• The Home Heating Rebate is available to residents of the province whose family net income in 2007 is $40,000 or less and incur costs to heat their home, regardless of the primary source of heat.

• Households with income up to $35,000 will be eligible to receive a maximum rebate amount of $300 if the primary source of heat is heating oil, stove oil or propane, $200 for other sources such as electricity, wood or wood products, and $500 for Coastal Labrador communities regardless of the source of heat.  Individuals and families with income between $35,000 and $40,000 will also receive assistance; however the rebate will be reduced on a sliding scale. The minimum rebate an eligible household will receive is $100.
   

• Eligible individuals or families must apply for the rebate, and must provide either an electricity or heating oil invoice (depending on the source of heat) from September 2008 to April 30, 2009 in the name of the applicant or the applicant’s spouse.   Family net income is the net income of the applicant, and where applicable, the net income of that person’s spouse or partner. It is the net income from line 236 of the 2007 personal income tax return.
   

• Special circumstances will be considered when calculating family net income.  These include:

• the surviving spouse’s income for the year will be used to determine eligibility when a spouse has died

• if a spouse resides in a long-term care facility, family net income will be reduced by the amount paid to support the spouse in the long-term care facility

•  if a person is enrolled in an Adult Basic Education or skills training program, family net income will be reduced by the amount of the payments in respect of the ABE or skills training program, and

• an individual’s income will be used to determine eligibility if they become divorced or legally separated.

• Please note that documentation will be required to support a claim under these special circumstances.
   

•  Application forms are available through:

  - the Department of Finance and the Seniors’ Resource Centre in St. John’s, and throughout the province at all Human Resources, Labour and Employment offices and Government Service Centres;

          - Download Application (PDF)

•  Only one person per household may apply for the rebate. The deadline for submitting applications is September 30, 2009. Due to the high volume of applications expected, please allow up to 10 weeks for processing.

Applications must be sent to:

Home Heating Rebate
Department of Finance
Tax Administration Division
P.O. Box 8740, St. John’s, NL A1B 4K3

For further information, please contact the Department of Finance at 729-3192 or toll-free at 1-866-990-3444 or by e-mail at homeheatprogram@gov.nl.ca.

• Frequently Asked Questions
   

• News Release – December 8, 2008 - 2008-09 Home Heating Rebate Announced