Time for a new furnace? Consider a heat pump

Heat pumps cool your home in summer, and heat it in the winter

If it’s time to replace your furnace, there are lots of reasons to consider a heat pump. Our family’s main purpose was to reduce the climate impact that came from burning gas to heat our home. That goal, coupled with the provincial and federal government rebates, made an electric heat pump the ideal solution.

Because it’s a relatively new industry here in BC, the process for finding an experienced installer, selecting your heat pump and applying for rebates is not nearly as straightforward as calling up your local heating expert to install a new gas furnace. But the advantages are worth it, and in this post we’ll share both the benefits of heat pumps, and the steps that are needed to have one installed and get the available rebates.

Benefits of a heat pump

Heat and cool your home with the same unit

With our climate heating up, surviving summer heat waves has become a serious consideration, even here in BC’s normally cool and damp south coast. Now that we have our heat pump we’ve been comfortable even during the hottest days – what we used to call scorchers growing up in Saskatchewan. And contrary to popular myth, our heat pump is more than equal to the challenge of winter weather on the Lower Mainland. No backup gas furnace required.

Save money on your energy bills

We pay less for heating our home in winter, cooling it in summer, and charging our electric car, than we used to pay just to heat the house with our “high efficiency” gas furnace. And that saving will continue to increase as the price of gas increases, which it is legislated to do.

Dramatically reduce your carbon footprint

BC’s power is largely supplied by clean hydroelectricity. So switching to electricity to heat your home really does make an important difference.

Getting a heat pump and applying for rebates

If you are replacing a gas or oil furnace with an electric heat pump, you should qualify for both provincial and federal rebates. Combined, these rebates are intended to bring the cost of a heat pump down to the point where it’s competitive with gas furnaces.

Here are the steps you’ll need to take to get your heat pump installed and receive your government rebates.

1. First, sign up for the Canada Greener Homes program. This program provides grants and interest-free loans for home evaluations and home energy upgrades. Eligible work includes installing a heat pump, adding insulation, and sealing windows and doors.
   
   
2. Make an appointment with an Energy Advisor to inspect your home before you do the upgrades. The BC government’s CleanBC website lists qualified advisors for our area. They’re in big demand, so book your appointment as soon as you can. They will come to your home and do a thorough assessment of the current energy demands of your home, then provide a report that includes recommendations for how you can improve your home’s performance, i.e. reduce the energy demand and greenhouse gas emissions. This service is eligible for a Canada Greener Homes rebate of $600, which is generally what the energy advisor will charge.
   
   
3. Next, find a contractor to remove your furnace and install your heat pump. This is not easy, as not all contractors are experienced with heat pump installs. We recommend getting at least three quotes. The Clean BC website has a list of registered contractors who service our area.  You must use a registered contractor in order to qualify for the provincial rebate. But just because they are registered, it doesn’t necessarily mean they will give you good advice, or that they are experienced with heat pumps. We got wildly different quotes and advice from each of the four companies who gave us estimates. Find someone who is well-experienced with heat pumps, can provide references, and doesn’t try to upsell you by telling you you’ll also need a back-up gas furnace. 
   
   It will be helpful to show the contractor the energy advisor’s report so they  know what size of heat pump is needed. Each contractor will carry a different brand. Our heat pump is a Mitsubishi and we’re happy with it.
   
   
4. Once you have installed your heat pump, you can apply to Clean BC for your provincial rebate. Our installer did that for us. The application must be submitted within six months of the invoice date.
   
   
5. Last, bring the energy advisor back for a post-upgrade assessment and report. You'll need that final report to apply for the Canada Greener Homes grant, which you signed up for in Step 1. Best to do this after you have completed all of your upgrades. We had our heat pump installed last winter, and are booked to get more attic insulation added this winter. Once that’s completed we’ll bring the energy advisor back and apply for the federal government grant. 

Learn more about heat pumps

Last year the Climate Hub hosted a webinar with a speaker from CleanBC. To learn more about heat pumps and the provincial rebate program, watch the recorded video on our YouTube channel. Bear in mind that the webinar took place in 2021, so some of the program details may have changed.

And on behalf of the climate and future generations, thank you for considering a heat pump to warm and cool your home.