Many lower-income Nova Scotia seniors can get two separate kinds of heating help this winter. The Heating Assistance Rebate Program (HARP) pays $400 per household, and you can apply until March 31, 2027. The Seniors Care Grant pays $750, and its deadline comes much sooner: December 1, 2026.
If you get the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) and pay for your own heat, you qualify for HARP whatever your income. Homeowners on the GIS may also get a property tax rebate that applies for HARP for you.
This post shows each program, who it is for, the deadline, and the order to apply in, so one household can claim everything it is entitled to.
Which heating help can you get this winter, and by when?
Here are the five programs a Nova Scotia senior can look at for winter 2026 to 2027, with the earliest deadline first. Amounts and dates are from the Government of Nova Scotia, The Salvation Army, and Efficiency Nova Scotia, checked on October 6, 2026.
| Program | What you get | Who it is for | Deadline | How to apply |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seniors Care Grant | $750 | 65 or older by March 31, 2027, household net income $45,100 or less | December 1, 2026 | Online, or a paper form by mail |
| Property Tax Rebate for Seniors | Half of your 2025 municipal property tax, up to $800 | Homeowners who get the GIS (65+) or the Allowance (60 to 64) in 2026 | Postmarked by December 31, 2026 | Paper form, by mail or at Access Nova Scotia |
| Heating Assistance Rebate Program (HARP) | $400 per household | You pay your own heat, and you are on the GIS, the Allowance or Income Assistance, or under the income limit | March 31, 2027 | Online, or a PDF form |
| HEAT Fund (The Salvation Army) | Up to $400 per household | Low-income households in an emergency with a heating bill | Opens each January, while money lasts | Online, when it opens |
| HomeWarming (Efficiency Nova Scotia) | No-cost upgrades like insulation, if an assessment shows they will help | Lower-income homeowners who live in the home year-round | No deadline posted | Online application |
Two dates to put on the fridge: December 1, 2026 for the $750 Seniors Care Grant, and March 31, 2027 for the $400 heating rebate.
Service Nova Scotia answers questions about all three provincial programs at 1-800-670-4357 (toll-free) or 902-424-5200.
Who qualifies for the Nova Scotia heating rebate?
You qualify for the $400 Nova Scotia heating rebate if you pay for your own home heat and meet one of four conditions. Your 2025 net income was $30,000 or less and you live alone. Your household's combined 2025 net income was $45,000 or less. Or you get Income Assistance, the GIS, or the Allowance.
Here are the four routes, in the province's own terms. You only need one.
- You live alone (no children or anyone else you support) and your 2025 net income was $30,000 or less.
- You live with others (a spouse, other adults or children) and your household's combined 2025 net income was $45,000 or less.
- You receive Income Assistance from the Department of Opportunities and Social Development.
- You receive the GIS or the Allowance from Service Canada.
That fourth route matters most for seniors. The GIS is a monthly federal payment for Old Age Security pensioners with low incomes. If you get it, you qualify for HARP through that route, even if your income is above the limits in routes 1 and 2.
Renters and owners both qualify, as long as you pay for your heat directly. Oil, electric heat, natural gas, wood, wood pellets, coal and other fuels all count.
What HARP does not cover:
- Heat that is included in your rent.
- A cottage, or any seasonal, investment or business property.
- Electric heat in a home that uses less than 5,000 kWh of electricity a year.
The province pays one $400 rebate for each household, so only one application is needed per home.
What is the $750 seniors grant in Nova Scotia?
The $750 grant is the Seniors Care Grant, a separate provincial program. It is for Nova Scotians who are 65 or older by March 31, 2027 and have a household net income of $45,100 or less. It helps pay for household services, healthcare services and home heating. The 2026 to 2027 deadline is December 1, 2026.
Home heating is one of the costs it covers, including furnace oil, natural gas, propane, firewood, wood pellets and electricity. The province's own grant page tells applicants they can also apply for HARP. So a senior who qualifies for both can receive the grant and the rebate in the same winter.
One thing the official pages do not spell out: whether a heating bill that HARP helped pay can also count toward the grant. If heating is your main grant expense, ask Service Nova Scotia before you apply.
We cover who qualifies, what counts, and how to apply step by step in our Nova Scotia Seniors Care Grant guide. Because its deadline comes first, it is the one to do first.
The shortcut for homeowners on the GIS: the Property Tax Rebate for Seniors
If you own your home and get the GIS or the Allowance, there is a program that can take care of HARP for you.
The Property Tax Rebate for Seniors returns half of the municipal property tax you paid for 2025, up to $800. To qualify, your 2025 taxes must be paid in full and in your name, and the home must have been your main residence. You must also get (or be eligible for) the GIS at 65 or older, or the Allowance at 60 to 64, in 2026.
Section 3 of the 2026 form is the Heating Assistance Rebate Program Automatic Application. Tick the "Yes" box. If your property tax rebate is approved, you also get the heating rebate, and you do not need to send a separate HARP application.
