Homes that give back: solar, batteries, heat pumps and net metering in Ontario
A home that wastes little, makes its own power and sends the extra to the grid. How it works in Ontario today.
The grid of the future isn't just big plants sending power one way. Homes can cut their demand, make clean power, store it, and send extra back to the grid when it's needed.
Step 1: use less
Insulation, air sealing, and efficient windows and doors mean a home needs less heating and cooling. A cold-climate heat pump then provides both far more efficiently than electric resistance heat. Ontario offers rebates on insulation and heat pumps.1
Step 2: make your own
Rooftop solar produces electricity during the day. Ontario's Home Renovation Savings program offers up to $5,000 for solar panels, plus up to $5,000 for battery storage bundled with solar.1
Step 3: store and shift
A battery stores daytime solar for the evening peak, and an EV can charge overnight when power is cheapest. On the Ultra-Low Overnight plan, electricity between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. costs 3.9¢ per kWh, while weekday on-peak is 39.1¢.2
Step 4: give back to the grid
With Ontario's net metering program, a home can send the renewable electricity it doesn't use to its utility's grid in exchange for credits on future bills. Credits can offset the electricity you use and can be carried forward for up to 12 months.3
Good to know: net metering credits reduce your bill; they aren't paid out as cash, and unused credits expire after 12 months. Some rebate programs have their own rules for systems that export power, so we check both before you decide.3
Why it helps everyone
Ontario's grid operator expects demand to grow 65% by 2050 and counts efficiency and demand savings as part of how it will meet that need.4 Every home that uses less at peak and produces its own clean power reduces what the whole system has to build.
Sources
Figures are as reported by the sources listed, at the dates shown. Older figures are included for historical context. Canadian Energy Standard is an independent company, not affiliated with any government, utility, generator or energy retailer named here.
See how your home can use less and make more
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