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.害羞草研究所檚 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 害羞草研究所淚 Heart Heat Pumps害羞草研究所� T-shirt in media appearances.
害羞草研究所淚 think at a minimum, fairness demands equal treatment of British Columbians,害羞草研究所� he said in late October. 害羞草研究所淧eople struggling with affordability around home heating face the same struggles in B.C. as in Nova Scotia, it害羞草研究所檚 not a distinct or different struggle.害羞草研究所�
Ottawa needs to work with B.C., Eby added.
害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檝e been, frankly, lobbying them for months to get this kind of recognition,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淪o my expectation is that they will meet us in delivering that program for British Columbians just like they do Nova Scotians.害羞草研究所�
The moment appeared to have come Monday as Steven Guilbeault, federal environment minister, and Jonathan Wilkinson, federal energy minister, joined George Heyman, B.C.害羞草研究所檚 environment minister, and Josie Osborne, B.C.害羞草研究所檚 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.
害羞草研究所淭his is not a case of the squeaky wheel getting the grease,害羞草研究所� Wilkinson said. 害羞草研究所淲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,害羞草研究所� he said. He added other agreements could be forthcoming.
害羞草研究所淭he announcement today is actually broader than what we have announced with Nova Scotia and Newfoundland,害羞草研究所� Wilkinson said. It also allows people using propane or natural gas systems 害羞草研究所� rather than just heating oil 害羞草研究所� to switch, Wilkinson added.
害羞草研究所淭he issue of oil-to-heat-pumps was actually not a political decision,害羞草研究所� Wilkinson said, when asked if today害羞草研究所檚 announcement was about shoring up federal Liberal support in urban British Columbia. 害羞草研究所淚t was a decision to actually try to help folks, who were paying three to four times the cost of natural gas,害羞草研究所� Wilkinson said.
He added that the program is open to all provinces and territories.
害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 up to provincial governments to take advantage of that,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淪o yes, I害羞草研究所檓 very pleased that (B.C.) is taking advantage of it, because I害羞草研究所檓 very pleased that people are going to be saving money on their energy bills and I害羞草研究所檓 very pleased that people are going to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.害羞草研究所�
Heyman linked Monday害羞草研究所檚 announcement to other agreements with Ottawa advancing common goals.
害羞草研究所淚t assists British Columbians with affordability as well as with害羞草研究所eating costs.害羞草研究所�
