Open hearth fireplaces may be eligible for a rebate if residents are purchasing an electric insert. The program guidelines require that residents replace a wood burning heat source that is currently used as the PRIMARY home heating source. As fireplaces are rarely the primary heating source in a house, rebate eligibility is at the discretion of program administrators.

The program does not cover new wood-burning inserts installed in an open hearth fireplace when there was no pre-existing wood-burning insert. Typically, installing a wood-burning insert in an open-hearth fireplace results in increased usage of the new wood-burning appliance, thereby increasing air particulate emissions. Open hearth fireplaces tend to be used mainly for special occasions, whereas the installation of a wood-burning insert would likely cause an increase in wood burning.

If residents already have a wood burning insert installed in an open hearth fireplace that is at least five years old and/or uncertified, residents may be eligible for a rebate if the wood burning insert is replaced with a new EPA- or CSA-certified wood burning appliance. 

Program start date is January 15, 2020. The homeowner must purchase and install the new appliance after the program start date. Program end date is November 30, 2020. The homeowner must purchase and install the new appliance, dispose of old appliance for recycling, and submit all completed required documentation before the program end date. Homeowners with incomplete applications by November 30, 2020 will be considered ineligible for the 2020 program.

The following table outlines the eligible appliances and rebate values for the 2020 Woodstove Replacement Program. Additional $50 rebates are provided by registered retailers for EPA or CSA certified wood appliances and $150 for heat pumps.