The federal heat pump rebate - what BC homeowners should do now
By the Vancouver Heat Pump Pro team
Updated
On October 8, 2026, the federal government announced the National Heat Pump Rebate, a $2 billion program meant to support up to a million home retrofits. For BC homeowners - especially those heating with gas, who lost the provincial standard rebate in 2025 - it's the most important rebate news in over a year.
The key facts
- Amount: $2,000 for most households, or up to $10,000 for low- to median-income households.
- Opens: early 2027, through an online portal.
- Retroactive: eligible heat pumps installed on or after November 1, 2026 can apply once it opens.
- No energy audit before or after.
- Equipment: must be on the program's eligible products list.
Source: Government of Canada - National Heat Pump Rebate.
Why it matters most for gas-heated homes in BC
BC's standard rebate for switching from natural gas, oil or propane ended on April 11, 2025. Since then, a gas-heated household above the income limits has had no provincial rebate for a heat pump. The federal $2,000 doesn't cover the whole cost, but it's the first rebate available to that group in over a year.
For income-qualified households, the CleanBC Energy Savings Program is still the larger provincial program, covering up to 100% of eligible costs up to income-based caps. See our BC rebate guide for the tables.
What to do if you're planning a heat pump
- Don't install before November 1, 2026 if you want to be sure of federal eligibility.
- Choose a cold-climate model that's likely to be on both the BC and federal eligible lists.
- Keep everything: the invoice, model and AHRI numbers, the heat load calculation, permits and photos of the installed equipment.
- If you're income-qualified, pre-register with the CleanBC Energy Savings Program first. Its rebate can't be added after the work is done.
- Watch for the stacking rules. We'll update our rebate guide when they're published.
What we don't know yet
As of today, the government hasn't published the exact income thresholds, the eligible product list, or how the rebate interacts with provincial programs. Anyone who tells you exactly how they'll stack is guessing.
Planning a heat pump for this winter?
We'll quote a system that fits the BC and federal programs and keep your paperwork ready for when the portal opens.