What a Calgary home can use for a heat pump
We re-read the City of Calgary, Home Upgrades Program and Natural Resources Canada pages on October 3, 2026. Each card links to its source at the bottom of the page.
Calgary Clean Energy Improvement Program (CEIP)
A loan repaid on your property tax bill over up to 20 years. Intake is closed until winter 2026/2027. The City estimates the rate at 6.00% to 6.10%.
Calgary Home Upgrades Program
For income-qualified homeowners and renters in detached homes, duplexes and townhomes built before 1998. New applications join a waiting list.
Oil to Heat Pump Affordability (federal)
July 31, 2026 was the last day for Alberta residents to apply.
Canada Greener Homes Grant and Loan
The grant has ended: its final document deadline was December 31, 2025. The loan is approving no new applications.
CEIP is a loan, not a rebate
The City says it plainly: you pay back every dollar you borrow. What makes CEIP different from a bank loan is how you repay it. The payment sits on your property tax bill, the rate is fixed when you sign, and you can pay it off any time without a fee. If you sell, the balance can stay with the house for the next owner, as long as you disclose it.
Calgary homes, by the numbers
Statistics Canada's 2021 Census counted 502,305 households in Calgary. About 55% live in single-detached houses, and 69% own their home. Calgary is a young city: about 38% of households live in homes built in 2001 or later. Still, 133,025 households live in homes built between 1961 and 1980, and 77,125 owner households live in single-detached houses built before 1981.
Those older owned houses are where a heat pump project usually starts. They are also the homes the Home Upgrades Program is aimed at, since it covers homes built before 1998.
Who can use CEIP in Calgary
CEIP is for owners of low-rise homes: single or semi-detached houses, row houses and town homes, plus some units in small multi-unit buildings under three storeys. New builds don't qualify. Every owner on the land title has to sign.
There are money rules too. You can't be behind on property tax now or in the last five years, your home can't be in foreclosure, and your total mortgage and other property debt can't be more than your home's assessed value. You also can't be in the City's Property Tax Assistance Program or the province's Seniors Property Tax Deferral Program.
One rule trips people up: do not start work before you are approved. Projects started before you sign a Clean Energy Improvement Agreement can't be financed.
Calgary winters and heat pumps
Calgary's average January low over the last ten years was about -11.9°C, and the coldest reading was -39.4°C. Cold-climate heat pumps are built to keep heating in deep cold, but every model has a lowest working temperature. Ask your installer what that number is for the unit they quote, and what backup heat your home will use on the coldest nights. Many Calgary installs keep a furnace as backup.
If you are changing electrical load in a row house or town home, the City says CEIP needs a calculation from an electrician, designer or engineer showing the shared service can handle it.
Is a 6% loan worth it for a heat pump?
That depends on your home. A loan only makes sense when the upgrade solves a real problem: an old furnace near the end of its life, no air conditioning in a hot summer, or rooms that never get warm. We would not borrow at 6% just to chase a lower gas bill without seeing the numbers first.
CEIP starts with an EnerGuide home evaluation, which is a good thing. It shows where your home loses the most heat. In many older Calgary houses, sealing and insulating first means you can buy a smaller, cheaper heat pump later.
Top-rated installers in Calgary
Ranked by Google reviews (minimum five). We don't take referral fees or paid placements. If you plan to use CEIP, pick a contractor from the CEIP Qualified Contractor directory.
How to pay for a heat pump in Calgary
- If your household income is under the Home Upgrades limit (for example $98,269 before tax for four people), apply to the Home Upgrades Program first.
- Otherwise, sign up for the City's CEIP email updates so you hear when intake reopens in winter 2026/2027.
- When it opens, read the CEIP Terms and Conditions and send the pre-qualification form to Alberta Municipalities.
- Book the EnerGuide home evaluation, then get quotes from CEIP Qualified Contractors.
- Sign your agreements before any work starts. Then install, submit completion forms, and book the post-project evaluation.
Common questions
Is there a heat pump rebate in Calgary in 2026?
Not a cash rebate. Alberta has no provincial heat pump rebate, the federal Greener Homes Grant is closed, and the federal Oil to Heat Pump program closed for Alberta on July 31, 2026. Calgary's CEIP offers financing instead, and the Home Upgrades Program offers free upgrades to income-qualified homes.
When does Calgary CEIP reopen?
The City of Calgary says residential CEIP is closed until winter 2026/2027. You can sign up for email updates on the City's CEIP page.
What interest rate does Calgary CEIP charge?
The City estimates 6.00% to 6.10%. The rate is fixed when you sign your agreement, so it could end up higher or lower than that range.
Is there a furnace rebate in Alberta?
We found no provincial furnace rebate. In Calgary, the Home Upgrades Program lists efficient furnaces among the free upgrades for income-qualified households. CEIP can also finance heating upgrades.
Can renters in Calgary get help?
Yes, in one program. The Home Upgrades Program is open to renters who meet the income limit and have their name on the utility bill. CEIP is for property owners only.
What to do next
Start by checking the Home Upgrades income limits. If you are over them, read our Calgary insulation page, because sealing and insulating first often makes the heat pump smaller. You can also see every Alberta program we track.
By Sam Menard. Sources, last read October 3, 2026: City of Calgary: Residential Clean Energy Improvement Program, Calgary Home Upgrades Program, Natural Resources Canada: Canada Greener Homes Initiative, Alberta Municipalities: CEIP program locations, Statistics Canada, 2021 Census table 98-10-0233-01. All Calgary rebates → Every Alberta rebate and financing program →