What is the minimum size for an Ontario commercial energy incentive?

There is no single threshold — each programme sets its own gate. IESO's Existing Building Commissioning Program requires at least 750,000 kWh of annual electricity consumption; Enbridge's Commercial Custom Audits & Studies requires at least 100,000 cubic metres of gas; XLerate requires at least 600 MWh of anticipated annual savings; Ontario EWRB reporting applies at 50,000 square feet. The table on this page lists all of them with the date each was verified.

Which programmes need twelve months of data before we can apply?

IESO's Energy Performance Program requires twelve months of hourly interval meter data, and the Existing Building Commissioning Program requires at least twelve consecutive months of energy data. Both are reasons to start the data work a year before you intend to apply.

Is Your Building Eligible? Energy Programme Gates

The four numbers to have in front of you

Annual electricity consumption in kWh. Annual natural gas consumption in cubic metres. Gross floor area in square feet. Whether you have twelve months of interval data. With those four you can screen every programme on this page.

The gates

Hard eligibility thresholds — all verified 3 October 2026
Programme or obligation	The gate	Also required
Ontario EWRB annual reporting	50,000 sq ft and over	Commercial, institutional and multi-unit residential. Annual, by 1 July.
Ontario EWRB third-party verification	100,000 sq ft and over	First reporting year, then every five years.
City of Toronto reporting	50,000 sq ft, dropping to 10,000 sq ft	No building-type exemptions. By 2 July. Threshold drop per the City's own page; confirm the year before planning around it.
IESO Existing Building Commissioning	750,000 kWh/yr minimum	Excludes industrial process load. 12 consecutive months of data. No commissioning in the past two years. Accredited provider required for incentives.
IESO Energy Performance Program	12 months of hourly interval data	Three-year commitment. Minimum 5% saving within two years per facility. Ontario commercial, institutional or industrial.
IESO XLerate	600 MWh/yr anticipated savings	Industrial, municipal, institutional, healthcare. Baseline measured before changes. Must achieve at least 50% of anticipated savings.
IESO Retrofit Program	No consumption floor stated	Pre-approval before work starts. Terms changed 30 June 2026 — re-verify.
Enbridge Commercial Custom Audits & Studies	100,000 m³/yr minimum	Enbridge customer. Pre-approval required. One incentive per address per account.
Enbridge Commercial Custom Retrofit	No volume floor stated	In the Enbridge service area. Paid within 8 weeks of commissioning.
ENERGY STAR building certification	Score of 75 or higher	One of 16 eligible building types. A Licensed Professional must visit and sign. Annual renewal.
CMHC MLI Select	5 or more units	Minimum points across energy, accessibility and affordability. 2020 NECB/NBC baselines since 30 September 2026.

Sources for every row are linked on the programme index. Where a figure could not be confirmed on the administrator's own page, the index says so rather than filling the gap.

Three gates that are really deadlines

Start the data a year early

Twelve months of interval data for the Energy Performance Program, twelve consecutive months of energy data for EBCx, and a full calendar year of consumption for any benchmarking submission. None of these can be created retroactively in a hurry. If you intend to apply next year, the meter and data work happens this year.

If you fall short of a gate

Just under a consumption threshold? Check whether the account covers the whole site. Multi-building sites and separately metered tenants are frequently measured wrongly, in both directions.
Just under a floor area threshold? Confirm gross floor area against the measurement standard before concluding anything. It is the single most commonly miscalculated figure in benchmarking, and it moves buildings across thresholds in both directions.
No interval data? Ask your local distribution company what is available. Many buildings have interval data nobody has ever requested.
Genuinely too small? Prescriptive equipment incentives have much lower gates than custom programmes, and they are quicker. Ask us which apply rather than assuming nothing does.

Common questions

Can you screen a whole portfolio?

Yes, and it is usually the most valuable first engagement we do. Give us a building list with floor areas and annual consumption and we will tell you which buildings clear which gates, which are close enough to be worth checking properly, and where the money concentrates.

Do these thresholds change?

Regularly. Toronto's reporting threshold drops, IESO's Retrofit terms changed on 30 June 2026, and CMHC's code baselines changed on 30 September 2026. That is exactly why every row above is dated.

Is Your Building Eligible?