Frequently Asked Questions
The District of North Vancouver is working with the City of North Vancouver, the District of West Vancouver, and the Province’s CleanBC program to help homeowners make the switch to energy efficient, low-carbon heat pumps for home heating and cooling.
This initiative supports the climate action goals of the three municipalities of the North Shore. This program was developed with financial support from BC Hydro.
What is the Jump on a Heat Pump Program?
The District of North Vancouver is working with the other North Shore municipalities and the province’s CleanBC program to help homeowners make the switch to energy efficient, low-carbon heat pumps for home heating and cooling.
What are the eligibility requirements?
- Participants must be owners of a home within the City of North Vancouver, District of North Vancouver, or the District of West Vancouver.
- Each Participant must submit a separate Virtual Home Energy Check-Up Intake Form per Premise.
- The home must be:
- single family detached dwelling;
- single family detached dwelling with a secondary suite that is individually metered;
- mobile home that is permanently fixed, sits on a foundation, structurally complete with installed and connected plumbing, heating, electrical, water and sewer services with towing apparatus and axle has been removed; or
- side-by-side or stacked duplex or side-by-side row home or townhouse, provided each unit has its own natural gas and/or electricity meter. Utility accounts in the name of a strata corporation are not eligible.
See the Program Terms and Conditions for full details.
Why the focus on heat pumps?
Heating and hot water represent up to 75% of an average home’s GHG emissions. While improving overall energy efficiency is important, the single biggest thing we can do at home to reduce our GHG emissions is to switch from fossil fuel heat to clean electricity. Heating systems last about 20 years, so in order to reach our carbon neutral 2050 goal we have to start making the switch to heat pumps now.
Heat pumps also provide cooling in summer which helps to reduce the health impacts from climate change: extreme heat and wildfire smoke.
With current rebates, there is no better time to make the switch.
Do I have to be considering a heat pump to participate?
No. Actively considering a heat pump is not a requirement to participate in the Virtual Home Energy Check-Up. However, the intention of the Jump on a Heat Pump program is to help support homeowners to transition to heat pumps (or find other ways to reduce the greenhouse gas foot print of their home).
Why are you asking about all of my home’s systems?
Although separate from each other – your insulation, heating and cooling system, windows, doors, ventilation, and exterior walls, foundation and siding make your house operate as a multi-component system, where all the components interact. Because your house operates as a multi-component system – sometimes energy retrofits to one component of your home can affect other components of your home in unintended ways.
Before starting to improve the efficiency of your home with one retrofit, it is a good idea to get advice to ensure that your investment in home energy improvements meets your expectations and that you will not be causing new issues while resolving old ones. Planning your retrofits within a house-as-a-system approach will also allow you to create a long-term home energy improvement plan and will provide guidance on the recommended order in which to complete energy retrofits.
The Virtual Home Energy Check-Up asks for contextual information, such as how drafty your home is, in order to advise on what upgrade, or combination of upgrades, would be best suited to your home.
Example: Heat Pumps
A well installed high efficiency heat pump system can reduce dollars spent on utility bills, shrink your environmental footprint, keep fresh clean air circulating through your home while maintaining an even, comfortable temperature.
- House-As-A-System Considerations:
- Regardless of what type of heating system you are installing it is always best practice to consider how the efficiency of your home can be upgraded so you are using less energy and more cost effectively heating your home.
- Installing a high efficiency heat pump system in your home before addressing air leakage issues or upgrading your insulation may result in the installation of an oversized heating system that does not provide the energy savings or comfort you would expect from your investment in a new system.
What is the difference between a Virtual Home Energy Check-Up and an EnerGuide Home Evaluation?
The Virtual Home Energy Check-up is a free one-on-one conversation with an Energy Expert to assess what upgrades best suit your goals and priorities. The Virtual Home Energy Check-Up is not a replacement for an EnerGuide Home Evaluation.
An EnerGuide home evaluation is a comprehensive service designed by the federal government to help you improve the comfort and energy efficiency of your home. As part of the service, an energy advisor will come to your home and assess its energy performance. Energy advisors are building science professionals who will provide you with unbiased energy saving information, rather than selling any particular products or recommending particular contractors. Read more on Natural Resources Canada’s EnerGuide Home Evaluation info-graphic.
Certain rebate programs will require you to have an EnerGuide Home Evaluation prior to your upgrades.
How should I prepare for the Virtual Home Energy Check-Up?
The Virtual Home Energy Check-Up is a phone or video call conversation. You can prepare for it by:
- Ensuring you are available during the appointed time
- Consider preparing a list of questions related to the survey you submitted
- Consider having utility billing history available to reference for both electricity and natural gas bills
- Consider having the efficiency of your heating system on hand, it is located either in the user guide or the model number label
What rebates are available?
There are up to $11,000 in rebates available plus additional offers such as municipal top-ups. Conditions apply, see individual programs for details.
- CleanBC Better Homes and Home Renovation Rebate Program – up to $6,000
- Canada Greener Homes Grant – up to $5,000
- CleanBC Municipal Top-Ups – up to $2,000
- CleanBC Group Purchase Rebate – up to $500
Check with your municipality to see if there are special codes or top-ups available.
Where can I get more information about rebates or additional support?
For information about the Jump on a Heat Pump Program in your community, visit your municipal website:
For free support, rebates, and contractor search tools, visit CleanBC Better Homes:
- Rebate Search Tool – Province wide listing of rebates in your area
- Find a Contractor – Find a contractor that services your area
- Program Qualified Energy Advisor – Find an Energy Advisor that services your area
- Contact an Energy Coach – Ask questions about rebates
- Renovation Frequently Asked Questions
- Product and Upgrade Frequent Asked Questions