October 8, 2026 (Peterborough, ON) — Heat Pumps are the fastest-growing technology for home heating and cooling in Canada. This technology can help homeowners save money, reduce fossil fuel use, and increase resilience to extreme weather events.

Examples:

• Diana in Kingston, ON, switched her home to a heat pump in 2022 and saved 84 per cent in energy use. Learn more.
• Raghu and Veronica switched their west-Toronto century home to a heat pump in 2022 and saved over $1,800 in energy costs per year. Learn more.
• Sian and Angus switched to a heat pump and retrofitted their bungalow in Collingwood, ON, achieved 61 per cent energy savings. Learn more.

But homeowners have questions about heat pumps:

• Will a heat pump work in cold weather? Will it keep me warm in January in Ontario?
  • Yes. Today’s cold-climate heat pumps are specially designed to keep homes warm in cold weather even at minus twenty degrees Celsius or lower.
• Can a heat pump provide both heating and cooling?
  • Yes, a heat pump works in the same way an air conditioner or freezer works. The bonus is that a heat pump can switch directions depending on the season to either pump heat in or out of your house.
• What will a heat pump cost and how can I get help to cover that cost?
  • Heat pumps range in price from around $6,000 for a single ductless unit to $15,000 or more for a cold climate ducted unit. A Registered Energy Advisor can help find low-interest loans and rebate programs you may qualify for.
• How do I make sure I get a heat pump that’s right for my home?
  • Qualified Registered Energy Advisors can help. They are focused on home comfort and energy savings, and finding you the most rebates, not selling you products. Green Communities Canada also offers a heat-pump right-sizing service as part of our Home Energy Assessments.
• What will the heating and cooling feel and sound like?
  • Heat pumps tend to be quieter than most air conditioners and gas furnaces. The heating and cooling feel comfortable and consistent. Unlike the on/off cycles of fossil gas furnaces, heat pumps maintain the set indoor temperature with constant and consistent heating and cooling.  
• Can I hear from other homeowners who have gone through this?
  • Yes, case studies from homeowners across Canada are available here. Heat Pump Week events also feature homeowner experiences and recordings of past events are available also.
• Furnaces often die in the middle of winter. How can I be prepared to switch to a heat pump when it’s minus 20 degrees outside?
  • If your furnace or air conditioner is nearing end of life, it’s time to make a plan. A Registered Energy Advisor can assess your home’s needs and help you make a retrofit plan in order to avoid locking into a gas furnace for another 10 to 20 years.

Registered Energy Advisors are trained and registered through Natural Resources Canada’s EnerGuide program. They don’t sell equipment or earn commission, so their only job is to look at your home and recommend what will work best for it, including the right size of heat pump and the rebates you qualify for. Homeowners can book a Home Energy Assessment, which includes the Heat Pump Right-sizing Service, for about $625. Homeowners in Ontario can find an Energy Advisor in their area here.

“Homeowners should know heat pumps have big benefits. They can cut through the myths with independent advice from qualified Energy Advisors they can trust,” explained Clara Blakelock, manager of the EnerGuide Service Organization with Green Communities Canada. “Replacing home heating and cooling appliances is a choice that sticks with you for decades. Navigating the costs, the process, the rebate programs, and dealing with contractors – add in unfamiliar technology like heat pumps and it can feel paralyzing. Heat Pump Week is a chance to connect homeowners with the support they need to make an informed choice that’s right for them and their home.”

“Green Communities Canada is the longest-serving licensed EnerGuide Rating provider in Canada,” continued Blakelock. “We’ve been doing this for over 30 years and we aren’t here to sell homeowners appliances or other products. Many of our advisors work for non-profit charities. We want to help homeowners make an informed decision that suits the unique energy needs of their home.”

Heat Pump Week features free resources as well as free online and in-person events that connect homeowners across Ontario with locally-based Energy Advisors.

Events and Recordings:

• Heat Pumps 101 – Tuesday, Oct. 13, 12-1 p.m. (online, free) – Details.
• Heat Pumps in your Neighbourhood – Wednesday, Oct. 14, 12-1 p.m. (online, free) – Details
• Funding Your Heat Pump – Thursday, Oct. 15, 12-1 p.m. (online, free) – Details
• Free Heat Pump Contractor Meet & Greet – Friday, Oct.16, 4-6 p.m. in-person at the GreenUP office (378 Aylmer St N, Peterborough) – Details
• Exploring the Advantages of Heat Pumps –Webinar recording from Durham Greener Homes and Windfall Centre – Watch here
• Let’s Talk about Heat Pumps – Webinar recording from Reep Green Solutions – Watch here
• A Buyer’s Guide to Heat Pumps with Jim Feilders –  Webinar recording from Green Venture Hamilton – Watch here

Up-to-date information about Heat Pump Week events and resources – including stories from other homeowners – is available here: greencommunitiescanada.org/heat-pump-week.

Heat pumps play a crucial role in both cutting fossil fuels and improving resilience in the face of extreme weather. Canada is moving towards net zero emissions by 2050. Communities across the country must also build resilience in the face of a climate that is already changing with more frequent and severe weather events. The building sector as a whole is responsible for roughly 18 per cent of Canada’s fossil fuel emissions, and heating accounts for more than half of that.

For media inquiries, please contact:

Leif Einarson

Manager, Communications

705.745.7479 extension 1017 

leinarson@greencommunitiescanada.org

About Green Communities Canada

Green Communities Canada (GCC) has been leading community-based climate action since 1995. With over 100 member and partner organizations located across Canada, GCC shares resources, co-creates programming, and advances transformative and equitable change. As a national non-profit charity, organization, GCC’s goal is to support and sustain grassroots community-based action. GCC does this by acting as a network, funder, backbone, and accelerator. As the longest-serving licensed EnerGuide Rating provider in Canada, Green Communities Canada (GCC) has been a trusted source of advice and advocacy for home energy solutions for over 30 years. GCC is a non-profit charity and does not sell renovations or home heating or cooling appliances. GCC’s energy advisors are based in communities across Ontario and many of them work for locally-based non-profit charities.