BC Hydro and CleanBC Heat Pump Rebates in 2026: What a New Custom Home Actually Qualifies For

A homeowner asked us this week whether their new Burnaby custom home would qualify for the BC Hydro heat pump rebate they'd seen advertised. It won't, and neither will it qualify for CleanBC's. Both programs exclude new construction directly on their own eligibility pages, as a permanent rule of the program design.

Every heating contractor in the Lower Mainland is currently running some version of "up to $13,000 in heat pump rebates" as ad copy. None of them mention, prominently, that the number is built for someone tearing a gas furnace out of a house built in 2004. If you're framing a new house in Burnaby in 2026, the rebate math is a different conversation, and the equipment isn't optional the way it is for a retrofit.

We pulled the current figures straight from BC Hydro's own program page and Better Homes BC's CleanBC pages, not from a contractor's landing page. Here's what they actually say, and what applies to a new build instead.

The rule that excludes a new build, in the program's own words

BC Hydro's eligibility page states plainly that "new homes built within the last 12 months" are not eligible for the Home Renovation Rebate Program. CleanBC's Energy Savings Program goes a step further: its own requirements page excludes "newly constructed homes less than twelve (12) months old" and separately excludes any home that required a "New Construction" building permit at all, distinct from a renovation or alteration permit.

That second exclusion is the one that matters for a custom home client, because it attaches to the permit type rather than to the building's age. If your permit was a new-construction permit, the CleanBC Energy Savings Program treats the project as out of scope permanently, and waiting out the twelve months changes nothing.

Both programs exist to solve a specific problem: an existing house, built years ago, still running an old gas furnace or an inefficient electric baseboard system, that needs help paying for the switch. A new home doesn't have that furnace to remove, so there's no retrofit for the rebate to fund.

What BC Hydro's program actually pays, for a retrofit

For a homeowner who does qualify, meaning an existing home at least 12 months old with a current BC Hydro or municipal utility account, the BC Hydro Home Renovation Rebate Program currently lists:

• Up to $4,000 for replacing a whole-home electric heating system with a qualifying heat pump
• $1,500 for a partial-home heat pump upgrade
• A limited-time bonus of up to $1,000 for installations completed and paid for between August 1 and October 31, 2026, with the rebate application submitted by November 30, 2026
• An additional bonus of up to $2,000 available if more than one eligible upgrade is completed in the same home

The heat pump itself has to clear a minimum efficiency bar, HSPF (Region IV) of 10 or higher with a SEER of 16 or higher, or the newer HSPF2/SEER2 equivalents, and it has to go in through a Home Performance Contractor Network (HPCN) member. Skip the HPCN requirement and the rebate doesn't pay out, regardless of how well the equipment performs.

We're stating those numbers as they read on BC Hydro's page as of September 6, 2026. Rebate programs get adjusted without much notice, so check the current page yourself before an existing-home client relies on a specific figure.

What CleanBC pays, and why there are two different programs

CleanBC runs heat pump rebates through two separate tracks on the Better Homes BC site, and clients regularly mix them up.

The standard Home Renovation Rebate Program is open to households of any income level and currently lists up to $4,000 for an electricity-heated home switching to a heat pump, and up to $6,000 or $8,000 for homes north of, and including, 100 Mile House switching from oil or from natural gas and propane respectively. The home has to be a year-round primary residence at least 12 months old, with a residential utility account in the applicant's name, not a strata corporation's or a landlord's.

The income-qualified Energy Savings Program pays more, up to $13,000 for a heat pump in a ground-oriented home, up to $3,500 for a heat pump water heater, and up to $5,000 for a heat pump in a multi-unit building, but only for households under specific pre-tax income thresholds that scale with household size. A single person qualifies for the top tier at combined income under $102,100; a household of four qualifies under $189,800. The full table is published on the program's page and is worth reading in full rather than trusting a rounded summary, since the tier boundaries decide which of the three payment levels a household lands in.

