Homeowners across Barrie, Simcoe County and Durham Region who want money back on new windows this year have less time than they think — and the delay has nothing to do with how long it takes to install glass.

Ontario's Home Renovation Savings program, delivered by Enbridge Gas and Save on Energy with support from the provincial government, pays $100 per rough opening on ENERGY STAR certified windows and doors. Homeowners need to replace at least three window rough openings, or one door, one skylight, or one sliding door opening, to qualify.

The catch sits in the sequence. Windows and doors fall under the stream that requires a home energy assessment, and that assessment has to happen before any work begins. A registered energy advisor visits the home, produces a report, and the homeowner then completes at least two recommended upgrades. The same advisor returns for a follow-up assessment. Only then does the paperwork get submitted.

"Every fall we get calls from folks in Barrie who found a great price on windows, booked the install, and only afterward heard about the rebate," said Alex Soroka, Founder at Panorama Windows and Doors. "By then the door has closed on them. The assessment has to come first. There's no going back and asking for a do-over."

Booking an energy advisor, scheduling two separate upgrades, and getting the follow-up visit on the calendar takes most households two to three months. Add the manufacturing lead time on custom window sizes and the practical starting line for a pre-winter project is early September, not late October.

What the program actually pays
Windows and doors: $100 per rough opening, ENERGY STAR certified models only
Home energy assessment: $600 back, covering the initial and follow-up visits
Bundle bonus: an extra $500 for completing three qualifying upgrades
Common partner upgrades: attic insulation up to $1,500, exterior wall insulation up to $3,600, air sealing up to $250

Rebates arrive within 30 days by Interac e-Transfer or 60 days by cheque once the energy advisor files the documentation.

Eligibility is narrower than most homeowners expect. Applicants must own the home. Detached, semi-detached, row houses, townhomes and mobile homes on permanent foundations qualify. Stacked townhomes do not. Households need to be Enbridge Gas customers heating with natural gas, or connected to Ontario's electricity grid and heating with electricity, propane, oil or wood.

A word on the door-knockers

Panorama Windows and Doors is also asking homeowners to be careful about who they let in.

The Home Renovation Savings program carries a scam notice on its own homepage warning about fake websites, unauthorized rebate offers, and individuals impersonating approved contractors. In June, North Bay police charged a man with attempted fraud after he allegedly went door to door offering rebates under a federal energy program that had already shut down.

"Nobody from the government is going to knock on your door about a rebate. Nobody from our shop will either," said Alex Soroka. "And be careful with anyone who says they'll file the rebate for you and collect it on your behalf. That's not how the program works. Your energy advisor submits it. We supply the invoices and the ENERGY STAR certification numbers you need, and that's where our part ends."

The federal Canada Greener Homes Grant and Loan are both closed to new applicants. Any 2026 quote showing a $5,000 federal grant as a line item is out of date.

Free assessments across five service areas

Panorama Windows and Doors offers free in-home consultations across Barrie, Sudbury, Oshawa, Hamilton, Oakville and Kitchener. The company can walk homeowners through which of its ENERGY STAR certified window and door products meet program requirements, and hand over the documentation an energy advisor will ask for.

Homeowners can book at panoramawindows.ca or by calling the Barrie office at (705) 999-4888.

About Panorama Windows and Doors

Panorama Windows and Doors has served Barrie and surrounding communities for more than 20 years. The company began in Alberta and expanded into Ontario, and now operates locations in Barrie, Sudbury, Oshawa, Hamilton and Oakville, serving Simcoe County, Durham Region and the Greater Toronto Area. Its product range covers casement, awning, single and double slider, single and double hung, picture and fixed casement windows, along with steel entry doors, fibreglass entry doors and patio doors. Installation crews are certified and licensed. Panorama was named a Best Business of 2025 by ThreeBestRated.