Sustainable Energy

Rebates and Incentives

Explore available federal and provincial rebates through the new Home Efficiency Rebate Plus (HER+) program, delivered by Enbridge Gas. 

Other Enbridge rebate and incentive programs include:

• Home Winterproofing Program (HWP)
• Smart Thermostats

Income-eligible households with electric heating can receive a FREE air source heat pump, including installation, through the Save on Energy program, an initiative of the IESO (Independent Electricity System Operator).

The Windfall Ecology Centre offers assistance and expertise to help navigate the retrofit process, including rebates. 

The following tips can help you reduce energy use and costs in your home:

• Install a programmable thermostat to avoid unnecessary heating and cooling of your home
• Use ceiling fans to cool your house and circulate air whenever possible
• Use power bars for multiple appliances that can be shut off when not in use
• Draft-proof your home by adding weather-stripping to doors and windows to ensure cool air stays in your home during the summer and hot air stays during the winter
• Leave window coverings open during the day to let the sunlight naturally warm your house in the winter
• Switch your lighting from less efficient bulbs to LEDs (Light-Emitting Diode) or compact fluorescents
• Install energy-efficient appliances, such as fridges, washers, driers and dishwashers
• Wrap your hot water tank with an insulating blanket, especially when it's located in an unheated area
• Wrap hot water pipes with insulating material and fix leaking faucets
• Set the thermostat on your hot water tank to a reasonable temperature
• Change furnace filters regularly to save up to five per cent of energy use (every other month or monthly if you have pets)

Learn more power-saving tips.

In accordance with Ontario Regulation 25/23 under the Electricity Act, Richmond Hill annually reports and publishes the energy consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of City facilities in the Energy Consumption and GHG Emissions Report.

In 2021, our overall energy consumption decreased by 0.2% and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions increased by 4.6% as compared to 2020. 

View the 2021 Energy Consumption and GHG Emissions Report.

You can get a paper copy of these reports through the Office of the Clerk, located at:

225 East Beaver Creek Road, Ground Floor
Richmond Hill, ON L4B 3P4 

The Electricity Act requires municipalities to develop and publish energy conservation and demand management plans (Corporate Energy Plans) and to update these plans every five years.  In 2014, Richmond Hill developed its first five-year Corporate Energy Plan, which established the foundation for energy management in City facilities.

In 2019, Richmond Hill updated its Corporate Energy Plan. The 2019 plan will guide the City’s energy management efforts over the next 5 years (2019 - 2023) and it will continue to take a proactive approach to reducing energy consumption and costs. The plan details the projects that will be implemented over the next five years along with the expected energy and cost savings.

View the 2019-2023 Corporate Energy Plan Summary Report.

The full version of the 2019-2023 Corporate Energy Plan, which contains a more in-depth analysis of energy consumption, as well as the details of the projects implemented as part of the 2014-2018 Corporate Energy Plan, is available upon request.

The hard copy of the Corporate Energy Plan (summarized version or the full technical version) can be obtained from the Energy Section in the Corporate Asset Management and Environment Services Division, located at the:

Main Municipal Offices
225 East Beaver Creek Road – 2^nd floor
Richmond Hill, ON L4B 3P4

Renewable energy systems 

Richmond Hill demonstrates its commitment to becoming a leader in sustainable energy use by installing renewable energy systems in City buildings.

Renewable energy systems installed in City buildings:

Outdoor lights conversion to LED project

Outdoor lighting in Richmond Hill takes up a large part of our overall energy usage. There are about 16,000 streetlights, 350 parking lot lights and 1,200 park lights in Richmond Hill.

Until recently, most of our lights were High Pressure Sodium (HPS) luminaires. In 2019, Richmond Hill converted a majority of its outdoor lights from HPS to energy-efficient Light-Emitting Diode (LED) lights. A total of 11,700 streetlights, 700 park lights and 330 parking lot lights were converted to LEDs to reduce energy consumption, costs and associated GHG emissions. As a result of this conversion, the City is saving $650,000 per year in energy costs.

ClimateWise Building Challenge 

Richmond Hill is proud to participate in the ClimateWise Building Challenge, a York Region-wide, friendly awards and recognition competition created to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve building energy efficiency through collaboration, education, and innovation.

This free initiative, run by the ClimateWise Business Network, is open to building owners, property managers, and tenants who want to take climate action. Recognition and achievements will be presented throughout the competition at a regional level. View the Challenge FAQs to learn more.

The ClimateWise Business Network also offers free support with Ontario’s Energy and Water Reporting and Benchmarking (EWRB) program, aimed at increasing efficiency and reducing consumption costs for commercial, industrial or multi-unit residential buildings over 50 000 square feet. Visit windfallcentre.ca/climatewise/benchmarking or call 289-648-4107 for further details.