The CleanBC Better Homes and Home Renovation Rebate Program is offering a rebate of up to $4,300 for installing a combination space and water heat pump system. A $500 electrical service upgrade rebate is available when converting your fossil fuel primary space or water heating system to an electrical primary space or water heating system.
Available Rebates
- Up to $4,300 in incentives (including bonus offers) are available if you fuel switch both your fossil fuel water heater and fossil fuel space heating (must be on the Qualifying Product List). This upgrade may be counted as up to two upgrades towards the Two Upgrade Bonus or the Home Energy Improvement Bonus – see table below.
- Select municipalities have Municipal Offers of up to an additional $6,000 that can be accessed only when converting from fossil fuel heating (natural gas, oil, or propane) to an electric air source heat pump.
- Receive an additional up to $500 with the Heat Pump Group Purchase Rebate (GPR) when you convert from fossil fuel heating to an electric air source heat pump.
- You may be eligible for one primary space heating system rebate per home, regardless of the number of systems installed. For example, you cannot get a rebate for a furnace and heat pump, even if you install a new dual fuel heat pump system. Your second rebate application will be denied.
Heat Pump Type | Requirements | Primary Space Heating Fuel Before Upgrade | Primary Water Heating Fuel Before Upgrade | Bonus Offer Count | Rebate |
Combination Space and Water Heat Pump | must be on the Air-to-Water and Combination Heat Pump Qualifying Product List to be eligible | Fossil Fuel | Fossil Fuel | 2 | $4,000
(plus $300 Two Upgrade Bonus) |
Fossil Fuel | Electric | 1 | $3,000 | ||
Electric | Fossil Fuel | 1 | $1,000 | ||
Electric | Electric | N/A | $0 |
Eligibility Requirements
- Your upgrades must be installed by a licensed contractor with a valid BC business license for the trade applicable to the installation work.
- You must have a residential utility account with FortisBC, BC Hydro, or a municipal utility.
- Your home must be primarily heated with:
- Natural Gas or piped-propane supplied by FortisBC
- Natural Gas supplied by Pacific Northern Gas
- Electricity supplied by FortisBC, BC Hydro, or a municipal utility
- Oil or propane not supplied by FortisBC
- Premises primarily heated by wood or other solid fuels are not eligible.
- When the home is heated with electricity supplied by BC Hydro, the home must meet a minimum electricity consumption. Use the BC Hydro Home Renovation Rebate program eligibility tool to determine whether your home meets the minimum electricity consumption rates.
- Homes in non-integrated areas of the electricity grid that are primarily heated with oil, gas, or propane require pre-approval from the Province prior to installation of an air source heat pump to confirm eligibility. Contact betterhomesbc@gov.bc.ca to begin the approvals process.
- You must live in an eligible home.
- The home must have a minimum of 12 months of consecutive utility billing history.
Upgrade Requirements
- The system must be on the Air-to-Water and Combination Heat Pump Qualifying Product List to be eligible.
- Heat pumps must be installed according to the Heat Pump Best Practices Installation Guide for Existing Homes.
- The heating system must serve the main living area.
- The heat pump must become the primary heating system of the home.
- All fossil fuel heating equipment must be removed or decommissioned.
- The primary back up system must not be natural gas, oil or propane. Homes with a natural gas or propane fireplaces are eligible if the fireplace is a secondary heating system.
How to Apply
- Carefully read the Program Requirements and Additional Terms and Conditions to confirm your eligibility.
- Purchase an eligible combination system and have it installed by a licensed contractor.
- Once your upgrades are installed, complete the online application and upload all supporting documentation including copies of all receipts and invoices. See sample invoices. If you are converting from oil, propane, or natural gas to a heat pump, include proof of your oil, propane, or natural gas system removal, decommissioning or modification.
Deadlines
- The application form for individual upgrades must be submitted within 6 months of the invoice date of the upgrade.
- The application form for the Two Upgrade Bonus must be submitted within 6 months of the second bonus-eligible upgrade. You must complete your second bonus-eligible upgrade within 18 months of the invoice date of the first bonus-eligible upgrade.
- The application form for the Home Energy Improvement Bonus and Post-Upgrade EnerGuide Home Evaluation Rebate must be submitted within 6 months of the date of your post-upgrade EnerGuide home evaluation. You must complete your post-upgrade EnerGuide home evaluation within 18 months of your pre-upgrade EnerGuide home evaluation.
Other
- For more information on choosing the right type of heat pump for your home, see What type of heat pump should I choose?
- Eligibility requirements and rebates are based on the date of the invoice. See the What Rebates are Available FAQ for information on how invoice date effects associated upgrade requirements and available rebates.
- Low-Interest Financing for heat pumps is also available as an alternative to heat pump rebates.
- Select municipalities have Municipal Offers that can be accessed only when converting from fossil fuel heating (natural gas, oil, or propane) to an electric air-source heat pump.
- What do the CleanBC Better Homes and Home Renovation Rebate Programs define as my Primary Heating System?
- For more information on the minimum electricity consumption requirement for homes heated with electricity provided by BC Hydro, see our FAQs:
- Check out our rebate search tool for other energy efficiency upgrades rebates.
- Did you see a building science or energy efficiency term you did not understand? Check out our glossary.
- This rebate is funded, in part, by the Province of British Columbia and the Government of Canada.
- By using, visiting, or browsing CleanBC and the Energy Coach service, you accept and agree to these Terms of Use.
Program Contact Information
- BC Ministry of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation betterhomesbc@gov.bc.ca