Canada Announces Oil to Heat Pump Program Co-Delivery with P.E.I. to Lower Heating Costs

CHARLOTTETOWN, PE, Feb. 22, 2023 /CNW/ - Heat pumps not only help families save money on their monthly bills, they also help cut pollution and fight climate change. That's why the Government of Canada is taking another step forward to help families make the switch from expensive home heating oil to efficient electric heat pumps.

Today,  Member of Parliament Heath MacDonald, on behalf of the Minister of Natural Resources, the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, announced that registration has opened for the Oil to Heat Pump Affordability (OHPA) Program in P.E.I. Eligible homeowners can receive up to $5,000 in federal support from this program in addition to up to $5,000 from the Canada Greener Homes Grant and further support from the Province of P.E.I. Registration for Prince Edward Island is through the provincial Free Heat Pump Program.

The program helps low-to-middle-income Canadian households that are currently heating their homes with oil to move to electric cold-climate heat pumps. By switching, homeowners can receive up to $10,000 in federal support toward the purchase and installation of a new cold-climate heat pump, save thousands of dollars annually on heating bills and help cut pollution.

Homeowners in Prince Edward Island are invited to register through the Free Heat Pump Program website. All other eligible homeowners across Canada can pre-register through the CGHG Portal. Those who pre-register will be contacted once final program details are launched in the coming weeks. Introduced in November 2022, the OHPA program is delivering $250 million in investments for electric heat pumps as a new stream under the existing Canada Greener Homes Initiative.

Heat pumps are also an important climate adaptation solution, supporting Canadians in heating their homes in cold winters and cooling them in increasingly hot summers. Delivering the OHPA Program is part of the government's commitment to making life more affordable for Canadians while fighting climate change from coast to coast to coast.

Quotes

"Replacing home heating oil with electric heat pumps is an effective way for families to save money while reducing pollution. We are pleased to partner with the Government of Prince Edward Island to co-deliver the Oil to Heat Pump Affordability Grant — meaning Islanders who make the switch can now access up to $10,000 in federal support on top of provincial programs."

The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson
Minister of Natural Resources Canada

"By helping Canadians switch from the roller coaster prices of home heating oil toward more affordable Canadian-made electric home heating, we're saving households thousands of dollars on energy bills, while fighting climate change. Cheaper home heating, less pollution. It's a win-win."

The Honourable Steven Guilbeault
Minister of Environment and Climate Change Canada

"Today we are pleased to announce up to $5,000 more in federal support for Islanders to switch from oil heating to electric heat pumps. The Government of Canada and the Government of P.E.I. have teamed up to deliver this funding together. By investing in electric heat pumps, homeowners can save money on fuel for winter heating, cool their homes in the summertime and contribute to our fight against climate change."

Sean Casey
Member of Parliament

"This partnership between the Government of Canada and the Government of P.E.I. will help to make home heating more affordable in our communities while fighting climate change. Through up to $10,000 in total federal support, P.E.I.'s Free Heat Pump program is well resourced to help Islanders to make the switch while saving money on their utility bill and contributing to building more sustainable communities for our future generations."

Heath MacDonald,
Member of Parliament

"With nearly 3,000 free heat pumps installed in Prince Edward Island through our easy-to-access provincial free heat pump program, we are making it simple for Island homeowners to help us reach our nation-leading net-zero goals. We appreciate any efforts by the Government of Canada to assist our province in keeping this momentum going so even more Islanders can save money on their energy bills."

The Honourable Steven Myers
Minister of Environment, Energy and Climate Action, Prince Edward Island

Quick Facts

• Heat pumps are a proven and reliable technology in Canada, capable of providing year-round comfort control for a home by:
• heating it in the winter;
• cooling it in the summer (heat pumps, despite their name, can also act as air conditioners); and
• in some cases, heating water.
• Heat pumps are one of the best ways for homeowners to save money on energy bills and fight climate change. When compared with other electric home heating sources, they are also two to three times more efficient, meaning greater savings for homeowners and reduced energy intake for utilities and grids.
• The heat pump can also provide cooling by transferring warm indoor air to the outside. The energy provided by the outside air is free: consumers only pay for the electricity used by the compressor.
• Cold-climate air source heat pumps have been designed to work in lower temperatures well below freezing and can now work down to –30°C temperatures. This is possible because there is thermal energy available in the air, even in very low temperatures. For example, air at –18°C still has 85 percent of the thermal energy as air at 21°C. These systems are also capable of switching to a cooling mode.
• Since the Canada Greener Homes Loan launched on June 17, 2022, more than 20,000 homeowners have applied for a loan and more than $225 million in loan commitments have been made.
• Further assistance will be made available through the Low Carbon Economy Fund (LCEF), announced by Minister Guilbeault in September 2022. The LCEF Home Heating Oil Transition funding will provide up to $250 million to interested provinces and territories to expand existing programs or create new initiatives that support low-income households in their transition from home heating oil to low-emitting heating sources. Approximately $120 million of the overall funding will go to people in Atlantic Canada, where using oil for home heating is much more common. Agreements on the specific programs to distribute funding in each jurisdiction are currently being finalized, aiming for funding to begin in 2023–24.

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SOURCE Natural Resources Canada

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