The largest combined heat pump water heater rebate in BC is $16,500. It comes from the income-qualified CleanBC Energy Savings Program and goes to homes that replace oil, natural gas or propane heating with one heat pump system that heats both the house and the domestic hot water. In Greater Victoria there is no standard (non-income) combined rebate at all: the standard program's $7,000 combined offer is for northern BC only. This guide explains who gets what, and when two separate systems pay the same or better.
What is a combined space and water heat pump?
It is usually an air-to-water heat pump: an outdoor unit that heats water instead of blowing warm air. That water feeds your heating (radiators, in-floor tubing or a fan coil) and, through a tank or heat exchanger, your taps and showers. One machine replaces both a boiler or furnace and a hot water tank.
It suits a specific kind of Victoria house: an older home with an oil or gas boiler and hot-water radiators or in-floor heat, where tearing out the hydronic system for ductless heads would be a waste. For a house with ducts or no central system, an air-to-air heat pump plus a separate heat pump water heater is usually simpler. Our ducted vs ductless heat pump guide covers the air-to-air options.
How much is the combined heat pump rebate in BC?
These are the Energy Savings Program amounts for ground-oriented homes, invoices dated on or after July 6, 2026.
| Current space heating | Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oil | $16,500 | $11,500 | $7,000 |
| Natural gas or propane | $16,500 | $11,500 | $7,000 |
| Electric | $8,500 | Not offered | Not offered |
| Wood | $8,500 | $8,500 | Not offered |
Your level comes from household size and income. A family of four qualifies for Level 1 up to $94,900, Level 2 up to $118,600 and Level 3 up to $189,800; Level 3 is only for homes switching from oil, gas or propane. The full income table and property value caps are in our Energy Savings Program guide.
What about the standard program?
The standard Home Renovation Rebate Program has a combined space and water heat pump rebate of $7,000, but its requirements limit it to homes north of and including the District of 100 Mile House that are heated with gas, propane or oil. For an electrically heated home in Victoria, the standard program offers a space heating heat pump (up to $4,000 whole home, $1,500 partial) and, separately, a $1,000 heat pump water heater rebate if your water is heated with electricity. There is no combined line for Victoria in the standard program.
Combined system or two separate systems: which rebate is bigger?
The program allows one rebate payment for a primary heating system and one for a heat pump water heater. So on paper a household can compare a combined system with a separate air-source heat pump plus a heat pump water heater. Here is that comparison for an oil or gas home with a central ducted or 3-head system:
| Level | Combined space and water | Central or 3-head heat pump + heat pump water heater | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | $16,500 | $13,000 + $3,500 = $16,500 | Equal |
| Level 2 | $11,500 | $7,000 + $3,500 = $10,500 | Combined is $1,000 more |
| Level 3 | $7,000 | $3,500 + $3,500 = $7,000 | Equal |
The takeaway: the rebate rarely decides it. At Levels 1 and 3 the money is the same, so choose on the house. A combined system makes sense when you already have hydronic heat and want one outdoor unit. Separate systems make sense when you have ducts, want air conditioning in every room, or want the water heater in a different spot. Confirm with the program before you sign, because the comparison relies on reading the one-heating-plus-one-water-heater rule as allowing both payments for your project.
Add the electrical service upgrade rebate
Switching both heating and hot water to electricity adds load, and many older homes need a bigger service. For fossil fuel conversions the Energy Savings Program also pays an electrical service upgrade rebate of $5,000 (Level 1), $3,500 (Level 2) or $1,500 (Level 3), for an upgrade to 100, 200 or 400 amp service done within six months of the heat pump install. Electric-heated homes do not get it.
| Example: oil-heated home, combined system plus 200 A upgrade | Maximum rebates |
|---|---|
| Level 1 | $16,500 + $5,000 = $21,500 |
| Level 2 | $11,500 + $3,500 = $15,000 |
| Level 3 | $7,000 + $1,500 = $8,500 |
What equipment and removal rules apply?
- Efficiency: SEER 16.0 or higher and HSPF 10.0 or higher, or SEER2 15.2 and HSPF2 8.5 (Region IV), with an AHRI reference number.
- Listed product: the unit must be on the program's qualified heat pump product list.
- Whole house: it must heat all conditioned space.
- Remove the old system: all fossil fuel heating equipment, including piping, appliances, fuel containers, vents and related infrastructure, must be removed. For an oil home that includes the oil tank, so budget for oil tank removal.
- No fossil backup: fossil fuel backup systems are not eligible.
- Registered contractor: all upgrades must be installed by a program Registered Contractor, who also submits the rebate application within six months of the invoice date.
How to claim the combined rebate
- Confirm your level using household size, income and your home's assessed value.
- Pre-register with CleanBC Better Homes and get your eligibility code before any work starts. Codes issued on or after July 6, 2026 are valid for three months.
- Get quotes from registered contractors for both options: a combined air-to-water system and separate systems. Ask for the model numbers and AHRI references.
- If your panel is small, book the electrical service upgrade early; it involves BC Hydro and can be the slowest step.
- Install, remove the old fossil fuel equipment, and pay the balance. The contractor claims the rebate.
If you only want to replace a hot water tank, a heat pump water heater alone has its own, smaller water-heater-only rebate: $1,000 under the standard program for homes with electric water heating, or $3,500 under the Energy Savings Program for homes with oil or gas water heating. For the whole money picture, including property-tax financing in Saanich and Central Saanich, read how to pay for a heat pump in BC. When you are ready to compare a combined system with separate units for your house, ask for a written quote or browse our heat pump services.