VANCOUVER — A new Clean Energy Canada report finds that while B.C. faces a triple threat—more extreme heat days, energy bills contributing to affordability concerns, and worsening climate impacts—there is one simple solution that has the potential to ease all three: the humble heat pump.
The report, More for Less, draws on independent modelling from McDiarmid Climate Consulting and finds that a provincewide switch to heat pumps for space heating and cooling—paired with a mix of electrified water heating technologies—would slash British Columbians’ collective electricity bills by $675 million a year. For individual households, this translates to savings of about $358 a year for those currently on natural gas heating with standalone air conditioning, and $1,039 a year for those currently on electric resistance heating with standalone air conditioning.
Crucially, More for Less finds that despite expanding cooling to all B.C. homes, overall electricity usage from residential heating and cooling in the province would actually fall, as heat pumps replace inefficient electric baseboards and avoid loads from new standalone air conditioners. The switch would also lower emissions by 3.5 megatonnes CO₂e annually—equivalent to taking more than 800,000 gas-powered cars off the road, or roughly 6% of B.C.’s total annual emissions.
The modelling considered B.C.’s various climate zones and residential building types and used a mix of heat pump systems for space heating and cooling, alongside both heat pump and electric resistance water heaters. Results were weighted by population and climate zone to reflect real-world conditions.
The report warns that while the opportunity is clear, realizing it requires a provincial plan. Without one, lower-income residents, renters, and households facing more barriers to adoption risk being left behind—and getting stuck with higher energy bills over the long term as gas utilities serve a shrinking customer base.
To address this, the authors propose CoolBC, a six-pillar action plan to unlock affordability, advance climate action, and future-proof B.C.’s energy system. Its key pillars:
- Remove upfront cost barriers so low- and middle-income households can adopt heat pumps.
- Ensure new homes are built energy-efficient and electrified where possible to avoid locking in expensive, outdated systems.
- Make heat pumps the default replacement for both heating and cooling systems.
- Improve consumer confidence and workforce readiness through public awareness campaigns and training for HVAC professionals.
- Protect vulnerable residents from exposure to extreme heat by expanding access to reliable, efficient cooling.
- Require utilities to plan for an electrified future to avoid unnecessary infrastructure costs.
With a coordinated effort to empower this switch, the province can leverage the transformative power of clean technologies to deliver lasting affordability, comfort, and climate resilience for all British Columbians.
RESOURCES
Report | More for Less