Manitoba offers up new incentives to shift to heat pumps, ditches election promise

CBC News

· Posted: Jun 24, 2025 2:32 PM EDT | Last Updated: 3 hours ago

The Manitoba authorities wants homeowners to upgrade their heating and cooling systems to a geothermal pump it says could prevention them up to $1,000 annually connected their bills.

Just however overmuch they person to wage to get the vigor pump strategy installed, though, depends connected which incentive offer they suffice for.

The eligibility requirements and incentives are based connected a homeowner's existent heating substance type, the suitability of a ground-source heat pump successful agrarian and metropolis settings and, in immoderate cases, on household income:

• Income-based offers.
• First Nation communities.
• Homeowners.
• Homeowners with lipid heating systems.
• Multi-unit residential buildings.

"We cognize that this a large displacement from accepted heating systems and that's wherefore we're backing this program with immoderate of the astir generous fiscal supports Efficiency Manitoba has ever offered," said Environment and Climate Change Minister Mike Moyes at the motorboat connected Tuesday of the province's affordable location vigor program.

The outgo of each installation volition alteration due to the fact that of the divers eligibility requirements, said Colleen Kuruluk, CEO of Efficiency Manitoba.

"When designing our offers, we admit that each household is antithetic and the needs of Manitobans are surely unique. This ranges from the size of the location to the fig of occupants to their income and quality to put successful vigor efficiency," she said.

However, she estimates 60 to 75 per cent of the outgo of the installation volition beryllium covered by the incentive. The remaining 25 to 40 per cent volition beryllium covered by the homeowner but paid backmost gradually arsenic it is added to the monthly heating bill. 

The repayment volition beryllium meted retired truthful it is little than a person's erstwhile vigor bill, truthful the savings from shifting to the caller strategy volition beryllium realized immediately, Kuruluk said.

Efficiency Manitoba expects to walk astir $10 cardinal annually connected the program, though Kuruluk admitted it could beryllium more, depending connected the effect from the public.

And each power to a ground-source vigor pump is bully for Manitoba Hydro arsenic it reduces the request for electricity, she said.

A ground-source vigor pump moves vigor alternatively than generating it. It extracts vigor from the crushed (even successful acold temperatures) and transfers it indoors for heating, and past reverses that process to chill a home.

NDP alters predetermination promise

During the 2023 predetermination campaign, the NDP promised to afloat screen the disbursal of the vigor pump instrumentality and installation for 5,000 homes implicit 4 years.

Under the revised program, radical won't request to wage immoderate upfront costs for the installation — the contractor is paid straight by Efficiency Manitoba — but determination is that remaining 25 to 40 per cent that volition person to gradually beryllium paid back.

Asked astir the change, Moyes repeatedly insisted the caller programme is "by acold the astir generous connection that has ever been enactment guardant by the Manitoba government."

He wouldn't springiness a timeline for completing 5,000 installations, saying it depends connected the uptake by Manitobans.

Progressive Conservative situation professional Greg Nesbitt said successful a connection Tuesday's announcement is "yet different illustration successful a agelong database of breached NDP run promises."

The NDP pledged free vigor pumps to 5,000 homeowners, helium said, but now, "it's nary longer free — it's added onto your monthly hydro measure aft the fact." 

Kuruluk, however, called the caller program "a important enhancement" implicit the assistance programme that was successful place.

In immoderate instances, specified arsenic in First Nation communities, the outgo to the homeowner could beryllium zero. Kuruluk said Efficiency Manitoba is moving with an Indigenous-led superior money that is, successful turn, moving with investors to screen the expense.

Other incentives are designed to enactment retrofits successful multi-unit residential buildings.

"By helping Manitobans power to vigor pump systems, we are reducing household vigor bills, reducing highest vigor demands, reducing emissions and creating caller opportunities for skilled workers," Moyes said, noting heat pumps usage little than fractional the energy of that required by a emblematic electrical furnace successful Manitoba.

The caller programme is portion of Manitoba's overall affordable vigor plan announced successful September 2024, helium said.