How much does Home Energy Assessment pay?

Published amounts run from $30 to $1,500, depending on the upgrade and the conditions attached to it. Every amount and its conditions are listed on this page, each with the date it was last verified against the administrator's own page.

What disqualifies you from Home Energy Assessment?

Replacement heat pumps, whether the old one works or not. Ducted, compact ducted and mixed-ducted mini-splits. Direct expansion, water-to-water and brine-to-water geothermal systems. Any heat pump equipment installed in unconditioned space, such as ductwork through an attic. Replacing working wood-burning equipment, and any system installed outdoors. Upgrades to a part of the building added after the initial assessment. The same upgrade claimed through another Efficiency Nova Scotia programme. One upgrade, one programme. Equipment not purchased in Canada, including online orders from a distributor outside Canada.

Where do you apply for Home Energy Assessment?

Moderate-income households: Apply for the Moderate Income Rebate FIRST, before booking anything. Wait for approval before starting work; Everyone else: Book the initial Home Energy Assessment with a delivery agent partner through efficiencyns.ca, or call 1-877-999-6035.

Fix First Home › Home Energy Assessment

Home Energy Assessment open

Administered by Efficiency Nova Scotia, operated by EfficiencyOne.

Nova Scotia's route into every provincial rebate. You pay $199 for an assessment by a registered energy advisor, get an EnerGuide rating and an upgrade report, do the work within twelve months, and are paid after a second assessment. Heat pumps are paid by the ton, not by the job.

source · verified 23 September 2026

What it pays

Rebate amounts by upgrade and condition
Upgrade	Condition	Amount
Air-source heat pump	Ductless mini-split heat pump, paid at $300 per ton of newly added capacity — one ton is 12,000 BTU/h	$300
Air-source heat pump	Centrally ducted heat pump, paid at $500 per ton of newly added capacity	$500
Geothermal heat pump	Closed or open loop, paid at $600 per ton, up to 40 kW (135,000 BTU/h), with minimum coefficients of performance	$600
Heat pump water heater	ENERGY STAR, under 56 gallons with an energy factor of at least 2.00; 56 gallons or more needs at least 2.20	$800
Attic insulation	Raise attic insulation to R-50 over at least 20% of the area, starting from R-12 or less	$150–$750
Cathedral ceiling or flat roof insulation	Raise a flat roof or cathedral ceiling to R-28 over at least 20% of the area, starting from R-12 or less	$150–$750
Exterior wall insulation	Add R-7.5 or more to above-ground exterior walls over at least 20% of the area	$300–$1,500
Foundation insulation	Add R-22 or more to basement walls over at least 20% of the area	$240–$1,200
Foundation insulation	Basement wall header, add at least R-20 over at least 80% of the area	$120–$150
Crawl space insulation	Crawlspace walls and header, add R-22 or more over 100% of the area	$960
Crawl space insulation	Floor above a crawlspace, add at least R-24 over 100% of the area	$240
Exposed floor insulation	Add at least R-20 over 100% of the area, minimum 120 square feet	$200
Foundation insulation	Basement slab, add at least R-3.5 over at least 50% of the area	$100–$200
Windows & doors	ENERGY STAR rated in Canada, paid per rough opening — a bay window of three units in one opening is one rebate	$30
Air sealing	Achieve the air sealing target named in your upgrade report	$200
Heat recovery ventilation	A new HVI-certified heat or energy recovery ventilator, or replacing a non-HVI-certified unit	$300
Wood or pellet heating	Pellet boiler or centrally ducted forced-air furnace, WETT certified	$1,000
Wood or pellet heating	Wood stove or pellet stove, WETT certified	$500

The ceiling per household

Every household, whatever its income or heating fuel, can be paid up to $5,000 in total under this programme. A household approved for the Moderate Income Rebate can be paid up to $5,000 more from that one, up to $10,000 in all (rebate guide, August 2026).

Who is eligible

Eligible home types

Single or semi-detached house (including a duplex)
Side-by-side row housing or townhome
Mobile home on a permanent foundation
Permanently moored floating home
Mixed-use building where the residential part is at least half the floor area
Low-rise multi-unit building of two storeys or less and 600 m² or less

homeowners only: Yes
proof: Proof of ownership, such as a property tax bill number.
minimum home age: At least six months old from the date on the occupancy permit.
grid: Connected to the North American electricity grid. Off-grid homes are not eligible.
condition: Livable, with no major ongoing construction — all above-grade walls and roofing finished inside and out, and a working automated heating system.
deadline: Twelve months from the initial assessment to finish the work and book the final one.
payment timing: Expect a rebate cheque within 90 days of the final assessment.
record keeping: Keep every receipt and invoice for five years.

Equipment requirements

Heat pumps must be installed by a certified Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Mechanic, and wood-burning equipment by a WETT-certified installer or inspector. All equipment must be new and unused, and bought and installed between the two assessments.

What disqualifies you

The rules people find out about after the work is done.

Replacement heat pumps, whether the old one works or not.
Ducted, compact ducted and mixed-ducted mini-splits.
Direct expansion, water-to-water and brine-to-water geothermal systems.
Any heat pump equipment installed in unconditioned space, such as ductwork through an attic.
Replacing working wood-burning equipment, and any system installed outdoors.
Upgrades to a part of the building added after the initial assessment.
The same upgrade claimed through another Efficiency Nova Scotia programme. One upgrade, one programme.
Equipment not purchased in Canada, including online orders from a distributor outside Canada.

What it costs you

Fees the programme charges the applicant, not amounts it pays.

Fees charged to the applicant
Fee	What it means	Amount
Initial assessment	Waived for households that qualify for the Moderate Income Rebate. If you paid it and then qualify, it is reimbursed with your rebates.	$199
Final assessment	The final assessment carries no separate charge.	Free

One fee, waived for lower- and moderate-income households.

Where the application goes

Order matters here more than anywhere else in this dataset.

Where the application goes
If this is you	Apply here
Moderate-income households	Apply for the Moderate Income Rebate FIRST, before booking anything. Wait for approval before starting work.
Everyone else	Book the initial Home Energy Assessment with a delivery agent partner through efficiencyns.ca, or call 1-877-999-6035.

The thing most pages get wrong

Heat pumps are paid by the ton of newly added capacity, not per unit — $300 a ton ductless, $500 a ton centrally ducted, $600 a ton geothermal. And if the house already has a heat pump, you are paid only on the difference: new capacity minus removed capacity. Replacing a working heat pump earns nothing at all.

And the second thing

Apply for the Moderate Income Rebate before you book the assessment, not after. Efficiency Nova Scotia says to wait for approval before starting any upgrades, and a moderate-income household that books first pays the $199 and gives up the second $5,000.

Status note

For a semi-detached or end-unit row home, the foundation and exterior wall maximums are 75% of the amounts shown; for a middle-unit row home, 50%. Nothing is paid for insulating a shared interior wall — the same rule Quebec applies.

This programme by upgrade

Every programme that pays toward the same upgrade, side by side.