Heat Pumpers at the BC Legislature
The Heat Pump Team of Larry Whaley, Kathryn-Jane Hazel and Laurie Friskie, accompanied by Trent Whaley of Nanaimo Strong Towns and Lukas Whaley, Larry’s grandson, made their way to the BC Legislature bright and early the morning of Mar. 12th. Sheila Malcolmson, Nanaimo MLA, introduced us to the legislature during Question Period, and we all stood up and did the great reveal of our I Love Affordable Heat
Pumps t-shirts hidden beneath our jackets, while Bev Bailey, Minister for Jobs, Economic Development and Innovation, gave an enthusiastic fist-pump.After lunch we returned to the legislature and met Adam Walker, MLA for Parksville-Qualicum, where Laurie presented him with his own I Love Affordable Heat Pumps T-shirt, which he
promptly put on. Then we headed off to the meeting with Josie Osborne, Minister of Mines, Energy and Low Carbon Innovation.
Our 15 minutes with the minister was reduced to 10, but even in that short time, we made an impression. Laurie expressed appreciation for what Minister Osborne had done in keeping BC Hydro rates low, and what that had meant for her; Kathryn gave a brief description of NCAH and what it has done; and then talked about her own experience with the heat dome and getting a heat pump. Minister Osborne seemed genuinely moved when Kathryn described the hellish temperatures and the symptoms of heat exhaustion that she suffered during the heat dome.
Larry presented the petition asking for affordable heat pumps, which had 652 names, as well as numerous comments from those who signed, and explained our rationale for requesting transparent billing. It was clear to us from Minister Osborne’s response that she had been well-briefed on our concerns. She understood why we were asking for transparency in billing, and seemed supportive.
We concluded with a presentation of our now-famous I Love Affordable Heat Pumps T-shirt to the minister, and had photos taken. We may have only had a few minutes with the minister, but our planning had paid off, and we made an effective presentation in the time that was available to us.
Nanaimo Climate Action Hub 2024 BC Budget Submission
Nanaimo Climate Action Hub makes the following recommendation:
Take the excess profit out of heat pump installations, thereby making the CleanBC rebates more effective and saving money.
NCAH surveyed 227 Nanaimo and area residents:
-86.7% of respondents who do not have a heat pump in their home have considered one.
-50.4% of these say cost is the reason they do not have one.
-70% are aware of government rebates;
-According to survey respondents the average cost of installing a heat pump before February 2022 was $8,173.85, after February 2022 was $11,352.59 - a 39.18% increase.
Recommendation Explanation
Making heat pumps available to everyone will reduce energy consumption, combat climate change, and make homes more comfortable. Taking the excess profit out of the installation process will make this possible.
CleanBC’s supply and install requirements for rebates and the high demand for heat pumps, plus a shortage of approved installers, mean there is little incentive for companies to keep their prices affordable. Installers refuse to provide a detailed estimate when quoting on a heat pump installation. It is common to charge $8000 for a system that would cost $2000 or less at a home improvement store and takes one day to install - $6000 for one day's work.
Five ways to fix this:
1. Adopt the Prince Edward Island method. In PEI a qualified consumer who wishes to convert to a heat pump makes an application to the provincial government. The government assigns the job to a contractor. Once the job is done, the government pays the contractor.
2. Make it easy for nonprofits to adopt the Gabriola Island model. More than 950 not-for-profit heat pumps have been installed there in the past thirteen years. Encourage not-for-profit installers by giving them access to the CleanBC rebates. Use CleanBC staff to inspect the installation, if necessary, to ensure the work is done correctly.
3. Establish a Crown Corporation to obtain (or manufacture) and install heat pumps in homes throughout the province, or require BC Housing to establish a division to do this.
4. Eliminate the requirement in the current CleanBC heat pump process that a heat pump be supplied and installed by someone from an approved list of contractors.
5. Require installers to provide fully itemized estimates in order to obtain CleanBC rebates.