Stand.earth applauds extension of government program to lower home heating and cooling bills in B.C. 

Victoria, B.C. (Lekwungen territory) – Environmental advocacy organization Stand.earth commends today’s announcement of joint federal and provincial funding to make heat pumps more affordable in British Columbia, which will play a critical role in improving the affordability and accessibility of cleaner energy sources.

Announced by Minister of Environment and Climate Change Steven Guilbeault and Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Jonathan Wilkinson, the program provides grants for low- and middle-income residents to switch their home heating systems from oil, propane, or natural gas to highly efficient electric heat pumps.

Climate change is accelerating, with more intense wildfires, floods and droughts expected across Canada. Electric heat pumps automatically provide cooling, keeping homes more comfortable and safe during extreme heat events, and they provide air filtration to protect against wildfire smoke and other outdoor air pollutants. Without monetary support, the upfront cost in installing heat pumps can be prohibitive to lower-income households.

“As more people want to switch off fossil fuels like oil and gas and retrofit their homes to much more efficient all-electric heat pumps, it’s critical that folks have the support to make the necessary transition. Today’s announcement is great news for residents of British Columbia,” said Sunil Singal, Climate Campaigner at Stand.earth. “This program ensures low- and middle-income households can be a part of the necessary transition to highly efficient electric heat pumps that will save money on home heating bills and keep residents cool during the record-breaking hot summers we are experiencing in B.C.” 

As the country prepares for another record-breaking wildfire season, programs like the one announced today will make energy efficient retrofits more affordable for low- and middle-income residents, and help avoid another deadly event like the 2021 heat dome through safer cooling options.

Retrofitting existing homes combined with requiring all-electric new buildings via the Zero Carbon Step Code policy points us in the right direction to reducing our emissions for the building sector and ensures the ongoing heating and hot water costs are measurably lower than with gas systems. 

In B.C., buildings currently account for 12% of all greenhouse gas emissions and in cities, that number soars to 40% or higher. Currently, the province is not on track to meet its targets to reduce building sector emissions by 59 to 64% by 2030. 

“Reducing emissions from buildings is one of the easiest steps that governments can take to meet climate action goals,” Singal said. “We applaud this joint announcement and call on other governments across Canada to ensure residents have the ability to make the switch to highly efficient electric heat pumps that will save money on home heating bills and provide safe cooling options during record-breaking heat, similar to Atlantic Canada and British Columbia.”

Stand.earth has been supporting municipal government leaders across Canada through its SAFE (Stand Against Fossil Fuel Expansion) Cities initiative. The campaign facilitates a network of North American local government leaders who share policies, experience, knowledge, and resources to accelerate municipal efforts toward phasing out fossil fuels and fast-tracking clean energy.

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Media contact: 

Cari Barcas, Communications Director, cari.barcas@stand.earth