Heat pumps provide clean and affordable comfort year-round. Heat pumps efficiently and effectively heat your home because they only use a small amount of electricity to move a large amount of heat into your home. Electric heat pumps are three or more times more efficient than electric baseboards. They also work in reverse in the summer to provide cooling or air conditioning, so you don’t need to purchase an air conditioner – your heat pump will provide both heating and cooling! See more information about the benefits of heat pumps.

Why is funding available?

• To make energy upgrades more affordable

• To help residents reduce greenhouse gas emissions and save energy and utility costs, and avoid costly oil spills

Why upgrade?

Lower heating bills: If currently using 100% oil heating, a heat pump upgrade can save homeowners 40-75% off their annual heating bills. Gas-heated homes can also save money if the home is energy efficient. For more detailed cost savings information, take a look at this analysis completed by the Capital Regional District.

Year-round comfort: A heat pump takes the place of both an air conditioner and a heating system, keeping you warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Regional climate projections have shown that our region is expected to experience more days above 25°C in the future.

Maximum efficiency: When properly installed, a heat pump uses half to a third as much energy as electric baseboards or a gas furnace.

Climate friendly: For an average home heated by natural gas, switching to a heat pump reduces your carbon footprint by about the same amount as not driving your car for nine months of the year.

Provides air conditioning: In the summer, heat pumps provide cooling.

Better indoor air quality: Most heat pumps provide air flow and dehumidification with options to add an enhanced filtration system to clean the air circulating through your home of indoor pollutants, dust, pollen and other allergens.

Reduced risk of an oil spill on your property: Homeowners with aging or under-maintained home heating oil tanks may have environmental and financial risks. Both above ground and underground oil tanks are vulnerable to leaking. This leaked oil can migrate into the soil and stormwater system which leads to our local creeks and marine shorelines.

Are there other incentives?

Other residential incentives are available through the provincial CleanBC Better Homes program, including rebates for replacing your electric heating system with a heat pump, insulation, windows and doors. Visit https://betterhomesbc.ca/ to learn more.

How to Get Started

Visit CleanBC Better Homes Powell River Top-up page to see the application steps or call the CleanBC Better Homes Energy Coach at 1 (844) 881 9790 to learn more.