Is your furnace on its last legs? Does winter sneak its creeping fingers into your house? Do you live in an older home and know that you could make some changes, whether big or small, to save yourself some money and be kinder to the environment?

Union Gas has many rebate programs whose purpose is to make it more achievable for you to keep your home warmer or cooler, keep your air cleaner, and save you energy and money.

It could be that all you need is a home energy assessment and a few small fixes, or maybe you need or want to switch to a whole new heating system. Maybe you’re really ambitious or you’ve been preparing to make a whole set of changes to increase your energy efficiency and decrease the size of your utility bill.

Whatever your need or motivation, check out all the programs Union Gas has to offer. Some of them you can combine to save more money than you thought! But make sure to read all the way to the end to find out some simple ways you could save energy and money before, during, and after you try out one or more of these programs.

Union Gas Rebates

SAVE ON ENERGY PROGRAM

The Save on Energy program is funded by the Province of Ontario and administered by local utility companies. The rebates and incentives offered under the Save on Energy banner are programs the province believes will help its residents save energy, and most importantly, save money.

Power can be incredibly expensive at certain times and in certain locations, so these programs make it easier for every Ontario resident to find ways to help make it a little less expensive.

The provincial government also funds the Green Ontario Fund. While this programs isn’t a Union Gas program, it is worth looking into. If you don’t qualify to participate in the Union Gas programs, these other programs may be able to help you save energy and money.

Read on to learn about each of the Union Gas rebate or incentive programs on offer to see if you can find one that’s right for you.

HOME RENOVATION REBATE PROGRAM

Planning a major renovation? Is this perhaps the right time to upgrade some of the most energy-wasting parts of your home such as your furnace, water heater, or insulation?

Then you really need to take a close look at this program. You could get up to $5,000 back in your wallet (more if you buy an air source heat pump) when you take advantage of the rebates offered as part of the Home Renovation Rebate Program.

You do have to have a home energy assessment (the rebates include $600 to cover the pre- and post-assessments) completed on your house to qualify for any of the rebates in the Home Renovation Program, but you’ll appreciate the advice and guidance on where and how you could save the most energy, and you only have to the pay the HST portion of the assessment.

Take a peek at the following programs. There might be a few in there you could use, and remember, the more you buy, the more you save!

Heating System Rebate Program

If your home is currently heated with natural gas, propane, or oil, you could receive $1,000 back when you buy a new, energy-efficient furnace or boiler. You must replace a less than 95% AFUE natural gas, propane, or oil furnace, or 89% or less AFUE natural gas, propane, or oil boiler with a 95% or higher AFUE condensing natural gas, propane, or oil furnace or a 90% or higher AFUE condensing natural gas, propane, or oil boiler however.

Buying a combination system also qualifies you for the rebate, but you can only use the furnace/boiler rebate or the water heater rebate, not both.

Not only will your energy advisor give you great advice on how to make your house energy smarter, they will also fill out and send in your rebate application for you. All you have to do is put out the money, and they will do everything else. The good news is you will get your money within 90 days.

Plus! If you buy 2 or more qualifying upgrades (heating systems, water heaters, doors/windows/skylights, or insulation and sealing), you’ll get back an extra $250!

Air Source Heat Pump Rebate Program

Those who are lucky enough to have their home heated electrically can take advantage of Union Gas’s rebate of up to $5,800 when you have you buy a qualifying air source heat pump (ASHP) after your home energy assessment.

Your advisor will recommend the best model for your needs and wallet and will also fill out and send in the rebate form for you. Rebate amounts vary from $1,900 when you buy a ductless ASHP (single head, electric baseboard, no air conditioning) to $5,800 for a ductless ASHP (cold climate multiple head).

While you can’t combine this rebate with another heating system rebate, your ASHP purchase thankfully doesn’t count towards the $5,000 rebate maximum.

And don’t forget about the $250 bonus (doors/windows/skylights or insulation and sealing) if you make more than 2 qualifying upgrades!

Wood Burning Heating System Rebate Program

Replace your current wood-burning heating system with a newer, more efficient qualifying model and get $750 back. Just note that the capacity of the new equipment must be equal to or smaller than the capacity of the system being replaced.

Your other option is to switch out your old wood-burning with a new, qualifying

condensing natural gas, propane, or oil furnace or boiler. Going this route will get you $1,000 back!

As with the Heating System Rebate, purchasing a combi system does qualify as a boiler and is also eligible for the rebate.

Your advisor will again give you advice about what improvements you can make and what systems are best for your home. They’ll also take care of the rebate application for you, so all you have to do is sit back and wait for the money!

But of course you should also take advantage of the $250 rebate when you buy 2 or more eligible upgrades (heating systems, water heaters, doors/windows/skylights, or insulation and sealing).

Additional Rebates to Qualify for the $250 Rebate

After your home assessment is finished, Union Gas is offering to give you an extra $250 rebate when you make 2 or more qualifying energy-efficient upgrades.

If your home is primarily heated with natural gas, oil, or propane, these are the additional rebates that qualify you to receive the $250 rebate:

• Install some upgraded insulation and get back anywhere from $250 to $1,750 depending on the R-value of the insulation, how much of it you install, and where you install it. Adding insulation in more than one location will result in a larger rebate for you. 
• Get $100 to $150 in your pocket when you work on some air sealing to a point where you achieve a better value than you received in your home assessment.
• If you purchase and install new ENERGY STAR® Zone 2 or 3 qualified windows, doors, or skylights, you’ll get $80 for each unit.
• And you’ll get a $500 rebate when you replace your old water heater with a new, tanked natural gas or propane water heater rated 0.80 EF or higher.

Not to worry if your home is not heated with natural gas, propane, or oil! If your house is heated electrically instead, there are some additional rebates for you that also qualify you for the additional $250 rebate:

• You can still get rebates of $250 to $1,750 when you add or upgrade your insulation, depending on the R-value, the location, and the amount of insulation you add—identical to those with gas-powered heating systems. Again, you can potentially walk away with more money depending on how many locations you insulate.
• $100 to $150 rebate is also available when your air sealing achieves a better value than it was given after your pre-assessment.
• Also, as with gas-powered homes, you still qualify to get back $80 per unit when you upgrade your current windows to ENERGY STAR® Zone 2 or 3 qualified windows, doors, or skylights.

And if your home is wood fuelled, here are the rebates for you:

• Rebates of $250 to $1,750 are available when you add or upgrade your insulation, depending on the R-value, the location, and the amount of insulation you add—identical to those with gas-powered heating systems. You can still potentially walk away with more money depending on how many locations you insulate.
• Get $100 to $150 back when you achieve air sealing of a better value than it was initially.
• Also as with gas-powered and electrically powered homes, you still qualify to get back $80 per unit when you upgrade your current windows to ENERGY STAR® Zone 2 or 3 qualified windows, doors, or skylights.
• You’ll also get a $500 rebate when you replace your old water heater with a new, tanked natural gas or propane water heater rated 0.80 EF or higher.

And you don’t have to do anything…your energy advisor will fill out and send in the application forms for you!

Additional Available Rebates

You thought that was it for available rebates under the Home Renovation Program? Well think again! Union Gas absolutely has more rebates for you! Now while these rebates don’t qualify for the additional $250 rebate, they also don’t count towards the $5,000 maximum rebate either.

For homes heated with natural gas, oil, or propane, these are your rebates:

• $250 for a natural gas or propane forced air furnace with electrically commutated motor
• $500 for an ASHP, ENERGY STAR®-certified, with a minimum efficiency rating of EER 12.5/SEER 15/HSPF 8.5-
• $600 for a central air conditioning system, ENERGY STAR®-qualified, rated SEER 18 and EER 13
• $75 for an ENERGY STAR® refrigerator

• $75 for an ENERGY STAR® freezer
• $30 for an ENERGY STAR® dehumidifier
• $25 for an ENERGY STAR® window air conditioner
• $75 for an ENERGY STAR® clothes washer

And homes that are electrically heated have these rebates available to them:

• $600 for a central air conditioning system, ENERGY STAR®-qualified, rated SEER 18 and EER 13
• $75 for an ENERGY STAR® refrigerator
• $75 for an ENERGY STAR® freezer

• $30 for an ENERGY STAR® dehumidifier
• $25 for an ENERGY STAR® window air conditioner
• $75 for an ENERGY STAR® clothes washer

Lastly, homes heated with wood also have some rebates available to them:

• $250 for a natural gas or propane forced air furnace with electrically commutated motor
• $500 for an ASHP, ENERGY STAR®-certified, with a minimum efficiency rating of EER 12.5/SEER 15/HSPF 8.5-
• $600 for a central air conditioning system, ENERGY STAR®-qualified, rated SEER 18 and EER 13
• $75 for an ENERGY STAR® refrigerator

• $75 for an ENERGY STAR® freezer
• $30 for an ENERGY STAR® dehumidifier
• $25 for an ENERGY STAR® window air conditioner
• $75 for an ENERGY STAR® clothes washer

For all of the rebates listed under the Home Renovation Rebate Program, all you have to do is hire a certified energy advisor, participate in your pre- and post-assessments, choose the rebates you’d like to use and the upgrades you’d like to make, and your home advisor will take care of everything else for you.

