Lesson 1: There are multiple reasons to choose a heat pump, and multiple configurations to suit your home.
In summer 2024, Natasha and Cameron installed a new heat pump with a supplemental natural gas furnace in their 1970s home in Fernie, BC. They’d been in their home for nearly a decade and knew the old furnace was getting toward the end of its life. Three factors had them look to replace it with a heat pump:
- The 20-year old furnace was not very efficient. It would be really loud when it was blowing and would cycle frequently, providing inconsistent heat.
- They’d heard that generous rebates were available for purchasing heat pumps.
- They wanted to have air conditioning in the summer, and a heat pump can do both heating and cooling.
“It’s been getting hotter, but more importantly, with fire season, we want better air quality in the house. With forest fires, you can’t open the windows without letting in that thick, smoky air. So that was almost more of an incentive to have air conditioning than just the cooling itself.” —Natasha
While their home has a wood-burning fireplace, that alone wouldn’t heat the upper floor. With many other natural gas appliances, including the oven and on-demand hot water heater, Natasha and Cameron decided to include a supplemental furnace with the heat pump installation.
Lesson 2: A heat pump is well worth the investment, in savings and quality of life.
When Natasha and Cameron first moved into their home, they did some insulation work and replaced the majority of their windows with newer, energy-efficient models. Still, their home isn’t exactly a model for air tightness. Yet they are already seeing savings from just switching their heating equipment.
“We would say that the heat pump is certainly cheaper to run than our old gas furnace. The electricity bill is up, definitely due to the heat pump, but this is still less than the gas bill had been. So far this year, the heat pump has been running the majority of the time with it switching to gas very rarely.” —Natasha
Financial savings aren’t top of mind, though, for Natasha and Cameron. They’re really just enjoying the improved quality of life, with a quieter system that provides clean air in the summer and consistent heat throughout the winter. It’s even easier to use.
“You just set it and forget it! In the fall we switch it to heat and pick a temperature we want the house to stay at. And come spring, we’ll flip it to A/C and pick the temperature that we want the house to stay at. It’s a lot quieter, and it’s actually easier using a heat pump than the old furnace.” —Natasha
Lesson 3: An excellent contractor helps homeowners nail the rebates and get comfortable with their new equipment.
As a resident in rural BC, it can sometimes be difficult to find a qualified contractor with availability. Natasha and Cameron drew up a list of requirements and were still able to find a Cranbrook-based contractor that met their needs—and indeed, exceeded their expectations.
“I think it maybe it cost a little bit more to go with High Point Plumbing, but the service was really good. It’s hard to get contractors to come out to the Elk Valley and who care and are doing the right things.” —Natasha
The contractor helped them understand their options and provided a lot of information to make an informed decision. And as a member of the Home Performance Contractor Network, High Point Plumbing knew what was required to access rebates through CleanBC and Canada Greener Homes. They actually realized part way through the project that one of the parts they’d ordered wouldn’t qualify for a rebates, so they immediately switched it out for a qualifying component.
Once the heat pump was all ready to go, the installer took the time to show Natasha and Cameron how to properly use the new equipment. This can make a big difference for achieving energy savings and homeowner satisfaction with a home energy retrofit.
“The installer communicated really well so that we understood what we were getting and how it was going to work and how to use it. He must have stood with us for an hour on the last day and just went over everything. He took time to make sure we were comfortable and knew how to operate the smart thermostat.” —Natasha
Retrofit Stats
- Owners: Natasha del Bosco and Cameron Griffin, owners since 2013.
- About the home: Two-storey traditional home built in 1978 in the post-war Mountview neighbourhood in Fernie, BC.
- Dual-Fuel Heat Pump: AirEase air-source heat pump and 97% AFUE gas furnace back-up
- Other heat sources and appliances: wood-burning fireplace in the living room, gas fireplace in office, gas on-demand hot water heater.
- Rebates: CleanBC $3,000 and Canada Greener Homes $4,000
