The B.C. government recently announced it is making electric heat pumps more affordable for low- and moderate-income households, including renters and those who live in multi-unit residential buildings.

The CleanBC Energy Savings Program, launched in June 2024, is funded through the province and leverages contributions from BC Hydro and the federal government to support greater access to home energy retrofits for low- to moderate-income households, including renters. The successful program, which supports the installation of affordable heat pumps for income-qualified, single-family homes, will expand to include individual suites in multi-unit residential buildings starting mid-2025.

With $50 million in each of the next two fiscal years – 2025-26 and 2026-27 – the province plans to deliver as many as 8,300 new heat pump rebates to British Columbians. Households in individual suites in multi-unit residential buildings could be eligible for up to $5,500 for a ductless mini-split heat pump. In addition, the province will partner with BC Hydro and FortisBC to expand their Energy Conservation Assistance Program to offer heat-pump installations to the lowest-income households in single-family homes and individual suites.

“Every British Columbian deserves reliable, affordable, and clean heating and cooling. Since our government started providing incentives for people to make the switch to heat pumps, we’ve seen a huge uptake across the province, but cost is still a barrier for many,” said Adrian Dix, Minister of Energy and Climate Solutions. “That’s why we’re prioritizing funding to make clean-energy solutions and year-round comfort accessible to British Columbians who need them most, including for owners and renters who live in multi-unit buildings.”

“Heat pumps provide year-round comfort with efficient cooling in the summer and heat in the winter, and they can be up to 300% more efficient than electric baseboard heating,” said Chris O’Riley, president and CEO, BC Hydro. “We are pleased the Province will partner with BC Hydro and FortisBC to expand their Energy Conservation Assistance Program as we work to ensure more British Columbians have access to heat pump technology.”

In September 2024, the province launched a Multi-Unit Residential Building Retrofit Program to support rental, strata and equity co-op buildings to make the switch to more energy-efficient and cleaner technologies. A key feature of the new actions being announced by the province is the expansion of heat pump rebates into individual suites, rather than the entire building.

Since Better Homes and Better Buildings launched in 2018, the program has delivered 26,700 rebates for B.C. households, including 12,900 incentives to income-qualified households.

From 2019 to 2023, average heat pump sales were nearly double the average of the previous five years, and in 2022 began to exceed furnace sales.

Today, 13% of all B.C. households use heat pumps for heating, up from five per cent in 2008.

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