Union Gas Income-Based Programs

HOME WEATHERIZATION PROGRAM

Everyone should feel cozy in their own home, no matter the weather, no matter their circumstances. A warm home is a healthy home! And the same is true in the heat: a cool home is a cozy, healthy home.

Union Gas customers with a natural gas furnace and a home built before 1975 that needs more insulation could qualify for this program. The only other requirement is that you need to have a low income to be eligible. In other words, your household income must be less than $62,588 or less if your household is a typical family of four.

This program is too good not to take advantage of. Save yourself money, pay a smaller power bill, be kinder to the environment, get cleaner air, and hey, did we mention it’s free?

When you apply online (or call an authorized contractor), you get all of this completely free of charge:

• an in-home energy assessment of your home including the attic, wall, and foundation insulation; your heating and ventilation systems; and any other energy-efficient upgrades or improvements that could be made
• energy-efficient products
• installation of any provided energy-efficient items (such as wall, attic, and basement insulation; water-saving items; and a programmable thermostat)
• a second and final assessment to check the quality of the improvements and measure the new energy efficiency of your home
• advice about other improvements you could make to save energy

After you apply online, Union Gas will call you to arrange an appointment and send you a formal application to fill out and send back via mail or email.

This formal application needs to include your supporting documents, which will include a Notice of Assessment from everyone living in the home that’s over 18 (or another form of income verification) and a signed declaration form from your landlord if you rent.

8 Tips for Slashing Your Union Gas Utility Bill

After you’ve taken advantage of as many energy-saving and money-saving rebates as you can with Union Gas, make sure you make the most all your new upgrades.

At the same time, there are lots of ways you could save some energy and money without making big, complicated, or expensive upgrades.

Try out some of these tips and see how much money you save on your bill every month if you make these changes a habit:

Keeping your furnace fan on will actually help you save money

Did you know keeping your furnace fan on will actually help you save money? Keeping it on will circulate the air throughout your house, causing your air to cool or warm, depending on the time of year. This results in your furnace or air conditioner not coming on quite as often.

Try lowering your thermostat setting by just 1°C for one 7 hours

Try lowering your thermostat setting by just 1°C for one 7 hour period during the winter, and you’ll find that you save 1% on your bill. It adds up!

Keep the damper shut

?If you have a fireplace, keep the damper shut or put glass doors across it so neither the warm air nor cool air escape up the chimney.

Turn off your range hood or bathrooms fans 30 minutes after you turn them on

?Make sure you turn off your range hood or bathrooms fans 30 minutes after you turn them on. While that 30 minutes is necessary to eliminate heat, humidity, and odour, in just 60 minutes, one exhaust fan can suck all the warm or cold air out of your home. Then, of course, your heating or cooling system needs to work double time.

Examine all your heating ducts

?Examine all your heating ducts. Even if you find no leaks, which is unlikely, make sure you seal all the seams with aluminum foil to avoid unnecessary heat loss.

Turn your computer or laptop off or use the sleep setting

?Turn your computer or laptop off or use the sleep setting. Don’t use the screensaver setting if you’ll be away from it for more than a few minutes because you’ll use far more energy than necessary.

Unplug devices as soon as they’re finished charging

?Unplug all your communication devices as soon as they’re finished charging. Keeping them plugged in just to keep them plugged in or at 100% costs you more money!

Check to see if your TV has a power-saving mode

?While you’re at it, check to see if your TV has a power-saving mode. Bet you never thought of your TV as a terrible energy eater!

Congratulations on being aware of the money you could save by making some easy changes, on reducing your effect on the environment, and on making some positive changes! ?

t’s not always easy to get started, but by taking advantage of the programs like the ones Union Gas offers, it gets easier, and it can even get end up being a little difficult to quit making good changes!