Canadian government to help home owners save money and go green

We were delighted to read about the new $250 million federal grant program for homeowners who heat their homes with oil.

The Oil to Heat Pump Affordability (OHPA) Grant will provide grants of up to $5,000 to eligible households. It’s fantastic that this is upfront financial support, and not a rebate (funding provided after the fact).

The new program “will cover costs that include the purchase and installation of heat pumps, necessary electrical upgrades and safe removal of the oil tank.” (CBC)

As energy prices soar alongside food and other basics, this is welcome news all round, but it’s also a big win in the fight for a sustainable future. The CBC article announcing the program underlines what we’ve been saying about heat pumps: they are part of the future, and the future is already here.

Heat pumps are everywhere

We’ve been talking about heat pumps a lot, and for good reason. Both the Canadian and US governments are catching up with our focus on this key technology for heating and cooling homes efficiently and cost effectively.

For anyone living in a conventional home, switching to a heat pump from heating oil can save anywhere from $1,500 to $4,700 every year.

For a passive home owner, the savings to be gained are even more significant (80 to 90% less than in a conventional home), as a passive home requires so little energy.

It’s more than time to see heat pumps moving into the mainstream, especially as Canada has mandated legislation in place to achieve NetZero emissions by 2050. If a new home is in your future — make it passive. Protect your investment and avoid the need for costly retrofitting.

Interested in learning more about the systems we use to heat and cool your passive home? Check out our Passive House Systems page.