Both CleanBC tracks require installation by a Registered Contractor under the program's own contractor terms, a separate registration from BC Hydro's HPCN list, so confirm which registration a contractor actually holds before assuming either rebate applies.

Layering the two systems is possible for a qualifying retrofit: a BC Hydro customer on electric heat who also qualifies for a CleanBC track can potentially claim both rebates on the same installation, since they're administered by different programs with different eligibility tests. That stacking question is specific enough to each household's utility account and income situation that it's worth a direct call to an Energy Coach through Better Homes BC rather than assuming based on this post.

Burnaby's code puts the heat pump in a new home. The rebate pays for the same equipment in a house built decades before the Step Code existed, where somebody still has to be persuaded to make the switch.

Icon Projects Team

Why the heat pump shows up in a new Burnaby build anyway

A heat pump still goes into a new custom home here. The reason is the permit rather than the rebate.

Burnaby's current code requires Step 3 of the BC Energy Step Code plus EL-4 of the Zero Carbon Step Code for every new home permitted in the city. EL-4 effectively rules out fossil-fuel space and water heating equipment, which makes a cold-climate air-source heat pump the practical way to clear the requirement without specifying something exotic. We wrote the full mechanical breakdown, sizing, ducted versus wall-mounted heads, and the HRV that has to run alongside it, in a separate post.

The heat pump is already in the mechanical scope because the permit requires it. The rebate conversation that BC Hydro and CleanBC are running is aimed at a different owner entirely: the one down the street with a twenty-year-old gas furnace, who has to be persuaded and paid to make the switch.

For anyone building past the Step 3 minimum, the same Step Code framework that makes the heat pump close to mandatory today is where Step 5 and the airtightness targets are headed for every new home in the province.

What this means if you're renovating instead of building new

Some clients come to us with a whole-home renovation on an older Burnaby or Vancouver house rather than a ground-up custom build. That project is a different eligibility conversation entirely, because a renovation permit is not a new-construction permit, and the house is well past the 12-month threshold both programs use as a cutoff. If that's your project, the retrofit rebate figures above are worth checking against your specific address and income situation, and a conversation with an Energy Coach through Better Homes BC before your contractor locks in equipment.

If you're planning a new custom home in Burnaby, Vancouver, or Coquitlam and want to understand what the mechanical scope actually requires before you're deep into drawings, reach out. We'll walk through what's code-required versus what's a genuine upgrade choice, without pointing you at a rebate program that was never going to apply.

Frequently asked questions

Does a new custom home in Burnaby qualify for the BC Hydro heat pump rebate? No. BC Hydro's published eligibility rules for the Home Renovation Rebate Program exclude new homes built within the last 12 months. The rebate exists to help someone replace an existing heating system, not to fund equipment in a house under construction. A Burnaby custom home installs its heat pump as part of new construction, so it falls outside this program by design.

Does CleanBC's heat pump rebate apply to new construction? No. The CleanBC Better Homes Energy Savings Program requirements explicitly exclude newly constructed homes less than twelve months old, and separately exclude any home that required a New Construction building permit. The program states this directly on its own eligibility page. CleanBC's heat pump money is aimed at retrofits of existing housing stock, not new-build mechanical systems.

How much is the current BC Hydro heat pump rebate for an existing home? As of September 2026, BC Hydro's Home Renovation Rebate Program lists up to $4,000 for replacing a whole-home electric heating system with a heat pump, or $1,500 for a partial-home upgrade. A limited-time bonus of up to $1,000 applies to installations completed and paid for between August 1 and October 31, 2026, with the application submitted by November 30, 2026. These figures apply to retrofits of existing homes, not new construction, and can change, so confirm the current number on BC Hydro's page before relying on it.

How much is the current CleanBC heat pump rebate? CleanBC runs two different heat pump programs with different amounts. The standard Home Renovation Rebate Program lists up to $4,000 for an electricity-heated home switching to a heat pump, or up to $8,000 for a northern home switching from natural gas or propane. The income-qualified Energy Savings Program lists up to $13,000 for a ground-oriented home, with the exact figure set by household size and income level. Both programs exclude new construction.

