New Homes Incentive Program | City of Medicine Hat

!

The 2025 HAT Smart program is now closed.

Thank you to everyone who participated. The 2026 HAT Smart rebate program will be announced soon. Please check this page regularly for updates or subscribe to e-notifications to have City news delivered right to your inbox.

Subscribe to news

The New Homes Incentive program is designed to encourage the construction of homes with greater energy efficiency and includes rebates for solar PV installations.

To participate in the New Homes Incentive program, an EnerGuide rating, obtained as part of an EnerGuide Home Evaluation, is required.

To qualify for a rebate under the 2026 HAT Smart New Homes Incentive Program, the new home must be a minimum of 20% more efficient than a typical new home as evidenced on the EnerGuide Home Evaluation label. A ‘typical new home’ is one built to current Federal and Provincial Building Code standards.

Additionally, EnerGuide Home Evaluation documentation must reference the City of Medicine Hat Home Energy Program unique identifier: HATSmartKS

Contractors and consultants working on projects which are submitted for a Request for Rebate under the New Homes Incentive Program must have a valid City of Medicine Hat business license. This business license number must appear on all invoices and paid receipts to be eligible for reimbursement.

What's new for 2026?

The New Homes Incentive Program now requires that homes are a minimum 20% more efficient than a typical new home to qualify for a rebate. This new requirement aligns with ENERGY STAR® Home Certification, however, your new home does not have to be ENERGY STAR® certified to qualify for a rebate.

Please plan your construction projects to consider these incentive program changes.

Rebate amount

Up to $10,000

HAT Smart will rebate up to $10,000 on homes which meet the qualifying criteria and are a minimum of 20% more efficient than a typical new home.

Gigajoule savings obtained through on-site renewable energy will be included when determining the rebate amount.

Program term and submission deadlines

The deadline to request a rebate is December 15, 2026.

The 2026 HAT Smart New Home Incentive program works on a ‘first come, first served’ basis and there is no advance Reservation of Funds step.

Requests for Rebate must be received by HAT Smart on or before December 15, 2026 or before all New Homes Initiative program funds are fully disbursed.

Terms and Conditions

Rebate by energy savings percentage

Rebates are calculated based on energy savings in gigajoules (GJ) compared to a baseline and multiplied by a fixed rate per GJ saved.


Percentage of energy reduction compared to baseline rating (R)	Amount of rebate per GJ reduction
20% to 25% of R	$100
> 25% of R	$125

Example 1: If the typical new home baseline rating (R) is 100 GJ and the actual new home rating is 80 GJ, the final calculated rebate would be $2,000. The calculated % reduction compared to baseline is 20% [1 – 80/100 = 20%]. The eligible rebate rate is therefore $100 per GJ. Total rebate is then calculated as $100 per GJ reduction x (100-80) = $2,000.

Example 2: If the typical new home baseline rating is 120 GJ and the actual new home rating is 84 GJ, the final calculated rebate would be $4,500. The calculated % reduction compared to baseline is 30%, [1-84/120 = 30%] for the eligible rebate rate or $125 per GJ reduction. The total rebate is then calculated as $125 per GJ x (120-84) = $4,500.

How to participate

1. Eligibility criteria

Before applying, read the Eligibility section below. Don’t forget to check out the FAQs!

Eligibility

To qualify for a rebate:

The property must receive a City of Medicine Hat residential electric and/or natural gas utility statement for the Project address in their name.
The EnerGuide Label and Homeowner Report must be completed between January 1, 2026 and December 15, 2026 as presented on the EnerGuide Label, Homeowner Information Sheet and Blower Door Report.
- The EnerGuide Home Evaluation documentation must reference the City of Medicine Hat Home Energy Program unique identifier: HATSmartKS.

Failure to comply with incentive requirements and/or terms and conditions will cause your application to be declined and a new application will be required, which will be entered in the queue for review based on the date it is received by HAT Smart.

Solar PV installations

If you plan to install a Solar PV system:

A System Size Review is required. Visit the City’s Microgeneration webpage for more information.
Solar PV systems must be designed and installed by a qualified installer and system components and modules must be CSA or ULC approved for use in Canada.
All components must be new and not previously used in an energized solar system.
Visit one of the websites below for installers/contractors serving Medicine Hat and area.
- Southeast Alberta Chamber of Commerce Business Directory
- Solar Energy Society of Alberta

Important

Any deviation, whether increase or decrease, from the approved system size (kW DC or kW AC) must be approved by the City and the Utilities Distribution Systems Electric Engineering Department (Electric Engineering).

If the installed system size is larger than the approved system size, Electric Engineering may refuse to install the bi-directional meter until the system size is corrected.

Solar Incentive program rebates are processed based on the approved and installed system size.

2. Do your research

If you are building or purchasing a new energy-efficient home, visit the NRCan website to learn about EnerGuide-rated new homes.

Learn more about buying a new home on the Canadian Home Builders' Association website.

Choosing a contractor

Not sure how to choose a contractor? See what the Government of Alberta and Canadian Home Builders' Association suggest. It is your responsibility to ensure the contractor has a valid City of Medicine Hat business license.

3. Obtain an EnerGuide rating

Contact a service organization to schedule and complete an EnerGuide Home Evaluation.

4. Construct your home and get your final EnerGuide rating

Final evaluations must be completed between January 1 and December 15, 2026 to qualify for New Homes Incentive Program rebates.

5. Request your rebate

Complete the application to request your rebate.

Required documentation

Completed EnerGuide Home Evaluation including the:
- Homeowner Information Sheet
- EnerGuide Label, and
- Blower Door Report

Requests for Rebate which do not include the required documentation and information will be rejected by HAT Smart. A new Request for Rebate will be required, which will be processed in the order it is received by HAT Smart.

Request your rebate

Rebate payment

New Homes Incentive Program rebates are payable as a credit to the home utility account or by direct deposit.

To receive payment by direct deposit, complete the Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) Registration Form.

Rebate payments may be delayed if there are any outstanding permitting concerns from the relevant planning commission.