New Brunswick homeowners need efficient heating and cooling systems to live comfortably and affordably. Choosing to heat a home with a heat pump instead of oil can help a household save thousands of dollars on heating bills every year while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The Government of Canada has been helping Canadian homeowners take advantage of these benefits through the Oil to Heat Pump Affordability (OHPA) program, which significantly offsets the cost of switching to a heat pump.
Today, Jenica Atwin, Member of Parliament for Fredericton, on behalf of the federal Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, announced that NB Power will partner with the federal government to co-deliver the OHPA program in the province, making the shift to heat pumps even more affordable for New Brunswickers. Natural Resources Canada is investing $99.5 million in federal funding, and Environment and Climate Change Canada is also investing $23.8 million through the Low Carbon Economy Fund. MP Atwin was joined by René Legacy, New Brunswick Minister responsible for Energy and Lori Clark, President, CEO and Chief Nuclear Officer[Ll1] of NB Power.
Under the program, low- to median-income households in New Brunswick that heat their home with oil can apply through the NB Power website to receive coordinated grants from the Government of Canada and the Province of New Brunswick that fully cover the cost of the average oil to heat pump conversion.
With this announcement, New Brunswick becomes the fourth Atlantic province to sign on for OHPA co-delivery, working with the Government of Canada to deliver seamless program applications and additional heat pump funding to their residents. Eligible applicants in these jurisdictions are also provided with an upfront, one-time Canada Heat Pump Bonus cheque of $250 from the Government of Canada. With today's announcement, all Atlantic Canadians will now have access to this funding.
To complement this energy affordability announcement for Atlantic Canadians, the Government of Canada also announced today an investment of over $5.5 million toward public charging infrastructure that provides owners and drivers of electric vehicles with an affordable, convenient and quick way to fuel their cars. This funding will help install up to 42 chargers across New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.
Canadian governments are working together to reduce energy usage and bills, help residents maintain safe and comfortable indoor temperatures and reduce pollution from energy - all while creating well-paying jobs to satisfy the demand that is being created for home energy installations and retrofits. New Brunswickers stand to benefit greatly from this new round of federal-provincial collaboration.
