Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, the Honourable Sean Fraser, on behalf of the Minister of Natural Resources, the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, announced that registration has opened for the Oil to Heat Pump Affordability OHPA Program in Nova Scotia. Eligible homeowners can receive up to $5,000 in federal support from this program in addition to up to $5,000 from the Canada Greener Homes Grant (CGHG) and further support from the Province of Nova Scotia. Registration for Nova Scotia is through the provincial program delivered by EfficiencyOne.

“Replacing home heating oil with electric heat pumps is an effective way for families to save money while reducing pollution. We are pleased to partner with the Government of Nova Scotia to co-deliver the Oil to Heat Pump Affordability Grant through EfficiencyOne — meaning Nova Scotians who make the switch can now access up to $10,000 in federal support on top of provincial programs.”

The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson

Minister of Natural Resources, Canada

“Affordability is a top-of-mind issue for all Canadians, and today our government is ensuring there is up to an additional $5,000 above and beyond existing federal programs to support those who are installing heat pumps. Delivered in partnership with the Government of Nova Scotia through EfficiencyOne, this program will help Nova Scotians save money on their energy bills while reducing emissions. This is a win for affordability and a win for the environment.”      

The Honourable Sean Fraser

Minister of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship, Canada

"By helping Canadians switch from the roller-coaster prices of home heating oil toward more affordable, Canadian-made electrical home heating, we’re saving households thousands of dollars on energy bills while fighting climate change. Cheaper home heating, less pollution. It’s a win-win"

The Honourable Steven Guilbeault

Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Canada

“Nova Scotia is a national leader in fighting climate change with some of the most ambitious goals in the country. Helping Nova Scotians move away from oil heat and make their homes more energy-efficient is an important part of our climate plan. We recently invested $140 million to help all Nova Scotians — especially those in low- and middle-income households — to save money and reduce greenhouse gas emissions through our energy efficiency programs. We greatly appreciate the federal support that our investment is leveraging and Efficiency Nova Scotia’s expertise in helping homeowners find the best solutions for their needs.”

The Honourable Tory Rushton

Minister of Natural Resources and Renewables, Nova Scotia

“Energy efficiency is one of the most important tools in accelerating Nova Scotia’s efforts to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions as we move to a low-carbon, net-zero future, and doing this comes with the important benefit of reducing energy bills. For most people, their energy bill is often their largest bill, and we know higher energy costs disproportionately impact households with lower incomes. Funding for energy efficiency incentives and programs like the Oil to Heat Pump Assistance Grant are critical and allow more people to make energy-efficient upgrades.”

Stephen MacDonald

President and CEO, EfficiencyOne

• • Heat pumps are a proven and reliable technology in Canada, capable of providing year-round comfort control for a home by: 

    • heating it in the winter;

    • cooling it in the summer (heat pumps, despite their name, can also act as air conditioners); and

    • in some cases, heating water.

• Heat pumps are one of the best ways for homeowners to save money on energy bills and fight climate change. When compared with other electric home heating sources, they are also two to three times more efficient, meaning greater savings for homeowners and reduced energy intake for utilities and grids.

• The heat pump can also provide cooling by transferring warm indoor air to the outside. The energy provided by the outside air is free: consumers only pay for the electricity used by the compressor.

• Cold climate air source heat pumps have been designed to work in lower temperatures well below freezing and can now work down to –30°C temperatures. This is possible because there is thermal energy available in the air, even in very low temperatures. For example, air at –18°C still has 85 percent of the thermal energy as air at 21°C. These systems are also capable of switching to a cooling mode.   

• Since the Canada Greener Homes Loan launched on June 17, 2022, more than 20,000 homeowners have applied for a loan, and more than $225 million in loan commitments have been made. 

• Further assistance will be made available through the Low Carbon Economy Fund (LCEF), announced by Minister Guilbeault in September 2022. The LCEF Home Heating Oil Transition funding will provide up to $250 million to interested provinces and territories to expand existing programs or create new initiatives that support low-income households in their transition from home heating oil to low-emitting heating sources. Approximately $120 million of the overall funding will go to people in Atlantic Canada, where the use of oil for home heating is much more common. Agreements on the specific programs to distribute funding in each jurisdiction are currently being finalized, aiming for funding to begin in 2023–2024.

Associated links

• Oil to Heat Pump Affordability Program
• 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan: Clean Air, Strong Economy
• Canada Greener Homes Initiative
• EfficiencyOne
• Making Home Heating More Affordable for Canadians While Fighting Climate Change
• Explore other financial incentives to make changes in your home
• Canada Greener Homes Loan (nrcan.gc.ca)
• Greener Homes Most Recent Update

Natural Resources Canada
Media Relations
343-292-6100
media@nrcan-rncan.gc.ca

Keean Nembhard

Press Secretary

Office of the Minister of Natural Resources

613-323-7892

keean.nembhard@NRCan-RNCan.gc.ca