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B.C. government rolls out new heat pump rebate up to $5,000 to keep condos cool

Kenneth Chan
Kenneth Chan
|
Jul 15 2025, 8:03 pm
B.C. government rolls out new heat pump rebate up to $5,000 to keep condos cool
Heat pump equipment. (City of Vancouver)

More British Columbian residents living in condominium and apartment units will soon be able to stay cool in the summer and warm in the winter while saving on energy bills, thanks to a new provincial rebate program aimed at supporting heat pump installations in multi-unit residential buildings.

The Government of B.C. announced today the launch of the Better Homes Energy Savings Program Condo and Apartment Rebate, which offers rebates of up to $5,000 to help income-qualified renters and condo owners install high-performance electric heat pumps in individual suites.

“Nearly a third of homes in B.C. are in multi-unit residential buildings,” said Adrian Dix, B.C. Minister of Energy and Climate Solutions, in a statement, noting that this follows the provincial government’s ongoing success with its program supporting such a transition for single-family houses.

“All British Columbians who need a heat pump should have access to one, to feel comfortable in their homes year-round, experience better energy efficiency, and save money. So, we’re expanding our support to focus on helping apartment renters and condominium owners.”

Heat pumps can both heat and cool a home’s interior spaces, and are an alternative to traditional air conditioning for summer temperature cooling needs. The electricity-powered equipment transfers heat from the outside air to the indoors in the winter, and operates in reverse in the summer from transferring interior heat to the outdoors.

The first phase of the program opens on Tuesday, July 15, 2025, and will initially focus on suites in condominium and apartment buildings up to six storeys that use electric heating systems, such as baseboard heaters. Later in Fall 2025, the program will expand to include suites heated by fossil fuels, such as gas boilers.

To apply, income-qualified renters and condominium owners must obtain signed permissions from landlords and strata corporations. Once approved, they receive an eligibility code that registered contractors use to access the rebates.

The new rebate can go toward the costs of both the purchase of the equipment and the installation.

According to BC Hydro, the cost of a heat pump can vary widely depending on type, model, and installation requirements for a home’s size and technical constraints. The upfront cost ranges between about $6,000 and $14,000, but overall long-term cost savings are expected through lower energy bills.

In addition to the provincial government’s new income-qualified rebate, BC Hydro is offering separate rebates of up to $2,500 for heat pumps and $1,000 for heat pump water heaters to non-income-qualified customers in electrically heated suites.

The broader Better Homes Energy Savings Program was launched in June 2024 and is funded by the provincial government, BC Hydro, and the federal government. In April 2025, the province committed $50 million annually over two years to provide up to 8,300 new heat pump rebates.

So far, the Better Homes program has supported the installation of 27,832 heat pumps across B.C.

The first phase of the new rebate for condominiums and apartments is expected to fund around 500 heat pump installations, though that number could grow as uptake increases.

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