IESO Save on Energy Retrofit Program
Compared with the 242 other application forms we have read
- Scored mainly on environmental outcome. Only 11 lead with that.
- The heaviest thing to produce is technical documentation. 14 ask for that.
- Money you have already spent can still count, up to 45 days back. Only 14 put a window on it.
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Eligibility & Details
What this program funds and who can apply
Program Description
Ontario's flagship electricity-efficiency incentive for existing buildings and facilities, delivered by IESO under the Save on Energy brand. Two streams: a Prescriptive track paying pre-set incentives for named measures (HVAC controls, motors, VFDs, network lighting controls, manufacturing equipment, solar PV, greenhouse lighting, data-centre measures, and more) and a Custom track paying $1,800/kW of peak-demand reduction or $0.20/kWh of energy savings, whichever yields more, up to 50% of eligible project costs. Regional Adders double incentives for most non-lighting measures in electricity-constrained Forward Sortation Areas (Barrie/Muskoka, Belleville/Peterborough, Brant, Caledonia-Norfolk, Elmira, Kenora, Kingston area, Niagara region, Ottawa, Pembroke area, Ramore, Waubaushene, Woodstock, and Greater Windsor Area, as of the June 30, 2025 update — the adder does not apply to solar PV DERs, horticultural lighting, horticultural lighting controls, or EMIS measures). Active as of 2026-04-23.
Eligibility Requirements
- Ontario electricity customer (owner or lessee) of a commercial, industrial, institutional, multi-residential, or agricultural facility
- Facility connected to a Local Distribution Company (LDC) or to the IESO-controlled grid
- Project must achieve verifiable electricity savings through eligible measures
- Application must be submitted and the Participant Agreement accepted BEFORE entering into a binding commitment (a purchase order, a signed contract, or equipment ordered) — work itself may start once the application is submitted
- If you lease the facility, you need the owner's consent or authorization to participate (the funder does not specify a required form for this consent)
- MUSH sector (municipalities, universities, schools, hospitals) explicitly eligible
Quick Assessment
Funding Details
- Amount
- Up to 50% of costsCustom: $1,800/kW + $0.20/kWh, up to 50% of eligible costs (capped at a maximum of 55% of the estimated eligible costs approved in the application). Prescriptive: set incentives per measure. Regional Adders double non-lighting incentives in eligible FSAs (still capped at 50%/55%). Minimum incentive: $500 for Prescriptive projects; Custom projects must also clear $1,500 and at least 1 kW of peak-demand reduction or 2,000 kWh of annual energy savings. Social Housing Providers receive double the calculated incentive (same 50%/55% cap, subject to available IESO funds), and the IESO may, at its sole discretion, advance up to 50% of it before project completion.
- Type
- Grant
- Level
- Provincial
- Co-Funding
- Up to 50% of eligible costs
- Deadline
- Ongoing — continuous intake (project pre-approval required before work begins)
Program Scorecard
Competition, effort, and approval at a glance
Accessible — straightforward requirements
Low competition — good odds of approval
Moderate — standard requirements
How to Win
Insider tips, common pitfalls, and what successful applicants look like
Insider TipSubmit the application and accept the Participant Agreement BEFORE entering into a binding commitment — a purchase order issued, a contract signed with a service provider, or equipment ordered (even if unpaid).
Success Profile
Evaluation Criteria
How IESO Save on Energy Retrofit Program judges your application
What the reviewer scores, what gets applications rejected, and what to write.
Distilled from 6+ source documents on saveonenergy.ca, condensed into one brief. Sources as of 2026-09-03.
6 of the sources
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What IESO Save on Energy Retrofit Program favours
Projects cutting electricity use measurably and sustainably◦
“Projects that achieve sustainable, measurable reductions in electricity use may be eligible for the Save on Energy Retrofit Program.”
The form
Before you commit to anything
- Step 1Step 1 — Review eligibility criteriacheckbox
- Step 2Step 2 — Complete your applicant or applicant representative Retrofit portal accountshort answer
- Step 3Step 3 — Assign an applicant representativeselection
Your business and your facility
- 4Applicant Detailsshort answer
- 5project name and descriptionwritten answer
Complete the mandatory fields in the Basic Details section of the application main page.
- 6other financial incentives received for this projectyes/no + written
A yes/no field in the Basic Details section asking whether the applicant has received other financial incentives for the project from other programs, with a follow-up requiring the funding provider, program name and amount received. The exact on-screen wording is published only inside a column-laid-out callout on page 45 of the April 2022 Digital User Guide and could not be recovered as a contiguous quotation, so it is not claimed verbatim; the underlying obligation is quoted verbatim from S5 in reviewerLens below.
