BC Heat Pump Rebates in 2026

BC heat pump rebates, by who qualifies

Start with the card that matches your home. Each one names the official page we read. The amounts are the most each program pays, and the rules decide what you actually get.

The BC Hydro rebates only pay when the heat pump replaces electric heat. That surprises many people. If you heat with gas, oil or propane, the BC Hydro cards above do not apply to you, and your route is the CleanBC income-qualified program below.

Start here: how does your home heat today?

You heat with electric baseboards or an electric furnace. This is the group BC Hydro built its rebate for. A whole-home heat pump earns up to $4,000, and a partial one earns $1,500. Before you buy, check that your home qualifies, because BC Hydro asks that electricity be your main heat and that the system can heat at least half your home to 22C.

You heat with gas, oil or propane. BC Hydro does not pay for this switch. The CleanBC Energy Savings Program does, but only if your household income is under its limits. If you earn more, we did not find a general BC rebate for switching from gas to a heat pump.

You already have a heat pump. Replacing an existing heat pump, or adding a head to one, is not eligible for the BC Hydro rebate.

Your electricity comes from FortisBC or a small city utility. You have your own heat pump rebate, covered below. Check your bill to see who supplies your power.

What BC Hydro wants to see before it pays

The rules are strict, and most refusals come from missing one. For a whole-home rebate, your contractor must run a heat load calculation with CSA F280-12 software and fill in BC Hydro's summary form. The heat pump must be sized to keep the whole home at 22C when it is -5C outside, without electric resistance heat. In places colder than that, such as Kamloops, the heat pump plus any electric backup must cover the colder design temperature.

The heat pump itself must be on BC Hydro's rebate-eligible list and also on the NEEP cold-climate list. It needs a variable-speed compressor, since single-speed and two-stage models do not qualify. It also needs an AHRI reference number and a rating of at least HSPF2 8.5 and SEER2 15.2. Whole-home systems must have at least 12,000 BTU of capacity at 8C. Homes over 1,200 square feet need a multi-split or central system, not a single head.

The installer must belong to the Home Performance Contractor Network and hold a BC business licence and the right trade licence. Self-installs do not count. The equipment must be new, and the rebate cannot be more than the amount you paid on the invoice.

The October 31 bonus is close

BC Hydro's limited-time bonus pays up to $1,000 more when you complete, invoice and pay for an eligible air source heat pump between August 1 and October 31, 2026. You then have until November 30, 2026 to send in a complete application. The money is first come, first served, and BC Hydro can change or end the offer without notice.

The deadline is October 31, so there is little time left. A job that is not finished and paid by October 31 misses it. Ask your contractor for a real install date before you sign, not just a quote. Separately, BC Hydro lists a draw for three $5,000 prizes for the same install window.

If you heat with gas, oil or propane: the CleanBC route

The CleanBC Energy Savings Program is built around income. Your level depends on how many people live in the home, the combined before-tax income of the adults, and your property's assessed value. For a one-person home, the limits are $51,100 for Level 1, $63,900 for Level 2 and $102,100 for Level 3. For a four-person home, they are $94,900, $118,600 and $189,800. Level 3 only applies to homes switching from natural gas, propane or oil to a heat pump.

The biggest amounts go to a central ducted or 3+ head heat pump: $13,000, $7,000 or $3,500 by level. A two-head system pays $11,000, $5,500 or $1,000, and a single-head mini-split pays $5,500, $4,500 or $1,000. You apply once, get a code, and use an Energy Savings Program contractor. The program cannot be combined with BC Hydro's home rebates. Better Homes BC noted on October 9 that its site is not being updated during the provincial election period, so check the program page before you commit.

The new federal rebate: what we know and what we do not

On October 8, 2026, the federal government announced a National Heat Pump Rebate. It would pay up to $10,000 to households below the median income and $2,000 to other eligible homeowners. The launch is expected in early 2027. It has not published which homes, which heating fuels or what income cut-off will qualify.

So we cannot tell you yet whether it stacks with BC programs, or whether work done now will count. Do not delay a heat pump you need this winter on the chance of it. For now, treat BC Hydro, CleanBC and FortisBC as the rebates you can claim. We will update this page when the federal rules are out.

FortisBC and small-city electric customers

If FortisBC or a city utility such as Penticton, Summerland, Grand Forks or Nelson Hydro supplies your electricity, the BC Hydro rebate does not apply to you. FortisBC offers $4,000 for a whole-home heat pump and $1,500 for a partial one, plus a $300 bonus when you do two upgrades. Its heat pump must be on the NEEP cold-climate list, and a mini-split only fits homes of 1,200 square feet or less. Income-qualified electric customers can reach $12,000 for a central ducted whole-home system.

How to claim a BC heat pump rebate

1. Find out who sells you electricity, and what heats your home now. That sorts you into BC Hydro, CleanBC or FortisBC.
2. If you may be income-qualified, apply to the CleanBC program first and get your code. Do not start work before you are approved.
3. Get three quotes from contractors in the program's network. Ask each one to confirm the heat load calculation and the model on the eligible list.
4. Check the install date against October 31 if you want the BC Hydro bonus.
5. Keep the invoice and proof of payment. BC Hydro wants the application and all documents within six months of the invoice date.
6. Apply online, then wait for approval before you count on the money.

More for BC homes

• BC home rebates: every program in one place
• National Heat Pump Rebate guide: what Ottawa has confirmed so far
• Should you wait for the federal rebate?: a simple rule for deciding
• Federal and provincial rebates: what stacks: BC, Ontario, Nova Scotia and Alberta side by side
• BC rebate calculator: add up everything you qualify for
• BC Hydro rebates, program guide: every BC Hydro offer in one place
• CleanBC rebates, program guide: income levels and what each one pays
• FortisBC rebates, program guide: if FortisBC supplies your power
• BC Hydro or FortisBC: which rebates fit you: how to tell which one is yours
• Vancouver heat pump rebates: city details and installers
• Surrey heat pump rebates: city details and installers
• Victoria heat pump rebates: city details and installers
• Kamloops heat pump rebates: colder design temperature
• Prince George heat pump rebates: northern top-up details

Common questions

By Sam Menard. Sources, last read October 9, 2026: BC Hydro: heat pump rebates, BC Hydro: Home Renovation program eligibility, Better Homes BC: Energy Savings Program, FortisBC: air source heat pump rebate, FortisBC: income-qualified heat pump rebate, Government of Canada: one million home retrofits announcement.