free heat pump visit with us and an energy assessment through Efficiency Nova Scotia at 1-877-999-6035. Call (902) 201-6758 and we will walk you through the order of the steps. You can also go back to our home page to see every service we offer.
Questions About Heat Pump Rebates In Nova Scotia
Yes. The Home Energy Assessment rebate only covers upgrades bought and installed between the initial and final assessments.
Efficiency Nova Scotia's guide says to expect the cheque within 90 days of the final assessment.
Moderate Income Rebate participants are entitled to a free assessment, and if they paid up front it is reimbursed when other rebates are issued.
Not through the Home Energy Assessment or Moderate Income Rebate, which only pay on added capacity. Federally, the National Heat Pump Rebate accepts planned and emergency replacements, so a new heat pump that replaces an old one can qualify, as long as no federal heat pump money was paid at the address before, the model is on the federal eligible list and the system is sized to heat the whole home.
No. Electrically heated homes are not eligible. The Home Energy Assessment rebate is open regardless of heating type.
Ask your energy advisor about an extension before the deadline. The guide says extensions may come with changes to rebate amounts or rules.
Check the model against efficiencyns.ca/heatpump before you sign. Every quote should name the exact indoor and outdoor model numbers so you can look them up.
Other Services We Offer
Every service below is available across Cape Breton Island.
Whole-Home Systems
Several indoor heads on one or two outdoor units, planned so the bedrooms, basement and far rooms get heat of their own.
Read more: Whole-Home Systems
Ducted Central Systems
A heat pump on the ductwork your furnace already uses, so every room with a register gets heat in winter and cooling in summer.
Read more: Ducted Central Systems
Switching From Oil
A heat pump takes over from the oil furnace or boiler, with a plan for the tank, the hot water and the rebates you can claim.
Read more: Switching From Oil
Cleaning and Maintenance
A full strip-down clean of each indoor head and a rinse of the outdoor unit, from $169 for the first head before HST.
Read more: Cleaning and Maintenance
Repair and Service
Cold air, dripping water, ice or a flashing light: we find the fault, price the fix, then do the work.
Read more: Repair and Service
Hot Water Tanks
A hot water tank with a small heat pump on top, which can earn an $800 Efficiency Nova Scotia rebate.
Read more: Hot Water Tanks
Cottages and Camps
Keeps a closed cottage dry and above freezing all winter, then cools it for summer weekends and guests.
Read more: Cottages and CampsRequest A Free Written Quote
Tell us a little about your home and what heats it today, and we will book a free visit. Calls go to (902) 201-6758.
Thanks — your request has been received.
We will call you back shortly to set up a time for the free visit.
For anything urgent, call (902) 201-6758.