Heat pumps are hot in the Maritimes

The report examines the 'Maritimes anomaly,' where New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island have achieved significantly higher heat pump adoption rates than the rest of Canada. It attributes this success to a combination of high energy poverty, a moderate Atlantic climate, existing institutional commitments to energy efficiency, and aggressive financial incentives. The document highlights the importance of 'stacking' provincial and federal grants and warns against the rise of unreliable installers.

• The Maritime provinces have seen a rapid increase in heat pumps as a primary heating source, far exceeding the Canadian national average of 6%. As of 2021, adoption rates reached 32% in New Brunswick, 27% in Prince Edward Island, and 21% in Nova Scotia.
• Several regional factors made the Maritimes conducive to heat pump adoption: high levels of energy poverty (at least twice the Canadian average), a moderate climate due to the Atlantic Ocean, and the prevalence of easily replaceable heating systems like volatile heating oil in Nova Scotia and P.E.I. or electric baseboards in New Brunswick.
• The success of the rollout was supported by a pre-existing 'strong culture' of energy efficiency. All three provinces had established efficiency agencies or programs by 2010 (New Brunswick and P.E.I. in 2008, Nova Scotia in 2010), which created lasting relationships with contractors, utilities, and residents before heat pump-specific policies were implemented.
• Strong financial incentives were the primary catalysts for growth. These included utility rebates (such as NB Power's 2015 mini-split rebate), provincial grants, and the 'stacking' of these with federal programs like the Canada Greener Homes program (2020) and the Oil to Heat Pump Affordability (OHPA) program (2022).
• Effective implementation required combining financial incentives with energy audits and clear communication. Audits ensured systems were installed in suitable homes and paired with insulation, while clear communication helped residents understand the shift from semi-annual oil bills to monthly electricity bills.
• The rapid expansion led to several failures, most notably the emergence of 'fly-by-night' installers and administrative bottlenecks. In Prince Edward Island, changes to income thresholds for free systems created demand that overwhelmed the government's ability to respond, leaving thousands of applications waiting.

APA

Canadian Climate Institute (2023). Heat pumps are hot in the Maritimes. https://climateinstitute.ca/publications/heat-pumps-are-hot-in-the-maritimes/

Chicago

Canadian Climate Institute. Heat pumps are hot in the Maritimes. 2023. https://climateinstitute.ca/publications/heat-pumps-are-hot-in-the-maritimes/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Canadian Climate Institute |title=Heat pumps are hot in the Maritimes |date=14 April 2023 |url=https://climateinstitute.ca/publications/heat-pumps-are-hot-in-the-maritimes/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{canadianclimateinstitute2023heat, author = {{Canadian Climate Institute}}, title = {{Heat pumps are hot in the Maritimes}}, institution = {Canadian Climate Institute}, year = {2023}, month = apr, url = {https://climateinstitute.ca/publications/heat-pumps-are-hot-in-the-maritimes/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }