The Home Brief · Issue #1 ·

Rebates extended, furnace quotes, frozen pipes and the $6,650 flood subsidy

Welcome to the first Home Brief. Every Friday you'll get the home costs, rebates and contractor tips that matter in the GTA this week, in about four minutes. This week: Ontario's main rebate program got four more months, what to check before you sign a furnace quote, how to keep your pipes from freezing, and the Toronto subsidy that pays most of the cost of protecting your basement.

Illustration of a house with a heat pump unit and a rebate cheque, showing up to $7,500 back1. Rebates

Ontario's Home Renovation Savings Rebates Extended to March 31, 2027

The program was set to close November 30. Enbridge has told participating contractors it now runs to March 31, 2027. Heat pumps still get up to $7,500 back, attic insulation up to $1,250.

Read the full story →Illustration of a furnace beside a checklist clipboard, with the GTA price range for a new furnace2. Before you sign

Before You Sign a Furnace Quote: 10 Things to Check

A new gas furnace runs about $4,500 to $9,000 installed in the GTA. Here are the 10 things a complete quote should spell out, plus your rights if someone knocks on your door selling one.

Read the full story →Illustration of a water pipe with frost and icicles and a thermometer reading 8 degrees3. Winter prep

How to Prevent Frozen Pipes in Toronto (and What to Do If They Freeze)

Frozen pipes are one of the most common winter calls in Toronto, and most happen on private property. Here's where they freeze, how to prevent it, and how to thaw them safely.

Read the full story →Illustration of a house cross-section with a backwater valve and sump pump protecting the basement, showing up to $6,6504. Toronto subsidy

Toronto's Basement Flooding Subsidy Now Pays Up to $6,650

Toronto nearly doubled its basement flooding subsidy, from $3,400 to $6,650 per property. Winter is the time to book the work, before spring thaw and storms.

Read the full story →
This weekend

Three 10-minute jobs

  • Shut off and drain your outdoor taps.
  • Find your main water shut-off valve and make sure it turns.
  • Point your downspouts at least 2 metres away from the house.
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