CleanBC Income Qualified Program Rebates for Air-to-Water Heat Pumps
Space heating is the largest use of energy in homes. A properly installed heat pump is two to three times more efficient than other alternatives and can provide you with both heating and cooling for today’s cold winters and hot summers.
Air-to-water heat pumps use hydronic distribution systems to heat and cool the home with a series of radiators or in-floor heating. For more information, see What is a heat pump and what are its benefits?

Overview
Rebate amount
Up to $9,500Who can apply
B.C. citizens who live in an eligible home, meet income qualification requirements, and have residential utility accounts with BC Hydro, FortisBC, or municipal utility
Deadline
The application and supporting documentation must be submitted by the Income Qualified Program Registered Contractor within six (6) months of the invoice date
Funding provided by
The Province of British Columbia
Rebate amount
Air-to-water heat pump
Must be listed on the qualified product list.
Rebate values differ depending on existing primary heating system type.
Rebate maximum
Rebate
Income Level 1
95% of eligible upgrade costs, up to a maximum of $9,500 per home
Income Level 2
60% of eligible upgrade costs, up to a maximum of $9,500 per home
Income Level 1
95% of eligible upgrade costs, up to a maximum of $5,000 per home
Income Level 2
60% of eligible upgrade costs, up to a maximum of $5,000 per home
Combined space and water heat pump
Must be listed on the qualified product list.
Rebate maximum
Rebate
Income Level 1
95% of eligible upgrade costs, up to a maximum of $13,000 per home.
Rebate values differ depending on existing primary heating system type.
Income Level 2
60% of eligible upgrade costs, up to a maximum of $8,500 per home
Related rebates
Check out other available rebates for the Income Qualified Program at BetterHomesBC.ca/Income-Qualified
Eligibility requirements
In order to qualify for this rebate, all of the following requirements must be met. Please read them carefully. Contact an Energy Coach if you have questions.
Income qualification requirements
Rebate coverage is based on the combined income of all adults in your home and how many people live in your home, including adults and children.
- Combined incomes less than Income Level 1 are eligible for up to 95% of upgrade costs.
- Combined incomes less than Income Level 2 are eligible for up to 60% of upgrade costs.
Number of people living in your home
(including adults and children) |
Combined pre-tax annual income of all adults in your home (excluding dependants): | |
Income Level 1 |
Income Level 2 | |
1 |
$42,593 | $55,903 |
2 |
$53,026 |
$69,596 |
3 | $65,189 |
$85,560 |
4 | $79,147 |
$103,880 |
5 | $89,768 |
$117,820 |
6 | $101,242 |
$132,880 |
7 or more | $112,718 |
$147,943 |
Requirements for the home
You must live in an eligible home:
- The home must be a year-round primary residence that is at least 12 months old.
- You must have a residential utility account with FortisBC, BC Hydro, or a municipal utility.
- The home must be one of the following types of residential buildings:
- Single family home (detached dwelling).
- Secondary suite in a single-family home (detached dwelling), with its own separate utility meter.
- Mobile home that is permanently fixed, sits on a foundation and is structurally complete with installed and connected plumbing, heating, electrical, water and sewer services; towing apparatus and axle must be removed.
- Duplex, triplex, row home or townhome, where each unit has its own natural gas and/or electricity meter; utility accounts must be in the name of the resident and/or homeowner. Utility accounts in the name of a strata corporation are not eligible.
- If you currently rent your home, you will need a landlord consent form to accompany your application.
- You must pay your own energy utility bills. Utility accounts must be in the name of the resident and/or homeowner; utility accounts in the name of a strata corporation or landlord are not eligible.
- You must pre-register and receive an eligibility code before completing the upgrade.
- The home must be primarily heated by one of the following:
- natural gas, propane or oil
- electricity (hard-wired electric heating systems such as electric baseboards, radiant ceilings, radiant floors, forced-air furnace/boiler, or heat pump).
- wood or other solid fuels.
Requirements for your contractor
The new air-to-water heat pump must be installed:
- By an Income Qualified Program Registered Contractor who is approved to install home upgrades for the CleanBC Income Qualified Program, for the trade applicable to the upgrade being installed (e.g. heat pumps must be installed by a licensed residential heating and cooling contractor).
- In accordance with the Heat Pump Best Practices Guide for Existing Homes.
Requirements for the upgrade
- You must pre-register and receive an eligibility code before completing the upgrade.
- The new air-to-water heat pump must:
- Replace the existing primary heating system.
- Be sized to function as the primary heating system of the home.
- Have a minimum capacity of 12,000 BTU (1 ton).
- Serve a main living area (e.g. family room, living room, or open-concept kitchen-living room).
- Be listed as a qualified system on the qualified product list.
Requirements for the equipment being replaced
The old heating system must also meet requirements in order to be eligible for this rebate. Select your existing system type to learn more.
- Your old electric system must be hard-wired (for example, baseboards or an electric furnace) and the back-up system must be electric.
- Replacing an existing heat pump or adding a head to an existing heat pump is not eligible.
- Emergency replacement of broken electric heating system is eligible.
- The fossil fuel heating system must be removed.
- Emergency replacement of broken fossil fuel heating systems are eligible.
- The existing wood or solid fuel heating system may be retained in safe and working order or removed in accordance with all applicable laws.
- If you are keeping your wood or solid fuel heating system, you must submit an inspection report completed by a Wood Energy Technology Transfer Inc. (WETT)-certified professional. The inspection report must be dated within the 12-month period before or 6-month period following the date of the heat pump installation invoice and include the inspector’s WETT certification number, the installation address of the wood or solid fuel heating system and whether the installation is compliant with relevant codes.
- If you are removing your wood or solid fuel heating system, you will be asked to provide before and after photos of your wood or solid fuel heating system’s removal.
See Income Qualified Program sample invoices:
Deadlines
The application and supporting documentation must be submitted by the Income Qualified Program Registered Contractor within six (6) months of the invoice date.
How to apply
Before you begin
- Confirm eligibility by reviewing the Rebate Eligibility Requirements, Participant Terms and Conditions, and Contractor Terms and Conditions.
- Complete the program’s pre-screen and pre-registration to determine your eligibility through the CleanBC Income Qualified Program participant portal. Once confirmed you will receive an eligibility code and opportunities report, outlining your suggested upgrades. You can also make an appointment with an income qualified program coach or schedule a virtual assessment for pre-registration assistance or support to identify the best upgrades for your home.
- Customer must choose an Income Qualified Program Registered Contractor to complete the upgrade.
- Contractors interested in becoming registered in the Income Qualified Program can contact IQPcontractorsupport@clearesult.com.
- After completing the upgrade, contractor will submit the rebate application and deduct the rebate from the final cost of the upgrade.
I am...
Apply here
Who to contact
Questions about the rebate?
Contact an Energy Coach to get clarification or help with understanding this rebate.
Questions about your application?
- CleanBC Income Qualified Program
FAQs and more

Get help from professionals
Finding the right contractor is key to having a successful home energy retrofit.
Find an Income Qualified Program Registered Contractor