Maximize Your Savings: Grants and Rebates for Energy-Efficient Lighting in Canada

Save on Energy Rebates: Instant Discounts & Retrofit Program for Ontario Businesses

Save on Energy – Instant Discounts – An Ontario Energy Board/IESO program that gives businesses point-of-sale rebates on energy-efficient lighting products. Eligible commercial customers can receive upfront discounts from participating distributors on LED bulbs, tubes, fixtures, and controls​. This means no paperwork for the customer – the discount is applied right when purchasing the product. (For example, a business can buy qualifying LED lights from a vendor and instantly get the rebate deducted, making efficient lighting more affordable.)

Save on Energy – Retrofit Program – A flagship incentive program in Ontario providing financial rebates for retrofit projects, including lighting upgrades. Depending on the project, incentives are offered under prescriptive or custom streams. Typically, the Retrofit program can cover up to 50% of eligible project costs​. Businesses that replace old lighting with high-efficiency LEDs (and/or add controls like sensors) can receive rebates based on energy savings. This reduces payback time and helps offset about half the cost of larger lighting upgrade projects. (The program also supports other equipment upgrades, and has special provisions for greenhouses, etc.)

Hydro-Québec LED Grants: Get Up to 90% Off Lighting Upgrades for Your Business

Hydro-Québec Efficient Solutions (LED Grants) – Hydro-Québec’s business incentive program (“Efficient Solutions”) offers generous subsidies for lighting efficiency. Small business customers can get up to 90% of the cost of approved lighting upgrades covered by the utility​. Larger businesses can receive up to 75% of costs. In practice, many companies have upgraded to LED systems with minimal out-of-pocket expense thanks to this program. For example, Hydro-Québec will subsidize LED fixtures, controls, and installation to replace older lighting, dramatically lowering energy use and costs

Énergir Energy Efficiency Programs – Énergir (Quebec’s natural gas utility) provides grants to business customers for energy efficiency projects. These programs are mostly aimed at reducing natural gas consumption (for heating, hot water, etc.), but they encourage holistic energy savings. While not specific to lighting, Énergir’s grants can complement electrical efficiency measures in a building. Businesses implementing comprehensive upgrades (e.g. improved heating systems alongside lighting improvements) can tap into Énergir’s incentives to lower overall project costs

(In summary, Hydro-Québec handles electric efficiency incentives like lighting, and Énergir supports gas-related efficiency; Quebec businesses often leverage both utilities’ programs for different aspects of an energy retrofit.)

Maximize Energy Savings with Alberta’s Clean Energy Programs

Clean Energy Improvement Program (CEIP) – Alberta’s innovative financing program (a form of Property Assessed Clean Energy financing). It can cover up to 100% of project costs for energy efficiency or renewable upgrades, with repayment through the property’s tax bill​.

This is available for commercial and residential properties in participating municipalities. Lighting upgrades (e.g. LED retrofits) are eligible and the upfront cost is financed and paid back over time via property taxes, making efficiency projects more accessible.

Energy Savings for Business (ESB) – A grant program (run by Emissions Reduction Alberta) that provided incentives for businesses to adopt energy-efficient equipment. It offered up to $250,000 per project (and up to $1,000,000 per company) for eligible upgrades.

This included a wide range of measures such as efficient lighting, HVAC, motors, and more. (As of 2024, the initial funding for ESB has been fully subscribed, with new applications wait-listed​. Businesses are hopeful for additional funding rounds.)

NB Commercial Buildings Retrofit Program: Energy Efficiency Rebates & Savings

Commercial Buildings Retrofit Program – New Brunswick offers incentives to upgrade existing commercial/institutional buildings for energy efficiency. This program (formerly through Efficiency NB, now NB Power) provides financial support up to $75,000 per project for approved retrofits. 

Funding can cover lighting upgrades (such as switching to LED fixtures), as well as other measures like HVAC or insulation improvements. Typically, it also includes up to $3,000 for an energy audit to identify opportunities​.

