More households saving money with expanded heat-pump program (flickr.com)

Media Contacts

Alanah Connie

Media Relations
Ministry of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation
Alanah.connie@gov.bc.ca

Backgrounders

More details on heat-pump installation funding

The Better Homes Energy Savings builds on the success of and replaces the former CleanBC Income Qualified Program.

New federal and provincial funding is enabling key program enhancements including:

  • expanding program eligibility to add middle-income households;
  • providing rebates for 100% of the cost of a new heat pump up to a cap that varies by the type of heat pump (central, multi-split or mini-split);
  • increasing the maximum heat pump rebate as much as 70% from previous program levels from $9,500 to $16,000;
  • providing as much as $3,000 more for people living in northern B.C. who are switching from natural gas, propane or oil heating to an electric heat pump; and
  • increasing the maximum rebate amount for electrical service upgrades needed to install a heat pump from $3,500 to $5,000.

The program is income tested with maximum rebate amounts for heat-pump installations varying with household income and size, as outlined by the table linked here: https://news.gov.bc.ca/files/MaximumRebatesHeatPumps.pdf

Participants will not need to pay up front for heat-pump installations and other efficiency upgrades. Applicants register for the program to verify eligibility. Once upgrades are completed by a program-approved contractor, the contractor submits the final rebate application and deducts the rebate amount from the final cost of the upgrade.

The program will continue to provide support for other home-efficiency upgrades at current rebate levels, including insulation, windows and doors, and ventilation. It will also provide rebates of as much as $5,000 for households switching from electric baseboards to electric heat pumps, funded by BC Hydro’s energy-efficiency measures.

For people living in apartment buildings or social housing, the CleanBC Better Buildings program includes ‘whole-building’ rebates to support fuel switching from fossil fuels and energy-efficiency upgrades.

The Province and BC Hydro are working together to develop a new program for people in B.C. wanting to install heat pumps in apartments in the coming months.