Province offers homeowners incentive to switch to heat pumps

The Manitoba government is launching a new program with the goal of helping reduce home energy bills.

The provincial government is offering to foot most of the bill for Manitobans looking to make their homes more energy efficient using heat pumps.

On Tuesday, Environment and Climate Change Minister Mike Moyes announced the launch of the Affordable Home Energy Program. The goal of the program is to see the conversion of 5,000 homes in Manitoba to ground source heat pump heating and cooling.

“In Manitoba, we’re committed to being a net zero province by 2050 and exploring renewable and sustainable energy sources is part of that goal,” Moyes said.

Eligible homeowners would be able to apply for the program through Efficiency Manitoba.

“Participants don’t need to pay anything up front. We pay the contractor directly, and the monthly cost is conveniently added to their energy bill,” said Colleen Kuruluk, CEO of Efficiency Manitoba.

Kuruluk said about 60 to 75 per cent of the installation costs would be covered through this incentive. The rest would be covered by the homeowner, who would pay $75 each month on their energy bill for 15 years.

She noted even with this payment, most homeowners would still end up paying less overall on their monthly energy bills because geothermal technology is a more efficient source.

Other options are available for multi-unit residential buildings. More information can be found on the Efficiency Manitoba website.