If you’re thinking about a heat pump in 2026, the rebate landscape just shifted under your feet — and not in a good way for everyone. The federal Canada Greener Homes Loan closed to new applications on October 1, 2025, but the BC provincial and utility-level rebates are still very much alive, and in some cases more generous than they’ve ever been.
Here’s the straight-talk breakdown of what’s actually available in 2026 for Vancouver, Burnaby, and Lower Mainland homeowners, who qualifies for what, and the order to apply in to stack the maximum amount.
Quick summary: what you can actually get in 2026
- CleanBC Better Homes Rebate — up to $11,000 for switching from oil or gas to an electric heat pump
- FortisBC heat pump rebate (standard) — up to $4,000 for switching from electric heating
- FortisBC heat pump rebate (income-qualified) — up to $12,000 for centrally ducted whole-home installs
- FortisBC dual fuel rebate — $10,000 base ($13K–$18K for income-qualified / northern BC) for combined heat pump + high-efficiency gas furnace
- BC Hydro heat pump rebate — up to $4,000 for whole home, $1,500 partial
- Federal Greener Homes Loan — CLOSED to new applications (Oct 1, 2025), but existing approved loans still fund
- Oil to Heat Pump Affordability Program — still active for low-to-median income homeowners switching from oil
Why the federal loan closure matters
The Canada Greener Homes Loan offered up to $40,000 interest-free over 10 years and was the single biggest financing lever for heat pump conversions across BC. Funding ran out earlier than expected — the program officially closed to new applications October 1, 2025. If you applied before that date and were approved, your funding is still good. Everyone else has to look at private financing options now (FortisBC’s 1.9% Heat Pump Loan, SNAP Financial, contractor financing, or HELOCs).
The good news: BC’s own rebate programs picked up a lot of the slack, and stacking them properly still gets most Vancouver and Burnaby homeowners $8,000–$15,000 off their install.
The big one: CleanBC Better Homes Rebate (up to $11,000)
This is the most impactful single rebate available to BC homeowners in 2026 — and the one most people stack everything else on top of. The CleanBC Better Homes Rebate is administered through Better Homes BC and applies when you replace an oil, propane, or natural gas heating system with a qualifying electric air-source or ground-source heat pump.
Who qualifies
- Single-family homes, duplexes, triplexes, row homes, townhouses, mobile homes on permanent foundations
- Must be your primary residence and at least 12 months old
- You must replace (not add to) your existing fossil-fuel system
- The heat pump must be NEEP cold-climate certified and properly sized using a CSA F280-12 heat load calculation
- Install must be done by a Home Performance Contractor Network member in good standing
What you get
- Up to $11,000 for centrally-ducted heat pumps replacing oil or propane heating
- Up to $6,000 for replacing natural gas heating
- Income-qualified households can stack up to $16,000 in total when CleanBC and FortisBC IQ rebates are combined
FortisBC standard heat pump rebate (up to $4,000)
This applies if you’re switching from electric resistance heating (baseboards, electric furnace, radiant) — not from gas. So it’s the right path for the chunk of BC homes (especially older townhouses, mobile homes, and some Burnaby apartment-style buildings) that never had gas heat.
- Whole home heating rebate: $4,000 — heat pump must meet 100% of heating requirements at -5°C with NEEP cold-climate certification
- Partial home heating rebate: $1,500 — heat pump covers 50% or more of heating
- Two-upgrade bonus: additional $300 if you complete another eligible Home Renovation Rebate upgrade
You apply within six months of your paid invoice. Processing takes up to 90 days. Self-installations don’t qualify.
Income-qualified rebate — up to $12,000
If your combined household income is below the threshold, the standard $4,000 jumps to $12,000 for a centrally ducted whole-home install or $9,000 for ductless mini-split / multi-split setups. As of 2026, the income caps are:
- 1-person household: $51,100
- 2-person household: $63,600
- 3-person household: $78,200
- 4-person household: $94,900
- 5-person household: $108,000
- 6-person household: $121,400
- 7+ person household: $135,100
You provide proof of income (CRA Notice of Assessment for line 15000 is the cleanest way) along with your application. Home must be 10+ years old, no larger than 3,500 sq ft, and you can only own one BC property.
The FortisBC dual fuel rebate ($10,000 base)
If your existing gas furnace is at least 10 years old, FortisBC will pay you $10,000 to install a combined dual-fuel system — heat pump + high-efficiency gas furnace working together. The heat pump handles mild weather, the furnace kicks in below the switchover temperature.
