If you're putting a heat pump in your Richmond home, rebates can knock thousands of dollars off the bill. Between CleanBC Better Homes, the federal Canada Greener Homes programs, and utility rebates from FortisBC and BC Hydro, a properly planned switch off gas or baseboard heat can unlock the biggest savings of any home upgrade right now. The catch is that the programs have rules, deadlines, and paperwork, and the amounts change. This guide walks through every rebate a Richmond homeowner can realistically claim in 2026, who qualifies, and how to actually get the money.
The short version
- Most Richmond homes can stack provincial, federal, and utility rebates on one heat pump install.
- The biggest dollars come from switching off a gas or oil furnace, not from baseboard.
- You usually have to apply before the work starts and use a registered contractor.
- Amounts and eligibility change often. We confirm exactly what your home qualifies for during a free assessment.
The rebate programs Richmond homeowners can use
There isn't one rebate. There are several, run by different bodies, and the smart move is to stack the ones you qualify for. Here's how they break down.
CleanBC Better Homes
This is the main provincial program, and it's usually the anchor of any Richmond rebate plan. CleanBC Better Homes offers rebates for installing a qualifying air-source heat pump, with the larger amounts reserved for homeowners who replace fossil-fuel heating (a gas or oil furnace) rather than electric baseboards. The program sets minimum efficiency ratings for the equipment, so the system has to be on the eligible products list to count.
CleanBC Income Qualified Program
If your household income falls under the program thresholds, the income-qualified stream covers a much larger share of the cost, sometimes most of it. It's worth checking even if you assume you won't qualify, because the thresholds are higher than a lot of people expect for a family household.
Canada Greener Homes (federal)
On the federal side, the Canada Greener Homes Loanoffers interest-free financing for major efficiency upgrades, including air-source heat pumps. The federal grant portion has changed over time, so the loan is the piece most homeowners use today to spread the upfront cost without interest. There's also the Oil to Heat Pump Affordability (OHPA) program for homes currently heated with oil, which carries some of the highest rebate amounts available anywhere.
FortisBC and BC Hydro
The utilities run their own rebates that often stack on top of the provincial and federal money. FortisBC offers rebates tied to switching off gas, and BC Hydro supports electrification upgrades. Which one applies depends on what currently heats your home and who your provider is. We sort this out for you so nothing gets left on the table.
How the rebates stack
The reason heat pump rebates in BC get talked about so much is that you can usually combine them. A typical Richmond gas-to-heat-pump conversion might pull from the provincial program, a utility rebate, and the federal interest-free loan all at once. Stacked together, the rebates can cover a meaningful chunk of a standard install, and far more for income-qualified households or oil-heated homes.
A note on dollar amounts
We've kept exact figures out of this guide on purpose. Rebate amounts, deadlines, and eligibility rules change through the year, and quoting a number that's six months out of date helps no one. When we assess your home, we give you the current amounts in writing for your exact situation.
Who qualifies
Eligibility comes down to a few things working together:
- What heats your home now. Switching off gas or oil unlocks the larger rebates. Coming off electric baseboard still qualifies for plenty, just less.
- The equipment you install.The heat pump has to meet the program's minimum efficiency ratings and be on the approved list.
- Who installs it. Most programs require a registered contractor and proper permits. A cash-deal install from someone unregistered usually voids the rebate.
- Your household income, if you're applying through the income-qualified stream.
How to actually claim your rebates
This is where people slip up. The order of operations matters, and getting it wrong can cost you the whole rebate.
- Apply or pre-register before the work starts. Several programs need an application on file before installation. Do the install first and you can be disqualified.
- Use a registered contractor and pull permits. Keep the paperwork. The programs ask for it.
- Install eligible equipment. The model and its efficiency rating get logged on the claim.
- Submit invoices and proof. Itemized invoices, model numbers, and (for some programs) a post-upgrade EnerGuide evaluation.
- Wait for processing. Rebates are paid out after review, so budget for the gap between paying the installer and the money landing.
We handle this process with you on furnace-to-heat-pump conversions and standard heat pump installsacross Richmond, so the paperwork doesn't become your problem.
Common mistakes that cost people money
- Booking the install before the rebate application is in.
- Buying equipment that isn't on the eligible products list.
- Using an unregistered installer to save a few dollars upfront.
- Missing the post-install steps, like the EnerGuide evaluation some programs require.
- Assuming you don't qualify for the income-qualified stream without checking.
A Richmond example
Say you're in a Broadmoor or Hamilton home with an aging gas furnace and existing ductwork. Because your home is already ducted, a central heat pump is a clean swap. Because you're leaving gas behind, you land in the higher rebate tier on the provincial program, you can layer a FortisBC switch-off-gas rebate on top, and you can use the federal interest-free loan to spread the rest. That combination is exactly the kind of stack we map out before you commit to anything. Homeowners in Steveston or a City Centre condo coming off baseboard get a different (still worthwhile) mix.
Let's find your rebates
The fastest way to know what you qualify for is a free in-home assessment. We measure your home, recommend the right system, and hand you the current rebate amounts for your exact setup, then file the paperwork with you. Call (604) 332-1613 or send us a messageand we'll get started.
