VICTORIA – The Province of British Columbia and the federal government are funding new efforts to expand B.C. heat pump adoption.
Funding from Environment and Climate Change Canada and Energy and Natural Resources Canada will be used by B.C. to provide grants to enable residents to switch their home heating systems from oil, propane or natural gas to cleaner heating and cooling options such as heat pumps, a release said.
The funding will also enable building upgrades for income-qualified homeowners and tenants through the CleanBC Better Homes Energy Savings Program in order to support installation of heat pumps to reduce energy bills for low- and middle-income households.
The federal government will contribute up to $103.7 million from Canada’s Low Carbon Economy Fund and the Oil to Heat Pump Affordability (OHPA) program, while the provincial government will invest up to $151 million.
With the support of the OHPA program, income-qualified applicants could receive a rebate of as much as $16,000 to switch to high-efficiency heat pumps in homes currently heated with oil. Through the support of the Low Carbon Economy fund, these changes will also apply to homes heated with natural gas and propane, the release said.
Eligible northern B.C. residents can access an additional $3,000 towards heat pump installation including electrical upgrades.
Successful OHPA applicants who make the switch from oil heating to an electric heat pump will also receive an up-front, one-time payment of $250 from the federal government, the release said.
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