Instant Discounts Program
Upfront discounts on eligible efficient lighting and occupancy sensors for existing business, institutional, agricultural and multi-unit residential facilities in Ontario.
Buy eligible replacement lighting through a participating distributor and receive a discount at checkout. IESO pays incentives to distributors, who must pass at least 60% of each listed incentive to the customer. If a contractor purchases the equipment, the distributor must request that the contractor show the incentive on the end customer's invoice.
The April 2026 schedule lists distributor incentives of CAD 2–80 per lighting unit and CAD 15 or 30 per occupancy sensor. Your actual discount varies by distributor. Each unit also requires a minimum customer contribution: for example, the highest high-bay lighting tier has a CAD 80 distributor incentive and a CAD 40 minimum customer contribution. These figures refer to each equipment unit, rather than the cost of an entire installation.
Eligible products include specified LED tubes, fixtures, refrigerated-display lighting and commercial-grade occupancy sensors. Networked lighting controls are excluded. There is no minimum quantity per invoice.
Eligibility
- You must own, operate or work at an eligible Ontario facility: commercial premises, industrial buildings, institutional buildings such as hospitals, schools, universities and government facilities, multi-family housing, or agricultural facilities. In multi-family housing, only common areas qualify; individual residential suites do not.
- Install the products in a single Ontario facility connected to the IESO-controlled electricity grid or a distribution system, including behind the meter of another connected electricity consumer.
- Replace existing less-efficient lighting. New facilities, additions and major renovations that change the building's use are excluded. A major renovation is also excluded if it makes the facility unfit for occupation for at least 30 days and replaces at least two building systems.
- The same equipment must not already have received a financial incentive under another IESO- or Ontario-government-funded programme or initiative.
- Purchase through a participating distributor, pay the required minimum contribution for each product and install the equipment within 90 days of purchase.
- Have the distributor check the exact product against Appendix A and the applicable Energy Star or DesignLights Consortium qualified-product listing. For UL Type B LED tubes, the product must be double-ended and certified and listed under UL 1598c or C22.2 standards. High- and low-bay retrofit kits, and refrigerated-display retrofit kits or replacement lamps, are excluded. Occupancy sensors must be commercial grade; dimming sensors are eligible.
- For an enclosed indoor parking garage, DLC-listed fixtures designated as Parking Garage Luminaires can qualify under the low-bay tier if they provide no more than 10,000 lumens and use no more than 100 watts.
How to apply
- Status
- Open continuously
- Round restrictions
- Purchase eligible products through a participating distributor and install within 90 days.
Use the participating-distributor map on the official Instant Discounts Program page to find a supplier. Choose an eligible model and provide your installation address and business name at checkout. The distributor applies the discount immediately.
The distributor collects contractor or end-customer information and obtains consent to share it with IESO or its delivery agent for programme evaluation and to be contacted about that information. The sales invoice must identify the incentive as “Save on Energy Instant Discounts”; the programme allows an IESO-agreed alternative if the distributor cannot display a line item. Install all purchased eligible equipment within 90 days.