By combining an initial energy evaluation with grants for the retrofit work, NB businesses can significantly cut the cost of installing efficient lighting systems.

Unlock Energy Savings with BC’s Clean Building Incentives

CleanBC Better Buildings – A provincial program offering rebates and incentives to commercial buildings to improve energy efficiency and reduce GHG emissions​ This includes support for lighting upgrades as part of building retrofits (especially when switching to efficient electric systems). Various sub-programs (Custom, Custom-Lite, Express) provide funding for projects from simple lighting replacements to comprehensive upgrades.

Clean Buildings Tax Credit – A refundable income tax credit for energy-efficient building retrofits in B.C. It provides a credit of 5% of qualifying retrofit costs (after any other incentives)​ Commercial, multi-unit residential, and other building owners who undertake efficiency improvements (e.g. lighting systems, HVAC, building envelope) can claim this credit, up to March 2025 (when the program is set to expire)

Save Up to 80% on LED Upgrades with Efficiency Nova Scotia Business Rebates

Efficiency Nova Scotia – Business Energy Rebates – Nova Scotia’s efficiency program provides rebates to commercial and industrial customers for energy-saving equipment purchases. For lighting, businesses can often get 75% or more of the product cost rebated​.  (some small businesses have seen up to 80% of lighting upgrade costs covered through special offers).

This includes rebates on LED lighting fixtures, bulbs, sensors, and controls. In practice, a company can retrofit its facility with high-efficiency lighting and pay only around 20–25% of the cost, with Efficiency NS covering the rest through instant rebates or on-bill credits. There are also options for interest-free financing for the remaining portion.

(The program is designed to make upgrades cash-flow positive, so the energy savings quickly exceed any upfront cost.)

Efficiency Manitoba Business Lighting Program: Get Rebates for Energy-Efficient Upgrades

Efficiency Manitoba – Business Lighting Program – Offers financial incentives for energy-efficient lighting upgrades in commercial, industrial, and agricultural facilities​.

Businesses can receive rebates for eligible LED lamps, fixtures, controls, and even signage. For major retrofit projects or new construction, Efficiency Manitoba provides guidance and funding (up to $250,000 for electrical efficiency measures) to install high-efficiency lighting systems​.

These incentives can apply to new builds or renovation projects, helping to significantly buy down the cost of lighting improvements.

(Bonus: Currently, Efficiency MB is offering a 25% bonus on incentives for projects completed before March 31, 2025​.)

Save on Energy: PEI Business Rebates for LED Lighting Upgrades | efficiencyPEI

efficiencyPEI Business Energy Rebates – A rebate program for PEI businesses, non-profits, and farms to adopt energy-efficient equipment. It offers rebates on qualified LED lighting upgrades (among other products like heat pumps) Businesses can get a portion of the cost of LED bulbs, tubes, high-bay lights, etc. reimbursed after installation.

The aim is to encourage PEI companies to replace old lighting with LED technology to save on energy. (For example, one PEI business reported getting back over $2,000 by upgrading to LED lighting with help from takeCHARGE rebates​ which indicates the scale of support available.) 

(Note: The takeCHARGE reference is actually a Newfoundland example, but PEI’s program operates similarly by offering money-back rebates for lighting).

Save on LED Upgrades: SaskPower Commercial Lighting Incentive for Businesses

SaskPower Commercial Lighting Incentive – A program that provided rebates on high-efficiency lighting for businesses. It allowed Saskatchewan commercial and farm customers to purchase premium energy-saving LED lighting at discounted prices through participating suppliers​.

The incentive often covered a significant portion of the cost (up to about $2,000 value per project for common retrofits). Note: This program made it easy for businesses to upgrade to LED lighting and lower their electricity bills, though program availability can depend on provincial budget cycles. (Always check current status with SaskPower, as offerings may be updated.)