Depending on where they live, British Columbians can receive rebates of up to $19,000 toward installing heat pumps under a joint federal-provincial initiative.
Up to $255 million with B.C.B次元官网网址檚 share being up to $151 million will go toward helping low and middle-income households help replace oil, propane or natural gas systems with heat pumps. The rebates and the funding arrangements behind them mirror heat pump rebates as part of a pilot project announced in late October 2023 and first rolled out in Atlantic Canada, with B.C. initially left out in the cold.
The substance as well the timing of that announcement drew criticism from provincial cabinet minister including Premier David Eby, who showed his disappointment by wearing a B次元官网网址淚 Heart Heat PumpsB次元官网网址� T-shirt in media appearances.
B次元官网网址淚 think at a minimum, fairness demands equal treatment of British Columbians,B次元官网网址� he said in late October. B次元官网网址淧eople struggling with affordability around home heating face the same struggles in B.C. as in Nova Scotia, itB次元官网网址檚 not a distinct or different struggle.B次元官网网址�
Ottawa needs to work with B.C., Eby added.
B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檝e been, frankly, lobbying them for months to get this kind of recognition,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淪o my expectation is that they will meet us in delivering that program for British Columbians just like they do Nova Scotians.B次元官网网址�
The moment appeared to have come Monday as Steven Guilbeault, federal environment minister, and Jonathan Wilkinson, federal energy minister, joined George Heyman, B.C.B次元官网网址檚 environment minister, and Josie Osborne, B.C.B次元官网网址檚 energy minister, to announce the rebates.
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Eligible British Columbians could receive rebates of up $16,000, with those living in northern B.C. eligible for another $3,000 if they qualify.
Wilkinson said British Columbians are treated the same on a per-capita basis as residents of Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador.
B次元官网网址淭his is not a case of the squeaky wheel getting the grease,B次元官网网址� Wilkinson said. B次元官网网址淲e have made it clear that we were interested in working with all provinces and territories to develop plans to address the oil-to-heat-pump-issue and put in place agreements under the Low Carbon Economy Fund, which is under the purview of my colleague Minister Guilbeault,B次元官网网址� he said. He added other agreements could be forthcoming.
B次元官网网址淭he announcement today is actually broader than what we have announced with Nova Scotia and Newfoundland,B次元官网网址� Wilkinson said. It also allows people using propane or natural gas systems B次元官网网址� rather than just heating oil B次元官网网址� to switch, Wilkinson added.
B次元官网网址淭he issue of oil-to-heat-pumps was actually not a political decision,B次元官网网址� Wilkinson said, when asked if todayB次元官网网址檚 announcement was about shoring up federal Liberal support in urban British Columbia. B次元官网网址淚t was a decision to actually try to help folks, who were paying three to four times the cost of natural gas,B次元官网网址� Wilkinson said.
He added that the program is open to all provinces and territories.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 up to provincial governments to take advantage of that,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淪o yes, IB次元官网网址檓 very pleased that (B.C.) is taking advantage of it, because IB次元官网网址檓 very pleased that people are going to be saving money on their energy bills and IB次元官网网址檓 very pleased that people are going to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.B次元官网网址�
Heyman linked MondayB次元官网网址檚 announcement to other agreements with Ottawa advancing common goals.
B次元官网网址淚t assists British Columbians with affordability as well as withB次元官网网址eating costs.B次元官网网址�
