B.C. Expands Energy Conservation Assistance Program With $222 Million for Free Heat Pump Retrofits

The government of British Columbia (B.C.), together with BC Hydro and FortisBC, announced a $222 million expansion of the BC Energy Conservation Assistance Program on June 29, funding no-cost heat pumps, dual-fuel systems and other energy-efficiency retrofits for lower-income households across the province. The joint investment, made through the federal Canada Greener Homes Affordability Program alongside provincial and utility funding, is expected to reach more than 7,600 income-qualified households.

How the Funding Breaks Down

The federal Canada Greener Homes Affordability Program is contributing $93.8 million to the expansion, with the Province of B.C. adding $8 million through CleanBC. BC Hydro is contributing $100.5 million on top of $68.8 million in federal support and the province's $8 million contribution, for a total of $177.3 million directed toward its share of the program. FortisBC is contributing $20.1 million alongside $25 million in federal funding, for a total investment of $45.1 million on its side of the program.

Who Benefits

The BC Hydro-administered portion of the expansion is expected to help more than 5,800 lower-income households access energy-saving upgrades, while the FortisBC-administered portion is expected to help approximately 1,800 households. Supported measures include air-source heat pumps, dual-fuel systems, home insulation, weatherization and air sealing, delivered at no cost to eligible income-qualified customers through the existing Energy Conservation Assistance Program, known as ECAP.

What ECAP Provides

ECAP is designed to improve access to energy-efficiency upgrades for income-qualified households while also enhancing home safety and comfort. The program provides fully subsidized home-energy assessments, energy coaching and installation of energy-efficient products, including heat pumps and dual-fuel systems for eligible households.

Officials Frame It as Affordability Policy

British Columbia Minister of Energy and Climate Solutions Adrian Dix said the province is taking action to help people lower their utility bills by expanding home energy-efficiency programming for lower-income families, calling the switch to high-efficiency heat pumps one of the fastest, most effective ways to lower building-sector emissions while reducing costs for residents. Federal Minister of Natural Resources Tim Hodgson said the investment reflects a broader effort to bring down costs for Canadians through energy-efficient home retrofits delivered through the Canada Greener Homes Affordability Program.

BC Hydro President and CEO Charlotte Mitha said the utility is committed to working with British Columbians in every region it serves to save energy, lower costs and support the transition to cleaner technologies like heat pumps. FortisBC President and CEO Roger Dall'Antonia said the program helps make home comfort and affordability possible for income-qualified customers through energy-saving upgrades, including dual-fuel systems.

Part of a Wider Canadian Retrofit Push

The B.C. expansion comes as federal, provincial and utility-level programs continue to reshape the incentive landscape for heat pump adoption across Canada. Ottawa's original Canada Greener Homes Grant, a $5,000 rebate that did not require repayment, closed to new applicants on January 20, 2026, shifting federal support toward the Greener Homes Loan and targeted programs such as the Oil to Heat Pump Affordability Program and the Canada Greener Homes Affordability Program now funding the B.C. expansion. The Oil to Heat Pump Affordability Program separately faces its own deadline on July 31 for residents of Alberta, Manitoba, the Northwest Territories, Quebec and Saskatchewan to apply.

How B.C. Compares to Other Provinces

The ECAP expansion adds to a patchwork of provincial heat pump incentive programs that has grown more regionalized as federal support has narrowed. Ontario's Home Renovation Savings Program continues to offer heat pump rebates ranging from $500 to $12,000 depending on the customer's existing heating source, though the program has paused new contractor registrations while it focuses on training already-enrolled contractors. British Columbia's own standard CleanBC rebate stream, separate from the income-qualified ECAP program, ended incentives for switching from fossil fuel heating to electric heat pumps in 2025, narrowing its focus to electric-to-electric upgrades for most applicants outside the income-qualified ECAP stream.

Relevance for Contractors

For HVAC contractors operating in British Columbia, the expanded ECAP funding represents a meaningful increase in subsidized retrofit volume flowing through BC Hydro and FortisBC's existing contractor networks, rather than a new program requiring separate registration. The province said the expanded programming would be delivered through the existing ECAP structure, with BC Hydro and FortisBC managing outreach, eligibility screening and contractor coordination for the additional households the funding is expected to reach.

Neither BC Hydro nor FortisBC specified a firm completion date for delivering the expanded program to all 7,600 targeted households, though both utilities indicated the funding would be deployed through their existing ECAP delivery channels starting immediately following the announcement.