How addressing retrofit barriers can improve the lives of residents and contribute to broader change
Executive Summary
Manufactured homes are built in a factory, on a steel frame, and then transported to the home site and anchored in place. They have formerly been called “mobile homes” or “trailers.” British Columbia is home to over a quarter of all the manufactured homes in Canada, and these make up approximately 4% of households in the province. Most of these manufactured homes are in rural areas, and most are located in manufactured home parks. In this setting, residents usually own their homes but rent the land from a park owner. Manufactured homes make up approximately 22% of housing on First Nation lands.
Manufactured homes are an important source of affordable housing in the province: residents account for only 1% of all households that spend 30% or more of their household income on shelter costs in the province, and 82% of manufactured homes are owned by their residents. However, manufactured homes also tend to be older and more energy-intensive than other types of housing, using an average of 61% more energy per square foot than other homes. Manufactured home residents often have lower or fixed incomes, are older, or are single parents. The combination of these structural and demographic factors makes manufactured home residents significantly more likely to experience energy insecurity, discomfort, and poor health.
For these reasons, manufactured homes represent an important retrofit opportunity: the potential energy savings are significant, and the potential impacts on residents’ bills, comfort and safety are even more so. This is particularly important in the face of more frequent extreme weather events.
The most impactful and achievable retrofits in manufactured homes are:
- Addressing major infiltration, leaks, and health and safety repairs;
- Repairing and sealing ductwork;
- Other draft proofing and weatherization efforts;
- Repairing the ‘road barrier’ and insulating the floor (and possibly the attic);
- Installing a heat pump for high-efficiency heating and cooling;
- Adding ventilation;
- Upgrading windows.
These retrofits have the potential to generate annual household bill savings of $700 -$1000, and household energy savings of 33-42 GJ, reducing emissions by 0.2-4.2 tonnes of CO2e each year. Improvements to the comfort, well-being, safety and health of residents through these measures are an even greater justification for supporting and accelerating manufactured home retrofits.
However, there are unique barriers to retrofitting manufactured homes. These are related to the unique construction and attributes of this type of housing, to the constraints related to manufactured home parks, to the concerns and demographics of residents, and to some big picture and market considerations.
Manufactured homes may need special treatment in retrofit and rebate programs and unconventional financing programs to justify and support retrofit work. Cost is the greatest barrier for residents, so financial support must be extensive enough to bring retrofits within reach. Existing rebate programs are already well-positioned to address these barriers, but they could be enhanced and expanded.
To address the barriers related to the manufactured home park setting, there are some technical considerations. Site choice is important when installing heat pumps, but first, residents need permission from park owners. Park owners need support to access information about their park’s electrical capacity, so they can make informed decisions (and not block retrofits unnecessarily). Where electrical capacity is limited, there may be opportunities to electrify homes without increasing demand. In some cases, upgrades may be necessary, and park owners could use financial support for this work.
Some barriers are related to cases of poor management in parks and the vulnerability of residents as tenants. The context of a housing crisis makes resolving these issues more complicated and more urgent. Using municipal bylaws could help, as well as increasing the Residential Tenancy Branch’s resources and allowing for group complaints. Education for park owners and managers can illustrate to them how supporting retrofits is in their interest.
Where parks are being sold or redeveloped, regulatory attention is needed because of their importance in the affordable housing puzzle. Zoning, tenant protection strategies, and non-profit park ownership models could all make a difference.
To overcome the barriers related to the unique structure of manufactured homes and their rural locations, contractors may need specific training as well as specific incentives and retrofit specifications. The rebate programs that support work on manufactured homes also need to be fair to contractors.
Strategic efforts are needed to make contact with residents and to inform them about helpful retrofits and available support. Guidance through the retrofit process is also a key need. A community partner model may be the most promising opportunity for providing this support by leveraging existing relationships and facilitating the retrofit process.
Overall, the case for retrofitting manufactured homes is strong, both for improving well-being and reducing energy use. This work is also an opportunity to examine the benefits and challenges related to this affordable housing stock in the province, to make impactful improvements, and to learn valuable lessons for the broader work of addressing the housing and affordability crises, building resilience, and tackling emissions in British Columbia.
Major Recommendations of This Report
Administration of Provincial Rebate and Retrofit Programs (Clean BC, Utilities)
- Expand BC’s Energy Conservation Assistance Program by:
- adding fuel-switching support and providing heat pumps to all participating homes;
- increasing the number of manufactured homes reached, through enhanced promotion strategies and the use of community partnerships and bulk processing.
- Adjust the Energy Savings Program to better support manufactured homes by:
- allowing electrical upgrade rebates to be used for load-sharing devices;
- increasing the maximum rebate amounts for health and safety measures, and dropping the requirement for contractors to seek duct exemptions in manufactured homes;
- improving support and timely payment processes for contractors.
- Improve the Partners in Indigenous Energy Efficiency and Resilience Program by increasing rebate amounts for heat pumps and insulation.
- Consider extending multi-unit residential building (MURB) opportunity assessment funding to manufactured home parks, to support park owners in being informed about park electrical capacity.
Technical and Training (TSBC, HPSC, BC Hydro, MHABC)
- Approve load sharing devices for uses beyond EV charging.
- Present about BC Hydro’s Peak Load Portal to the Park Owners Alliance, to support park owners in finding information about park electrical capacity.
- Advance the Home Performance Contractor Network’s work to recruit and incentivize skilled contractors doing retrofit work, especially in rural areas.
- Increase training for electricians on HVAC applications.
- Develop and release specs for manufactured home retrofits in BC.
Policy and Regulation
- Improve the Residential Tenancy Branch’s processes and allow group complaints.
- Consider legislation to block bans on heat pumps. Accompany this with education on load-sharing devices for park owners and electricians, and support for infrastructure upgrades where needed.
- Consider requiring electrical planning reports for parks.
Community (MHPO, BCMHO, Utilities, Community Organizations)
- Promote retrofit success stories and educate park owners on how supporting retrofit work can benefit them.
- Pilot community retrofit programs in manufactured home parks, to refine strategies for resident outreach and test a community partner model.
Full Report: Manufactured Home Retrofits in BC (2025)
By Robyn Ashwell, Researcher, Community Energy Program
Ecotrust Canada would like to acknowledge funding for this work provided by Natural Resources Canada through its Toward Net-Zero Homes and Communities program
[Published August 21, 2025]