Efficiency Manitoba rebate
Who runs it, what counts, what's excluded and the paperwork to keep, with links to the official pages.
Read guide: Efficiency Manitoba rebateGuides · Winnipeg
Guides for Winnipeg homeowners
Most window questions here start in January. Ice on the inside of a bedroom window at dawn is usually the house, not the glass; fog trapped between the panes is a failed seal. These guides explain which is which, what the rebate pays for, and when new glass will do. When you want a price, we connect you with an independent local glass pro who quotes the job.
Frost or a failed seal?
Ice on the room side or fog between the panes? A simple wipe test, what to change indoors, and when the glass is the problem.
Read guide: Frost or a failed seal?
New glass or a new window?
Fog, cracks, drafts or rot: how to tell when a new sealed unit will do and when the whole window should go.
Read guide: New glass or a new window?Winter window problems
Frost on the room side and fog between the panes look alike from across the room, and they have different fixes. The frost or failed seal guide starts with a wipe test that takes a dry cloth and a minute, then covers what to change indoors. If the test points at the glass instead, the foggy sealed unit page lays out the options.
Rebates and money
Plenty of people call it the Hydro grant. The window and door rebate is run by Efficiency Manitoba, it counts only ENERGY STAR triple-pane units with a full frame, and a new sealed unit on its own doesn't qualify. The rebate guide explains what counts, what's excluded and which paperwork to keep. Program rules change, so it links the official pages.
Repair or replace?
Most Winnipeg homes were built before the 1980s, so many have a mix of original wood windows and replacements from a generation ago. The repair-or-replace guide starts from the symptom and weighs a new sealed unit against a full triple-pane window evenly, including the rebate trade-off, heritage rules and doing the house room by room.
Summer: hail, wind and break-ins
Summer has its own glass problems here. Wind-driven hail broke windows across the northern neighbourhoods in 2023, and a pane can come through a storm with a chipped edge that fogs a season later. For hail, start with storm-damaged glass. For a window broken tonight, emergency glass and board-up covers making the opening safe first.
Ask a question
Didn't find your answer? The FAQ page collects the questions people ask most. Or put your question in the notes of a quote request with a photo of the whole window and one of a corner. The pro we pass it to can usually say whether it's a glass job, a hardware job or a new window.
Common questions
Why do my windows frost up or sweat in winter?
Warm, humid room air is meeting cold glass. The moisture condenses on the coldest surface in the room, and when the glass is below freezing it turns to frost. It's usually a humidity and airflow problem, not a bad window. If it wipes off, it's on your side of the glass. The frost or failed seal guide explains the test and the fixes.
Is there a government grant to replace windows?
Not a general federal one any more. In Manitoba, the help is the Efficiency Manitoba window and door rebate, which covers ENERGY STAR triple-pane windows and doors with an NRCan number, and not glass-only repairs. There are higher offers for some households. See the rebate guide and check the official page before you buy.
Is it better to repair or replace windows?
It depends on what's failing. If the frame is sound and the glass is fogged or cracked, a new sealed unit usually does the job. If the wood is soft, air leaks through the frame, or several units are going at once, a new window makes more sense. The repair-or-replace guide walks through it symptom by symptom.
Can hail damage windows?
Yes. Hail can break glass, chip the edge of a sealed unit so it fogs later, dent frames and shred screens. Photograph the damage for your home insurer before anything is cleaned up, and check again in the following weeks. Storm-damaged glass covers what to look for.