Efficiency Nova Scotia home programs

Active

Assessment-based rebates up to $5,000, a moderate-income top-up to about $10,000 in all, and HomeWarming's free upgrades for income-qualified homeowners

Run by EfficiencyOne (Efficiency Nova Scotia) · verified against the official page 2026-10-02

Colourful wooden row houses on a steep street above a foggy Atlantic harbour

What it pays

  • $199Home Energy Assessment fee (free under the income threshold)
  • up to $5,000Home Energy Assessment rebates
  • up to $5,000 more (~$10,000 total)Moderate Income Rebate top-up (not for electrically heated homes)
  • Free upgrades incl. heat pumpsHomeWarming (income-qualified homeowners)
  • Closed — funding fully committedFederal OHPA in NS

The audit question

Audit required

The Home Energy Assessment is the entry to the main rebate path; the income-qualified HomeWarming stream runs its own assessment as part of free delivery.

Who qualifies

All Nova Scotian homeowners via the assessment path; the Moderate Income Rebate and HomeWarming add deeper support by household income. Book assessments through Efficiency Nova Scotia's accredited partners.

How to apply, step by step

  1. Book a Home Energy Assessment through Efficiency Nova Scotia's accredited partners.

  2. Review the report's ranked measures — it defines your rebate-eligible scope.

  3. Check your tier: household income may qualify you for the Moderate Income Rebates (deeper support) or HomeWarming (free).

  4. Complete the work with proper documentation and claim per the program's process.

  5. Keep the assessment file — it's your resale documentation and the baseline for any future tier.

The gotchas

  • Any contractor still selling the federal oil-to-heat-pump grant in NS is working from stale information — that funding is fully committed.
  • Tier before you buy: discovering the moderate-income tier after paying standard-stream prices is the expensive order of operations.
  • The Moderate Income Rebate excludes homes heated mainly by electricity, and only its participants get the $199 assessment fee refunded.

Worth knowing

The assessment costs $199 and is free for households under Efficiency Nova Scotia's income threshold; Moderate Income Rebate participants who paid up front get the $199 back when their other rebates are issued. Upgrades must be done within 12 months of the first assessment, and rebate cheques arrive within about 90 days of the final one. Nova Scotia burned through the federal oil-to-heat-pump money faster than any province, and the current rebate guide (August 2026) has dropped that section. NS is also a Greener Homes Affordability delivery province.

Common questions

What replaced the oil-to-heat-pump money in Nova Scotia?

Nothing federal — that program's NS allocation was fully committed and the national program closed July 31, 2026. The live path is provincial: the Home Energy Assessment rebates, the Moderate Income tier, and HomeWarming's free upgrades for income-qualified households, verified October 2, 2026.

Is HomeWarming really free?

Yes — for income-qualified homeowners it delivers free upgrades, heat pumps included, through its own assessment and delivery. Renters aren't eligible. If you might qualify, check it before anything else.

Do I need the assessment before rebates?

Yes for the main path — the Home Energy Assessment defines your eligible scope and documents the home before and after. It's also simply the right first step in the oldest housing stock in Canada.

What does the Nova Scotia home energy assessment cost?

$199, or nothing if your household is under Efficiency Nova Scotia's income threshold. If you qualify for the Moderate Income Rebate and paid up front, the $199 is reimbursed when your other rebates are issued; standard-stream participants don't get it back.

Official program page ↗ Always confirm details there before spending — programs change faster than any tracker.

Sources

All Nova Scotia programs & guide → Related: Oil to Heat Pump (OHPA)Related: Greener Homes Affordability Full tracker

Start with the required assessment

Efficiency Nova Scotia runs through a registered energy advisor. We'll match you with a licensed service organization for your area.

Email us what you’re planning, your postal code and the type of building (a house, a duplex or triplex, or a larger multi-unit building) — we’ll reply with registered service organizations for your area and which rebates apply.

Email dave@clickshift.ca

This inbox is answered by a person. Participating advisors pay us a referral fee — you pay nothing, and it never affects the directory.