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Related on the Journal

• Heat pumps and HRV in a Burnaby custom home
• The BC Energy Step Code, explained for homeowners
• The Zero Carbon Step Code and your custom home

Frequently asked questions

Does a new custom home in Burnaby qualify for the BC Hydro heat pump rebate?

No. BC Hydro's published eligibility rules for the Home Renovation Rebate Program exclude new homes built within the last 12 months. The rebate exists to help someone replace an existing heating system, not to fund equipment in a house under construction. A Burnaby custom home installs its heat pump as part of new construction, so it falls outside this program by design.

Does CleanBC's heat pump rebate apply to new construction?

No. The CleanBC Better Homes Energy Savings Program requirements explicitly exclude newly constructed homes less than twelve months old, and separately exclude any home that required a New Construction building permit. The program states this directly on its own eligibility page. CleanBC's heat pump money is aimed at retrofits of existing housing stock, not new-build mechanical systems.

How much is the current BC Hydro heat pump rebate for an existing home?

As of September 2026, BC Hydro's Home Renovation Rebate Program lists up to $4,000 for replacing a whole-home electric heating system with a heat pump, or $1,500 for a partial-home upgrade. A limited-time bonus of up to $1,000 applies to installations completed and paid for between August 1 and October 31, 2026, with the application submitted by November 30, 2026. These figures apply to retrofits of existing homes, not new construction, and can change, so confirm the current number on BC Hydro's page before relying on it.

How much is the current CleanBC heat pump rebate?

CleanBC runs two different heat pump programs with different amounts, both published on the Better Homes BC site. The standard Home Renovation Rebate Program lists up to $4,000 for an electricity-heated home switching to a heat pump, or up to $8,000 for a northern home switching from natural gas or propane. The income-qualified Energy Savings Program lists up to $13,000 for a ground-oriented home, with the exact figure set by household size and income level. Both programs exclude new construction.

Why do BC Hydro and CleanBC exclude new construction from their heat pump rebates?

Both programs are structured to reduce emissions and electricity demand from the existing housing stock, which is where most fossil-fuel heating equipment still operates. A new home built to Burnaby's current code doesn't have a gas furnace to remove in the first place, so there is no retrofit for the rebate to fund. Each program solves a different problem: getting a heat pump into a house that does not already have one, in a city full of houses built decades before the Step Code existed.

If a new Burnaby custom home can't get the rebate, does it still need a heat pump?

Yes, in practice. Burnaby requires Step 3 of the BC Energy Step Code plus EL-4 of the Zero Carbon Step Code for new homes, and EL-4 effectively rules out fossil-fuel space and water heating. A cold-climate heat pump is the practical way to meet that requirement without exotic equipment, which makes it close to the only route to a permit in Burnaby today.

Can a homeowner get any rebate on equipment for a brand-new home?

Not from the BC Hydro or CleanBC heat pump programs covered here, since both exclude new construction on their own eligibility pages. Other credits and programs exist for renewable energy equipment, solar, batteries, and EV charging infrastructure, with their own separate eligibility rules, and those change independently of the heat pump programs. Confirm any program's current terms directly on its own official page before assuming it applies to a new build.

Who has to install the heat pump for a rebate to apply, on the retrofit side?

BC Hydro's program requires installation by a Home Performance Contractor Network (HPCN) member, stated on BC Hydro's own program page. CleanBC's Energy Savings Program requires installation by a Registered Contractor under its own contractor terms and conditions, stated on the Better Homes BC eligibility page. Neither program pays out on equipment installed by an unregistered installer, regardless of how correctly the work is done, so confirm registration status before signing a retrofit contract.

Where can I check the current rebate amounts myself before relying on them?

Go directly to BC Hydro's heat pump rebate page and the Better Homes BC Energy Savings Program and Home Renovation Rebate Program pages. Rebate amounts, deadlines, and income tiers change without notice on both programs, so a number quoted by a contractor's website or an older blog post is not a substitute for the current official page at the time you apply.