Are open hearth fireplaces eligible for the program?

Open hearth fireplaces may be eligible for a rebate if residents are purchasing an electric insert. The program guidelines require that residents replace a wood burning heat source that is currently used as the PRIMARY home heating source. As fireplaces are rarely the primary heating source in a house, rebate eligibility is at the discretion of program administrators.

The program does not cover new wood-burning inserts installed in an open hearth fireplace when there was no pre-existing wood-burning insert. Typically, installing a wood-burning insert in an open-hearth fireplace results in increased usage of the new wood-burning appliance, thereby increasing air particulate emissions. Open hearth fireplaces tend to be used mainly for special occasions, whereas the installation of a wood-burning insert would likely cause an increase in wood burning.

If residents already have a wood burning insert installed in an open hearth fireplace that is at least five years old and/or uncertified, residents may be eligible for a rebate if the wood burning insert is replaced with a new EPA- or CSA-certified wood burning appliance. 

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