Confidence: Verified (May 2026). Eligibility and integration with federal OHPA confirmed against Save on Energy and IESO program documentation within the last 90 days.

What it is

The Energy Affordability Program (EAP) is IESO's income-qualified, fully-funded direct-install retrofit program for Ontario residential customers. It is the delivery channel through which the federal Oil to Heat Pump Affordability (OHPA) program reaches eligible Ontario homeowners.

For income-qualified oil-heated households, EAP plus federal OHPA stacks to up to $25,000 in funding ($15,000 federal + $10,000 provincial) plus a $250 upfront payment — a full no-cost retrofit experience delivered through pre-selected contractors.

Eligibility

EAP is income-tested. Ontario thresholds (2026) run from approximately $48,200 (1-person household after-tax income) to $127,500+ (7+ person household). Re-verify current thresholds at saveonenergy.ca before quoting customers, as NRCan periodically revises them for inflation.

The household must be:

• An Ontario electricity-grid customer
• Owner-occupied or with landlord permission (rental program exists with different terms)
• Single-family, certain semi-detached and townhome property types

What it delivers — by heating fuel

Why this matters for B&J

EAP is the only government program that delivers a fully-funded heat pump to qualifying customers. For B&J's lowest-income oil customers, EAP/OHPA is a directly competing offering: a free heat pump installation versus a paid oil-to-propane conversion. B&J should know how to recognize an EAP-eligible customer and have a clear position on whether to recommend the program (transparency builds trust; the customer's budget is often the deciding factor regardless of program availability).

For income-qualified propane customers, EAP offers insulation and weatherization but not a heat-pump conversion (because the propane-to-heat-pump path is not part of the OHPA-funded stream). The HRS heat-pump rebates (reg-ontario-home-renovation-savings-program-2026) remain available as a separate path.

Stacking and exclusivity

• EAP/OHPA delivery rolls HRS measures and federal OHPA into a single IESO-delivered no-cost retrofit. The customer does not file separate HRS paperwork.
• A home that has previously received an Enbridge or IESO Save on Energy rebate for the same measure is ineligible for the same measure under EAP.
• EAP and HRS are not stackable in the conventional sense for the same project — EAP absorbs HRS funding for income-qualified deliveries.

Application

• The homeowner applies directly through saveonenergy.ca's EAP intake.
• IESO routes the application to a pre-selected delivery contractor — the homeowner does not choose the installer.
• Third-party application is prohibited (homeowner must apply personally).

Future state

The Canada Greener Homes Affordability Program (CGHAP), a direct-install successor to the Canada Greener Homes Grant for low-to-median-income households, has not yet been signed in Ontario as of May 2026 (Manitoba is first). When it launches, it will likely flow through this same EAP channel.

Sources

• Save on Energy EAP program pages (saveonenergy.ca/EAP)
• IESO Energy Affordability Program documentation
• Government of Canada press release, canada.ca, September 20, 2025
• NRCan OHPA at-a-glance, February 2026

Related entries

• reg-federal-canada-greener-homes-programs-2026 — federal OHPA details
• reg-ontario-home-renovation-savings-program-2026 — the above-income path
• reference-ontario-residential-heating-rebates-2026-05 — overall picture