Barrie, ON — Installation costs for electric heat pumps will be reduced for a small city in Ontario under a new incentive program. The program comes as part of the Clean Home Heating initiative, which recently received an investment of $8.2 million, and will aid households in Barrie with up to $4,500.
The initiative was first developed in 2022 and provided hybrid heating incentives to residential customers in London, St. Catherines, Peterborough, and Sault Ste. Marie.
“Switching to hybrid heating could save customers up to $280 every year on their energy bills, while cutting their emissions by a third, thanks to Ontario’s clean electricity grid. Our government is excited to provide this opportunity to homeowners in Barrie as we continue to deliver more ways for families to take control of their energy bills and keep costs down,” said Todd Smith, minister of energy.
Through the initiative, participating households will receive incentives of $4,500 for installing cold-climate air-source heat pumps and $3,000 for installing standard air-source heat pumps.
The program will encourage families to utilize a dual-fuel heating system, as a hybrid heating system automatically switches between the heat pump and a home’s existing natural gas furnace, depending on weather and which heating source is least expensive.
It is estimated that there are over 1,500 eligible households through the program.