2025 HAT Smart residential incentive programs now open
Medicine Hat – The City of Medicine Hat announces the 2025 launch of its popular and award-winning HAT Smart Residential Incentive initiative with five residential incentive programs encouraging home projects resulting in water and energy conservation for local utility customers.
Management and execution of the HAT Smart initiative has transitioned to Environmental Strategy and Compliance, the same department that supports Alberta Municipalities with the City’s Clean Energy Improvement Program.
“Transitioning both City of Medicine Hat Home Energy Programs to one department increases efficiency and allows us to work with residents to ensure they obtain maximum rebates,” said Adria Coombs, Manager of Environmental Strategy and Compliance.
“Overall, the incentive programs in 2025 will see limited changes,” adds Coombs. “We may consider updates in the future as our team has the opportunity to refresh the City’s HAT Smart initiative."
Coombs explains one difference in 2025 is that rebates for EnerGuide Home Evaluations are now issued directly to the homeowner as a utility credit, rather than to the evaluator. “We believe this best aligns with the intent of HAT Smart, to provide rebates directly to homeowners as they take this first important step to implement energy efficient upgrades to their properties.”
Funding
The HAT Smart program is funded through collection of an Environmental Conservation Charge (ECC) levied to residential water, natural gas and electric customers. The program raises awareness and provides education about the importance of reducing our environmental impact and supports residential renewable energy projects throughout the city.
In 2024, HAT Smart distributed $280,864 to property owners who made environmental and energy-conscious upgrades or new construction, $207,763 under Existing Homes, $17,100 for New Homes, $22,000 for EnerGuide Home Evaluations, and $34,000 for Scratch and Win.
The Water Conservation Incentive was introduced mid-year last year and distributed $49,782.
The incentive budget for the 2025 HAT Smart program is $375,000.
2025 HAT Smart Incentive programs
HAT Smart's 2025 program term is between January 1, 2025, and December 31, 2025, and offers five incentive programs including Existing Homes, New Homes, EnerGuide Evaluations, Scratch and Win, and continuing the Water Conservation incentive initiated in 2024. The 2025 program has shorter timelines to submit project paperwork, which allows funds to be reassigned to applicants on the wait list.
Under the Existing Homes incentive, HAT Smart will rebate up to $5,000 for eligible retrofits including home insulation, windows, doors, tankless water heaters or heat- and energy-recovery ventilators (HRV or ERV).
The New Homes incentive encourages construction of more energy-efficient homes. This incentive will rebate up to $10,000 based on the level of energy savings achieved for the construction of a new home.
HAT Smart’s EnerGuide Home Evaluation incentive program will now rebate a $200 credit directly to the resident’s utility account for evaluations completed in 2025 by a qualified evaluator with a City of Medicine Hat Business License.
Scratch and Win allows residents to apply twice this year to recover up to $100 for each application to a maximum of $200 on the cost of small ticket energy conservation items, such as energy efficient lightbulbs, programmable thermostats, block heater timers and ENERGY STAR® certified appliances including furnaces and air conditioners. For a full list of eligible products please visit the HAT Smart website.
HAT Smart's Water Conservation incentive, first opened in summer of 2024, provides rebates to a maximum of $750 to residents who convert thirsty lawns and gardens to xeriscape-style landscapes. Rebates are paid for an assortment of water reduction landscape strategies including hard and soft scape material such as landscape fabric and drought tolerant turf as well as irrigation control systems and low flow sprinkler heads.
Visit hatsmart.ca or call 403-529-8244 for full program details, including information on how to apply for rebates, and to stay up to date on the current status of individual incentive programs under the HAT Smart Initiative.
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