APRIL 10, 2025, Xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh)/Vancouver, BC – Ecotrust Canada celebrates the British Columbia government’s announcement to expand its heat pump affordability programs to include more low- and moderate-income households, including renters. For the first time in B.C., lower-income households using electric heat will be able to access full-cost coverage for heat pumps. These are major steps forward for energy equity in the province, providing new ways to save money and improve comfort for households that face some of the highest energy costs.
The CleanBC Energy Savings Program, already a transformative program that enables lower-income households to retrofit their homes, has been funded and enhanced through 2026-2027. The B.C. government is committing $50 million in each of the next two fiscal years to deliver approximately 8,300 more heat pump rebates for the households that need them most.
As part of this program expansion, beginning mid-2025, people living in multi-unit residential buildings will be eligible to install a heat pump, with qualifying households receiving up to $5,500 in rebates for a wall-mounted unit. Installing a heat pump provides both heating and cooling capabilities while being significantly more energy-efficient than traditional systems. This will enable more renters to improve the comfort and safety of their homes while decreasing their energy bills.
The Province is also partnering with BC Hydro and FortisBC to expand their Energy Conservation Assistance Program (ECAP), which offers free energy efficiency improvements in low-income homes. This program is designed to reach the lowest income households that may not be able to access the CleanBC Energy Savings Program and offers a variety of measures, including air sealing and insulation.
Ecotrust Canada has been calling for the inclusion of heat pumps and deeper retrofit measures in ECAP since 2021. Expanding the ECAP program to include heat pump installations will dramatically reduce energy costs for these households, leaving more money in their pocket to pay for other essentials like rent and groceries. Participants will be less vulnerable to extreme heat and cold conditions, allowing them to be safe and comfortable at home.
Dylan Heerema, Senior Policy Advisor, Ecotrust Canada: “We are celebrating the B.C. Government’s re-commitment to support access to heat pumps for lower-income households and renters. This agreement will ensure that thousands more households can improve their health and lower their utility bills through the CleanBC Energy Savings Program and Energy Conservation Assistance Program.”
About Ecotrust Canada
Ecotrust Canada is an enterprising charity that works with rural, remote, and Indigenous communities toward building an economy that provides for a healthy and resilient natural environment; sustainable and abundant energy, food, and housing; prosperous and meaningful livelihoods; and vibrant and inclusive cultures. We call this approach building an economy that provides for life. Our on-the-ground work and systems approach is entrepreneurial, partnership-based, and relentlessly practical. ecotrust.ca
For more information:
Shannon Lough – Senior Manager of Communications and Engagement, Ecotrust Canada
T: 250-624-4191 | shannon [at] ecotrust [dot] ca