Free heat pump program expands to P.E.I. households earning under $100K

The P.E.I.government is expanding a program that offers free heat pumps to Islanders.

Starting Jan. 3, 2024, households with an annual income of under $100,000 may be eligible, the province said Wednesday in a news release.Property value limits are also being removed.

Before, households had to earn less than $75,000 annually to be eligible.

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Since the program launched in December 2021, more than 7,000 free heat pumps have been installed replacing 7 million litres of heating oil, the province said.

The program is part of the P.E.I. government's goal of reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2040.Government began offering incentives to Islanders to install heat pumps back in 2015-16, as part of this plan.

At the time, only about 10 per cent of Islanders reported using heat pumps as a primary heating source, as opposed to methods like oil furnaces, wood stovesor electric baseboards, according to Statistics Canada.

Heat pump use grows on P.E.I.

By 2021, the most recent year available in the biennial survey, that had increased to 27 per cent. Meanwhile, across Canada, only six per cent of homes reported using heat pumps as a primary heating source.

Applications for the updated heat-pump program open Jan. 3.

People who apply are also "assessed for eligibility for other free energy efficiency benefits such as free home insulation and free electric hot water heaters," the province said.