By admin 
Seniors on a budget are excited about purchasing heat pumps through the BC Hydro program
Sue and Rick Ring spent the summer of 2023 trying to cool their modular home in Qualicum with portable air conditioners set up in several rooms. Meanwhile, in Saanich, where record temperatures were already being reached in May that year, Margaret Martin braved the heat by taking cold showers and fleeing to the mall.
“It felt really dangerous in these mobile units,” Martin recalls. “It’s like I’m living in a tin can, so I was just trying to find shade or go to a mall for the air conditioning. It is quite dangerous for the elderly.”
In a dramatic twist, the Rings and Martin are now fully prepared for our increasingly hot summers. Both of their homes are equipped with free heat pumps – thanks to a BC Hydro program aimed at helping income-qualified households with energy efficiency improvements – providing energy savings and year-round comfort, including air conditioning.
“We had a lot of fun this summer,” said Sue Ring. “Last year we had portable air conditioning throughout the house, and it was a real challenge to keep everything cool.”
Martin now brands himself as an unofficial ambassador for the manufactured home heat pump program.
“I’m jealous of the caravan park,” she says. “Everyone asks me where I got it.”
Program is designed to help mobile home owners with an ‘energy disadvantage’
A 2021 BC Hydro report found that most retirement-age British Columbians living in manufactured homes are at an energy disadvantage compared to other homes, with higher costs and inconveniences that can pose health risks. Data shows that manufactured homes use an average of 50% more electricity per square foot than the average single-family home.
Although 75% of homeowners surveyed said they were interested in saving energy and money, many were concerned about the cost of making these changes or didn’t know where to start. We have heat pump discounts up to € 2,000. But for those who qualify based on income, the Energy Conservation Assistance Program (ECAP) offers everything from free energy savings packages to free products, installations and energy coaching.
Manufactured homeowners living there BC climate zones 4 and 5in homes that are electrically heated, you can request a free heat pump.
“I filled out all the application forms, sent in the details and cross-checked them,” says Martin. “And then I won the lottery – the BC Hydro lottery. I’d like to thank BC Hydro for this opportunity – it’s amazing. I still can’t believe it happened.”
After the heat pump installation last fall, her first winter bill was 38% lower than the year before. Despite another hot summer in which she used the new heat pump to cool her home, her electricity bill savings are down 29% compared to her first year with the heat pump.
Martin also joined Team Power Smart and started a 10% reduction challenge during last winter’s Double Reward offer (which is back again this year), so she’s in line to receive a $100 reward instead of the usual $50 for reducing her electricity consumption by 10% or more.
Owners report ease of installation and comfort even when it is cold in winter
It was a windy and rainy day in December when Qualicum contractor CLEAResult arrived at Sue and Rick Ring’s home to install the heat pump.
The Rings’ 1,500-square-foot, three-bedroom home was built in 2004 and heated by the combination of an electric furnace and an electric fireplace. They had heard that heat pumps were great, but weren’t sure they were up to the challenge of the coldest winter days. But they were convinced when temperatures reached record lows of -10°C and colder in mid-January 2024, and they were warm and comfortable.
“The heat pump worked very well,” says Ring. “We have an electric oven, and when it got really cold it would come on, but maybe only once or twice at that time. We use the furnace as a backup because we had heard that heat pumps didn’t work when it got too cold, but this one seemed to work perfectly.”
Their favorite things about the heat pump? It “looks nice, works great and is quiet.” And the couple’s electric bills are lower.
“We have an equal payments program and we just heard from BC Hydro that our monthly payment amount is going to be reduced again,” said Sue Ring, who is spreading the word about the program to other family members in manufactured homes.
“I told my daughter and her husband about (the program),” Ring said. “BC Hydro just came out and put insulation in their roof and delivered a really nice little air conditioner for them. And it’s the same with my sister. They gave her a small air conditioner and helped them upgrade their homes, test for air leaks and make it more comfortable.”
Learn more about the Energy Conservation Assistance Program, including free heat pump and insulation offers for manufactured homes
Related:
Home energy efficiency programs and information
Residential discounts and free programs
Discounts for energy-efficient products
Discounts for home renovation
Free portable air conditioners