Bachrach: Liberals hike heat pump rebate in Atlantic Canada, leave the rest of the country behind

“Replacing fossil fuel heating with heat pumps is an essential part of Canada meeting its emission reduction targets.But if the government doesn’t make the process easier and more affordable for all Canadians, Canada will never be able to meet those goals.”

OTTAWA – MP Taylor Bachrach (Skeena-Bulkley Valley) has called out the government for increasing its heat pump rebate in Atlantic Canada where Liberal seats are at risk, while leaving the rest of Canadians to navigate a lengthy bureaucratic program that gives them a smaller rebate.

“Canadians right across this country are struggling with the cost of home heating,” said Bachrach in his question. “And Canadians right across this country want to be part of fighting climate change. Yet while this government sweetened the heat pump rebate for Atlantic Canada, the rest of Canadians are stuck with a lengthy, bureaucratic application process that only gets them one third of that dollar amount. It does seem like the Liberals care more about rural Canada when they hold seats there, than they do about helping everyone across this country.”

On Thursday, the government announced changes to the Oil to Heat Pump Affordability Program for Atlantic Canadians, increasing the amount of federal funding eligible homeowners can receive for installing a heat pump to $15,000. However, while those living in Atlantic Canada reap the benefits of this increased funding, in the rest of the country people are stuck with a frustrating, bureaucratic maze to receive a $5,000 rebate through the Greener Homes Program.

People like Perry Rath from Smithers BC have expressed frustration with trying to navigate receiving their heat pump rebate through the Greener Homes Program. Rath has been trying to receive his $5,000 federal rebate for heat pump since installed in July 2022. But despite being approved for the provincial rebate, and being on the list of approved units by the federal government, his application has been denied.

“We have been caught in a series of bureaucratic trappings with our rebate for the Canada Greener Homes Grant,” said Rath. “We are still waiting on our rebate, when the BC program approved it one year ago. It has certainly had an impact on our household finances and exasperation with the federal program."

As of March 2023, the Greener Homes Program, launched in 2021, had only approved 438 applications involving heat pumps Canada-wide. Heat pumps currently account for 6.66 percent of home heating in Canada, in order for the government to meet its 2030 emissions reduction target of heat pumps accounting for 10 percent of home heating, over half a million more heat pumps will need to be installed by 2030.

“Replacing fossil fuel heating with heat pumps is an essential part of Canada meeting its emission reduction targets,” said Bachrach. “But if the government doesn’t make the process easier and more affordable for all Canadians, Canada will never be able to meet those goals.”