- 7Facility Detailsshort answer
- 17Social Housing Adder and advance incentive requestselection
Prescriptive measures and cost
- 8Measure Details — adding a Prescriptive measuretable
- 9Estimated Facility Cost Prescriptiveshort answer
The Custom Projects Worksheet
- 1a1. Project Description, a. Base Casewritten answer
- 1b1. Project Description, b. Energy Efficient Casewritten answer
- 22. Custom Project Energy & Demand Savingsspreadsheet
- 13Calculation Noteswritten answer
- 33. Project Cost Breakdownspreadsheet
What you attach
- 15Supporting documentation, Prescriptive projectslist
- 16Supporting documentation, Custom projectslist
Accept and submit
- Step 5Step 5 — Accept the Participant Agreement and submitcheckbox
After the work is done
- 19actual datesshort answer
- 20revisions to the applicationshort answer
- 21itemized supplier invoicelist
- 22proof of paymentlist
- 23M&V and QA/QC photographic evidencelist
- 24Participant Confirmation Form: Equipment Disposal and Decommissioningtable
- 25updated specification sheets, worksheets and calculationslist
Getting paid
- 26Incentive invoice (issued by the participant to the IESO)list
IESO Save on Energy Retrofit Program states no length limits for these answers.
Judged against
- 1
Did you apply before committing to buy anything?
Show them Accept the Participant Agreement and submit in the portal before any purchase order is issued, contract signed or equipment ordered.◦
- 2
Does the project save electricity, and provably?
What to show, and the funder’s 4 criteria behind it in Premium
- 3
Is the project big enough to qualify?
What to show, and the funder’s 3 criteria behind it in Premium
- 4
Are the costs eligible and fully evidenced?
What to show, and the funder’s 1 criterion behind it in Premium
4 questions the reviewer answers about you, in Premium.
Where applicants fail
“The Applicant must accept the participant agreement and submit your application before entering into a binding commitment or the application will be ineligible.”
“There is no grace period for submitting an application for a project that has already started.”
Premium · the rest of this brief
See all 13 rules that can reject you and every criterion you are judged on. Then we draft your application for you.
11 more rules that can reject you · 8 more criteria · 24 more prompts
Do you pass?
13 can rule you out; 1 is a preference. Tick the ones you meet.
You
Non-residential or farm, and not yet committed
Be a Non-Residential Customer or Recognized Farm Operation that has not previously entered into a binding commitment to acquire the Measures or services required to install the Measures, provided that the IESO may waive this requirement where (A) the circumstances in Section 3.3(e)(ii) apply, or (B) the Participant can demonstrate to the IESO's satisfaction, at the IESO's sole discretion, that the Participant intended to apply to the Retrofit Program prior to entering into a binding commitment
Your business
Is your facility one of these types?
Financial incentives through the Retrofit program are available to owners or lessees* of: commercial spaces; industrial facilities; municipal buildings, universities, colleges, schools, hospitals; multi-residential buildings; agricultural facilities
1 thing this funder says you do NOT need, in Premium.
Documents to attach
Ticks are kept on this device.
The money
Prescriptive incentive50% of eligible costs, max 55%
The Prescriptive Incentive will be calculated as the lesser of: (a) The Prescriptive Incentive calculated in accordance with the Prescriptive Worksheet(s); and (b) 50% of the Eligible Costs for a Project with Prescriptive Measures, up to a maximum of 55% of the Estimated Eligible Costs in the Application approved by the IESO.
Custom incentive$1,800/kW or $0.20/kWh, 50% cap
The Custom Incentive will be calculated as the lesser of: (a) the greater of $1,800/kW of Peak Demand Savings or $0.20/kWh of Energy Savings; and (b) 50% of the Eligible Costs for a Project with Custom Measures, up to a maximum of 55% of the Estimated Eligible Costs in the Application approved by the IESO.
Minimum incentive$500 prescriptive, $1,500 custom
result in a minimum Participant Incentive of $500 (Prescriptive Measures); result in a minimum Participant Incentive of $1,500 (Custom Measures); result in a minimum Peak Demand Savings of 1 kW and/or annual Energy Savings of at least 2,000 kWh (Custom Measures)
Regional adderDouble incentive for most non-lighting measures
Most non-lighting measures will be eligible for double the incentive normally available from the Retrofit program through the Retrofit regional adders, with the exception of solar PV DERs, horticultural lighting, horticultural lighting controls, and the energy management information system (EMIS) measures.
Social Housing AdderUp to 50% paid in advance
The Social Housing Adder will be payable subject to available IESO funds. Enter the percentage of the incentive that you would like to receive in advance. The maximum value is 50%.
When you are paidLump sum within 90 days
any Participant Incentive payable under the Retrofit Program will be paid by the IESO to the Participant as a lump sum within 90 days of the Participant receiving the Participant Incentive Invoice Approval.
Your share50% of eligible costs, capped at 55%
50% of the Eligible Costs for a Project with Prescriptive Measures, up to a maximum of 55% of the Estimated Eligible Costs in the Application approved by the IESO.
StackingExcludes government grants and manufacturer rebates
any costs already covered by or that will be covered by funding or grants funded by a Governmental Authority, whether administered by the IESO, a local electricity or gas distributor or any other party (unless funding is principally directed to Social Housing Providers and if such funding, when combined with the Participant Incentive, does not exceed the Project cost), or rebates from manufacturers, wholesalers or other supply chain participants.
Costs before approvalFailed equipment under $10,000, apply within 45 days
for the unplanned replacement of recently failed existing equipment with a Prescriptive Measure listed on the Unitary AC Eligible Measures Worksheet or the VSD Compressed Air Eligible Measures Worksheet, have the following: A. an Estimated Participant Incentive less than $10,000; and B. an Application submitted within 45 days following the completion of such Project
What it pays for · 2
- for Prescriptive Measures other than DER Measures and EMIS Measures, be reasonable standard industry costs, be directly related to procurement and implementation, and be limited to: (i) cost of the equipment purchased; (ii) cost of labour for equipment installed by a third party; and (iii) costs to dispose of or decommission the replaced equipment
- for Custom Measures and DER Measures... (iii) costs of energy audits not funded by the IESO; (iv) costs of design, engineering and/or architecture; (v) third party project management costs; (vi) shipping, delivery, duties and other costs applicable to equipment delivery to the Facility; (vii) costs to prepare and implement the Project M&V Plan; (viii) costs to dispose or decommission the replaced equipment; (ix) costs of inspections, as may be required by laws and regulations
From application to money
- Call a representativeFree help to scope and apply
- Apply before you commitSubmit before any contract or order
- Pre-approvalDecision in about two to three weeks
- Post-project submissionSubmit final costs, invoices and photos
- Invoice and paymentPaid within 90 days of invoice approval
- Keep it runningKeep equipment in place 48 months
In the funder’s words · 6
- Call a representative
- A Save on Energy representative will help you scope the measures, build the application and submit it, at no cost to you.
- Apply before you commit
- Accept the Participant Agreement and submit the pre-project application before any purchase order, signed contract or equipment order exists.
- Pre-approval
- Most application pre-approvals take about two to three weeks to complete.
- Post-project submission
- Once the work is done, submit the actual dates and quantities, the final cost without HST, the itemized invoice, proof of payment, the photos and the disposal confirmation form.
- Invoice and payment
- After post-project approval you upload your own incentive invoice to the portal, and the incentive is paid as one cheque within 90 days of invoice approval.
- Keep it running
- The installed equipment must stay in place and in good working order, unmodified, for 48 months after the incentive is paid.
Quoted lines are word for word from the source documents; lines marked ◦ are our reading of them.
Everything you need to win IESO Save on Energy Retrofit Program
Not a marketing summary. The actual checklist, intel, and stack strategy reviewers look for.
- 10-document checklist with what each reviewer is actually checking
- Your Application Game Plan — the print-ready PDF the preview below describes
- 7-step application timeline with prep hours per step
- Insider tip from program officers on what separates winners
- 4-program stacking strategy to combine with compatible funding
- Success profile + evaluation criteria — exactly what reviewers score on
Application Playbook
Step-by-step process, required documents, and expenses
Application Steps
Required Documents 10
Eligible Expenses 8
Ineligible Expenses 7
Intake Periods
Deadline Notes
Ineligible Organizations
- 6 more application steps
- 8 more required documents
- 8 eligible expenses
- 7 ineligible expenses
- Intake periods
- Deadline notes
- Ineligible organizations
Funding Stack Strategy
Compatible programs, clawback risk, and combined funding potential
Compatible Programs
Clawback Risk
Low RiskHow IESO Save on Energy Retrofit Program Compares
Side-by-side with similar programs
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|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Commercial Façade Improvement Grant P... | Up to $12,500 (50% of costs) | Easy | Reimbursement | Annual Intake |
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Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to the questions founders most often ask about IESO Save on Energy Retrofit Program