The form must be postmarked by December 31, 2026. You can mail it or drop it off at an Access Nova Scotia centre. Include your 2025 property tax bill and a receipt showing it was paid. If you do not have a bill, call your municipal office first.
If you are not on the GIS yet but think you might qualify, it is worth checking. Our guide on how to apply for the GIS walks through the form. Getting it opens the door to both of these Nova Scotia rebates.
How to apply for the Nova Scotia heating rebate
If you are applying for HARP on its own (renters, or owners not on the GIS), here is the order that works.
- Check whether you already have an application. People who got the rebate before and still qualify get an application in the mail, or an email reminder.
- Gather what you need. Have the social insurance number and date of birth of every adult in your home. Add your 2025 Notice of Assessment from the Canada Revenue Agency and a recent heating bill or receipt.
- Make sure every adult can sign. All adults on the application need to be available to sign it.
- Apply online at the province's HARP page. You need an email address to apply online.
- Or use a paper form. Paper forms are at Access Nova Scotia centres and MLA offices, or you can print the PDF from the HARP page. Mail it so it is postmarked by March 31, 2027.
- Wait about eight weeks. If your tax refund goes to your bank by direct deposit, the rebate does too. If not, a cheque comes in the mail.
If you still need help: the HEAT Fund and HomeWarming
Two more programs sit outside the province's rebates.
The HEAT Fund (Home Energy Assistance Top-up) is emergency help for low-income households that cannot pay a heating bill. The Salvation Army runs it, with funding from the Government of Nova Scotia and Nova Scotia Power.
It pays up to $400 per household and covers oil, propane, electric, wood and natural gas heat. It opens each January and closes when the money runs out. The 2026 round is closed, and the 2027 round had not been announced as of October 6, 2026. Watch The Salvation Army Atlantic's HEAT Fund page in the new year.
HomeWarming is an Efficiency Nova Scotia program for lower-income homeowners. If an assessment shows that insulation, draft-proofing or similar work would cut your heating costs, the upgrades are installed at no cost to you. The home must be your year-round main residence. The current after-tax income limits, which Efficiency Nova Scotia reviews each spring, are $30,187 for one person and $57,075 for a household of two to four. Expect a wait: Efficiency Nova Scotia says the program is popular.
One household, all the steps
Here is how it can work for one household. Picture a widow, 74, who lives alone in her own house and heats with oil. She gets the GIS.
- In October: she applies for the Seniors Care Grant online, listing her snow clearing, foot care and other eligible costs. Deadline December 1.
- In October or November: she fills in the Property Tax Rebate for Seniors form, ticks the HARP box, and mails it with her 2025 tax bill and receipt. Deadline December 31.
- No separate HARP form: if her property tax rebate is approved, the $400 heating rebate comes with it.
- In January, only if she needs it: if a heating bill still cannot be paid, she checks whether the HEAT Fund has opened.
- Any time: she applies to HomeWarming to see if free insulation work could lower next winter's bills.
If she rented instead, she would skip the property tax rebate and apply for HARP directly, as long as her heat is not included in her rent.
The money is not the same for every home. The grant and the heating rebate are fixed amounts. The property tax rebate depends on what she paid in tax, and the HEAT Fund depends on need and on money being left.
Frequently asked questions
When can I apply for the NS heating rebate in 2026?
Applications for the 2026 to 2027 Heating Assistance Rebate Program opened on October 1, 2026, and close on March 31, 2027. You can apply online any time in that window, or mail a paper form postmarked by March 31.
When does the heating rebate come out in Nova Scotia?
The province says it should take about eight weeks to get your rebate after you apply. If the Canada Revenue Agency sends your tax refund by direct deposit, the rebate goes to the same bank account. If not, Service Nova Scotia mails a cheque to you. Applying early in the season means the money arrives sooner.
Do renters qualify for the Nova Scotia heating rebate?
Yes. Renters qualify on the same terms as owners, as long as they pay for their own heat directly and meet one of the four eligibility routes. If heat is included in your rent, you cannot claim HARP for it. Renters can still apply for the Seniors Care Grant if their name is on the lease.
Do I have to apply for HARP every year?
Yes, HARP is a yearly program, so you apply each season. People who got the rebate before and still qualify are sent an application by mail or an email reminder. Homeowners on the GIS can also tick the HARP box on the Property Tax Rebate for Seniors form instead of applying separately.
How do I check the status of my HARP application?
If you applied online, you can check your status on novascotia.ca: search for "check the status of your heating assistance rebate application". If you mailed a paper form, or have any other question, call Service Nova Scotia toll-free at 1-800-670-4357 or at 902-424-5200.
Start with the December 1 deadline
The order is simple. Do the Seniors Care Grant first, because it closes on December 1. Then do the property tax rebate or HARP, and look at the HEAT Fund in January only if you need it. If you are helping a parent, one sitting with their 2025 tax papers, the property tax bill and a list of this year's eligible costs is usually enough to get all of it started.
A warm house is half of a good winter. For the other half, from clearing steps to planning for storms, see our guide to winter safety for seniors in Canada.
