Nova Scotia increases rebates for oil to heat pump program
February 21, 2024 | By HPAC Magazine
Low-to-median-income households in Nova Scotia that currently heat their home with oil can now apply for up to $30,000 in grant funding.
Together the Governments of Canada and Nova Scotia have announced that low-to-median-income households in Nova Scotia that currently heat their home with oil can now apply for up to $30,000 in grant funding to cover the full cost of switching to a heat pump.
This enhanced version of the Oil to Heat Pump Affordability (OHPA) program includes up to $15,000 from the Government of Canada’s OHPA program and up to $15,000 from the Province of Nova Scotia.
EfficiencyOne, an independent not-for-profit organization based in Dartmouth, is acting as the co-delivery partner in the province for the program.
In addition to the increased grants, OHPA applicants will also be receiving an upfront, one-time payment of $250 from the federal government. This applies to all eligible applicants who heat their homes with oil and sign up for a heat pump through OHPA in a co-delivery jurisdiction going forward (Nova Scotia, PEI, Newfoundland), as well as all those who have signed up since April 1, 2023.
Today in Dartmouth we launched a strengthened program to make heat pumps more affordable!
Under this program, low-to-median households in NS will be eligible for funding that covers the cost of switching to a heat pump, saving you thousands of dollars in heating bills. 🧵 pic.twitter.com/xl32aOVKTd
— Andy Fillmore, MP (@AndyFillmoreHFX) February 20, 2024
In jurisdictions without federal-provincial/territorial co-delivery arrangements, oil-heated households have been and will continue to be able to apply for up to $10,000 in federal OHPA funding via the national portal, managed by Natural Resources Canada (NRCan).
In June 2023, Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) announced up to $60.5 million funding through its Recapitalized Low Carbon Economy Fund to support lower-income Nova Scotian homeowners’ move from home heating oil to low-emitting technologies like electric heat pumps.
Since ECCC’s announcement, nearly 1,400 mini split heat pumps have been installed as part of Efficiency Nova Scotia’s HomeWarming program, and an additional 2,500 customers have been approved to have their installations occur in the coming weeks and months. This program expects to serve 10,186 qualifying low-income homeowners in Nova Scotia.
