CleanBC Income Qualified Program Rebates for Ductless Mini-Splits, Ductless Multi-Splits, and Central Ducted Air Source 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.
A ductless mini-split (single-head) and a multi-split (multi-head) heat pump distributes heat and cooling without using ducting. Wall-mounted indoor heads provide zonal heating to the rooms in which the heads are installed. A central ducted heat pump distributes heat and cooling through ductwork connected to vents in each room, similar to how a furnace distributes heated air. 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
Homes converting from natural gas, propane or oil
Central ducted heat pump, ductless mini-split heat pump, ductless multi-split heat pump
HSPF ≥ 10.00 and SEER ≥ 16.00
or HSPF2 ≥ 8.50 and SEER2 ≥ 15.20*
Variable speed compressor required
Must be on the qualified product list
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
Homes converting from electricity, wood or solid fuels
Central ducted heat pump, ductless mini-split heat pump, or ductless multi-split heat pump
HSPF ≥ 10.00 and SEER ≥ 16.00
or HSPF2 ≥ 8.50 and SEER2 ≥ 15.20*
Variable speed compressor required
Must be on the qualified product list
Rebate maximum
Rebate
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
*The CleanBC Income Qualified Program will accept either the HSPF/SEER or HSPF2/SEER2 testing standard data from AHRI. The new HSPF2/SEER2 testing standard tests heat pumps to a higher standard that better represents homes in Canada, resulting in different efficiency data. An eligible heat pump that meets either the HSPF/SEER requirements or the HSPF2/SEER2 requirements and is on our qualified product list will qualify for a rebate.
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.
- The home must be primarily heated by natural gas or propane.
- You must have a residential utility account with FortisBC, BC Hydro, or a municipal utility.
- The home must be one of the following types:
- 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.
- The home must be primarily heated by:
- fossil fuel (natural gas, oil, or propane)
- electricity (hard-wired electric heating systems such as electric baseboards, radiant ceilings, radiant floors, or forced-air furnace/boiler)
- wood or other solid fuels
- If you currently rent your home, you will need a landlord consent form to accompany your application.
- 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.
- Homes in Non-Integrated Areas of the electricity grid must contact IncomeQualified@betterhomesbc.ca for pre-approval prior to installation.
Requirements for your contractor
New heat pumps must be installed:
- By an Income Qualified Program Registered Contractor who is approved to install home upgrades for the CleanBC Income Qualified Program, and for the trade applicable to the upgrade being installed (e.g. Heat pumps must be installed by a licensed residential heating and cooling contractor), and
- 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 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).
- Have an AHRI certified reference number that references all components of the heat pump.
- Be listed as a qualified system on the qualified product list.
- Central ducted heat pumps must have a static pressure ≥0.6” WC
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 a copy of 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.
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...
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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
Program updates
As of October 01 2022, eligibility requirements for ductless mini-split, ductless multi-split, Tier 2 central ducted, and dual fuel ducted heat pumps have changed.
- Heat pumps must meet new energy efficiency requirements:
- SEER: >16.00
- HSPF: >10.00
- Ductless multi-split heat pumps must have at least two indoor heads installed
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