Critics say expanded B.C. heat pump rebate program not enough
CBC
The province has announced it is accepting applications for its newly expanded rebate program for households switching to electric heat pumps.
"We saw the devastating impacts of the heat wave a couple of years ago, and we want to avoid that," B.C. Energy Minister Josie Osborne told a news conference on Wednesday.
But critics say while the program helps some people access indoor cooling, it isn't comprehensive enough to meet the needs of all the British Columbians who need it.
Gabrielle Peters, a disabled writer and policy analyst, is calling on the government to massively scale up its efforts to help British Columbians access cooling systems.
"Cooling is absolutely essential for our health and well-being," she said. "We should not be turning an entire season of the year into suffering that we simply allow people to be put through."
The update to the province's heat pump program will see more middle-income households eligible for rebates.
The government had been offering rebates for families of four making a combined salary of up to $114,647 a year. Now, it has expanded the salary range to $185,620 for that same family, offering a rebate of up to $10,500.
Homeowners can also apply for up to $5,000 to help them upgrade their electrical service to support heat pumps — up from $3,500.
Households that switch space heating from fossil fuels to electric heat pumps can see energy savings of up to 80 percent, according to the province which says the average cost of installing a heat pump is between $8,000 and $19,000.
The expanded heat pump rebates are part of the province's plan to prepare for summer heat. Last year, the B.C. government also launched a program offering free air conditioners to low-income B.C. residents.
Unlike air conditioners, heat pumps can both cool and heat.
In an email to CBC News, B.C. Hydro spokesperson Kevin Aquino said since that program began, the utility has installed about 11,000 free air conditioning units.
In May, the B.C. government announced $20 million more for the free air conditioning program. Aquino estimates that will provide 19,000 more households access to a free unit.
When the heat dome reached Vancouver in 2021, Peters said her Vancouver apartment got extremely hot.
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