2026 HAT Smart residential incentive programs now open

Medicine Hat – The City of Medicine Hat announces the 2026 launch of its popular and award-winning HAT Smart Residential Incentive program with five incentives encouraging home projects resulting in water and energy conservation for local utility customers.

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 2025, HAT Smart distributed $174,399 to property owners who made environmental and energy-conscious upgrades or new construction, $96,890 under Existing Homes, $9,865 for New Homes, $16,316 for EnerGuide Home Evaluations, $22,618 for Water Conservation, and $28,710 for Scratch and Win.

The incentive budget for the 2026 HAT Smart program is $375,000. 

2026 HAT Smart Incentive programs

HAT Smart's 2026 program term is between January 1, 2026, and December 15, 2026, and offers five incentive programs including Existing Homes, New Homes, EnerGuide Evaluations, Scratch and Win, and Water Conservation. 

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), and solar PV systems.

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 rebate a $250 credit directly to the resident’s utility account for pre- and post-construction evaluations completed in 2026 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 provides rebates to a lifetime maximum of $1,000 per household 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, rainwater capture, and composting.

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.

For media inquiries, please contact:
media@medicinehat.ca