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