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Energy Savings Program electricity or wood to heat pump rebates

Energy Savings Program electricity or wood to heat pump rebates

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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.

Based on your household income, the CleanBC Better Homes Energy Savings Program covers up to $5,000 for households switching from electrical or wood heating to an electric heat pump. For more information, see What is a heat pump and what are its benefits?

Overview

Rebate Amount:

Up to $5,000

Who 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 program registered contractor within six (6) months of the invoice date

Qualifying Products:

Upgrades must be installed by an program registered contractor and be on the qualified product list

Funding Provided By:

The Government of Canada, the Province of British Columbia and BC Hydro

For assistance with this program, contact an Energy Saving Program Energy Coach by email at betterhomesESP@clearesult.com or by phone at 1-833-856-0333.

Rebate Amount

Upgrade Type

Income level 1

Income level 2

Income level 3

Central ducted heat pump $5,000 $5,000 N/A
Ductless multi-split heat pump $5,000 $5,000 N/A
Ductless mini-split heat pump $5,000 $5,000 N/A

Energy Savings Program rebates cannot be combined with rebates from the CleanBC Better Homes and Home Renovation Rebate Program or other provincial or utility offers for the same upgrade.

Related rebates

Check out other available rebates for the Energy Savings Program at betterhomesbc.ca/energy-savings-program.

Eligibility Requirements

In order to qualify for this rebate, all of the following requirements must be met. Please read them carefully. Contact an Energy Savings Program Coach if you have questions.

Rebates for heat pumps in electrically-heated or wood-heated homes are only available to participants in income levels 1 and 2. Households at income level 3 that wish to install these types of heat pumps can apply to the regular CleanBC Better Homes and Home Renovation Rebate programs.

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.

Learn more about the three income levels that are eligible for rebates.

Requirements for the home

You must live in an eligible home:

  • The property must be a year-round primary residence, that is at least 12 months old.
  • For participants registering in the program as income levels 1 or 2, the property must have a total assessed value at or under $1,230,000 in the BC Assessment listing for the address of the applicant’s home in the year of program registration.
  • If a household meets the income threshold of any of the levels in the table above, but the home is valued at or higher than the property value of $1,230,000, they will be approved as an income level 3 participant.
  • You must have a residential utility account with FortisBC, BC Hydro, or a municipal utility.
  • 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.
  • 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 [318KB PDF] to accompany your application.
  • 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, or forced-air furnace/boiler).
    • wood or other solid fuels.

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 (a primary heating system must have the capacity to heat a minimum of 50% of the home for the entire heating season to 21°C).
    • Replace an existing hard-wired electric heating system (e.g. electric baseboards, radiant ceilings, radiant floors, or forced-air furnace). The back-up space heating system must be electric.
    • Meet or exceed SEER ≥ 16.0, HSPF ≥ 10.0 (Region IV) or SEER2 ≥ 15.2, HSPF2 ≥ 8.5 (Region IV)*.
    • Be sized to function as the primary heating system of the home.
    • Have a variable speed compressor.
    • 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 heat pump product list for B.C.
    • Central ducted heat pumps must have a static pressure ≥0.6” WC.
    • Meet these additional design and capacity requirements.

*The CleanBC Energy Savings 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.

  • 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 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 program registered contractor within six (6) months of the invoice date.

How to Apply

Before you begin

  1. Confirm eligibility by reviewing the Rebate Eligibility Requirements [468KB PDF], Participant Terms and Conditions [147KB PDF], and Contractor Terms and Conditions [216KB PDF].
  2. Complete the program’s pre-screen and pre-registration to determine your eligibility through the CleanBC Energy Savings 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 Energy Savings Program coach or schedule a virtual assessment for pre-registration assistance or support to identify the best upgrades for your home.
  3. Customer must choose an program registered contractor to complete the upgrade.
  4. 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

Ready to register for the Energy Savings Program Energy Savings Program participant portal

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 Energy Savings Program

Program Updates

With the launch of the CleanBC Energy Savings Program eligibility codes for the CleanBC Income Qualified Program will be expiring on October 30, 2024. Participants should complete upgrades by October 30, 2024, or apply to participate in the CleanBC Energy Savings Program.

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