- Vancouver/Lower Mainland switchover temp: 5°C or lower (the heat pump runs almost year-round here)
- Standard rebate: $10,000
- Income-qualified or Indigenous customers: $15,000
- North of 100 Mile House: additional $3,000 top-up
- Must use a TSBC-licensed gas contractor who is an active Home Performance Contractor Network member
For Vancouver and Burnaby homeowners who already have a gas furnace they don’t want to fully replace (or who want the redundancy of two heat sources), this is often the sweet spot. You keep the gas furnace as backup and let the heat pump do the day-to-day work.
BC Hydro heat pump rebate (up to $4,000)
If you’re a BC Hydro customer (most of Vancouver, Burnaby, and the Lower Mainland are), you have a separate $4,000 rebate available for replacing electric heating with a qualifying heat pump. The terms mirror FortisBC’s standard heat pump rebate closely — partial heating gets $1,500.
You generally apply for either the BC Hydro or FortisBC version depending on whose utility account you’re under, not both. The Better Homes BC online tool tells you which one fits your address.
How to stack them — the right application order
The single most expensive mistake is applying for rebates in the wrong order, or applying for one that disqualifies you from another. The general stacking order for a Vancouver/Burnaby homeowner switching from gas to heat pump:
- Get a pre-retrofit EnerGuide evaluation done by a registered energy advisor (~$400, sometimes covered)
- Get three quotes from Home Performance Contractor Network members (this is a hard requirement — non-HPCN contractors disqualify you)
- Choose the right rebate combination — most Vancouver gas-furnace homes go with CleanBC ($6K) + FortisBC dual fuel ($10K) if keeping the furnace, or CleanBC ($11K oil) / ($6K gas) alone if going fully electric
- Install the system — keep every invoice line item, AHRI certificate, heat load calc summary, and equipment serial number
- Get a post-retrofit EnerGuide evaluation done
- Submit your applications within 6 months of the paid invoice date (the deadline trips up more people than any other rule)
What you should NOT do
- Don’t self-install — every rebate program disqualifies DIY work, even partial
- Don’t skip the heat load calculation — “rule of thumb” sizing gets your rebate denied at audit, and oversized heat pumps short-cycle and fail early anyway
- Don’t replace a working heat pump or add a head to one — neither qualifies for any of the main rebate programs
- Don’t wait until your existing furnace dies in January — emergency electric heat replacements are specifically excluded from several rebate programs
What it actually costs after rebates in 2026 — Vancouver/Burnaby numbers
Real-world examples from installs we’ve done across Burnaby, Vancouver, and the Tri-Cities in early 2026:
- 2,200 sq ft Burnaby 1980s SFD, gas furnace → 3-ton centrally ducted heat pump + new high-eff gas furnace (dual fuel): $14,800 install, $10,000 FortisBC dual fuel rebate = $4,800 net
- 1,400 sq ft Vancouver duplex unit, electric baseboards → 2-ton ductless mini-split (3 heads): $11,500 install, $4,000 BC Hydro standard heat pump rebate = $7,500 net
- 1,800 sq ft North Burnaby home, oil furnace → 3-ton centrally ducted cold-climate heat pump: $17,200 install, $11,000 CleanBC rebate + Oil to Heat Pump Affordability top-up = $3,200–$5,200 net
- 2,800 sq ft Coquitlam newer home, gas furnace + AC → 4-ton centrally ducted heat pump (gas furnace kept as backup, dual fuel): $18,500 install, $10,000 FortisBC dual fuel rebate = $8,500 net
Get a free quote with rebate eligibility check
Western Pacific Heating, Cooling & Airflow is an active member of the Home Performance Contractor Network (the eligibility requirement most contractors don’t meet), TSBC-licensed, and Clean BC Registered. We do the rebate paperwork on your behalf, including the heat load calc, AHRI certificate verification, and rebate program submission, so the money lands in your account without you chasing forms.
Call 604-245-9451 for a free in-home heat pump assessment with a written quote and a side-by-side comparison of your rebate options. We serve Burnaby, Vancouver, New Westminster, Coquitlam, Port Moody, Richmond, North Vancouver, and West Vancouver.
Rebate amounts and eligibility criteria are current as of June 2026 and are subject to change at the discretion of each program’s funding partner. Always verify current amounts at betterhomesbc.ca, fortisbc.com/rebates, and bchydro.com/powersmart before applying.
