If you heat with oil in Saint John or anywhere in Southern New Brunswick, the headline is that the Oil to Heat Pump Affordability program closed to new registrations on June 30, 2026. The federal government ended the intake on that date, so the $15,000 advance is no longer available to a household that had not already signed up.
Who is still inside the program. A household that registered before the deadline is still enrolled, and two dates now matter for them. Paperwork for the advance payment is due by October 1, 2026, and the upgrades themselves must be complete, with the final evaluation done, by March 31, 2027. Funds advanced for work that does not finish in time have to be repaid, so an enrolled seller in the middle of a deal should treat those dates as part of the transaction.
What is still open. The provincial pathways through saveenergynb.ca did not close with the federal intake, and eligibility still turns on the $70,000 household income line. At or under $70,000, the Enhanced Energy Savings stream still covers an oil to efficient heating switch at no cost for qualifying homes. Over $70,000, the Total Home Energy Savings program still pays rebates on the conversion, up to $2,000 on qualifying heat pump systems, and it starts with a home energy evaluation.
The rate context has not changed. NB Power's 4.29% increase took effect April 14, 2026, moving residential rates from 14.76 to 15.39 cents per kilowatt hour. The direction is what makes a planned exit from oil worth pricing out even without the advance.
The inspection connection. With the $15,000 advance off the table for new applicants, the full cost of a conversion now sits in the buyer's math instead of a program's. That makes the condition of the existing system worth more, not less, at inspection. I document the oil tank and heating system in detail: the tank's make, age, condition, secondary containment, and how close it sits to drains and water sources, plus the furnace or boiler type, age, and condition. That record is what an insurer asks for on an oil-heated home, and it is the starting point for the energy evaluation the remaining rebate streams require.
Agent takeaway
For oil-heated stock, the question has shifted from whether a buyer can catch the deadline to what the system actually costs to run, insure, and eventually replace. A buyer who knows the tank's age and the conversion price during the conditional period can negotiate with real numbers. And if your seller enrolled in the program before July 1, their October 1 paperwork date and March 31, 2027 completion date belong in the deal conversation now, not after closing.
