Jana Elbrecht and Joanna Kyriazis: Despite its name, an air source heat pump actually works just like an A/C, but it’s reversible — so the pump you buy to stay cool could also cover your heating needs
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Extreme heat is making headlines this summer. July opened with cancelled Canada Day celebrations as humidex values hit the 40s (high risk). Now, much of Ontario is sweating under heat warnings as temperatures threaten to break municipal records.
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While British Columbians have been spared some of the worst heat so far, this summer’s “super El Niño” weather pattern could still deliver a hotter season.
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Generally summers are getting warmer, and dangerous heatwaves are becoming likelier. The deadly heat dome that struck B.C. in 2021 — like many regions once accustomed to a more stable climate — suggests that the province is ill-prepared for extreme heat. One need only look to the recent heatwave in France (where air conditioning is also not commonplace) and the thousands of reported excess deaths for a grim example of the importance of cooling.
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Nearly half of B.C. households (44 per cent) still don’t have access to cooling in their homes. As climate change drives up the mercury, more and more British Columbians are adding it to their homes and workplaces, with adoption more than doubling between 2013 and 2023. But many people making these upgrades are missing out on a huge opportunity.
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While central air conditioners can keep you comfortable in the hotter seasons, they have a twin technology that can both cool and heat your home — the heat pump. Despite its name, an air source heat pump actually works just like an A/C, but with the added bonus that it is reversible. That means a heat pump you purchase to stay cool could also cover your heating needs — a great two-for-one deal.
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A heat pump can work alongside your baseboards or furnace, or it can keep you warm all by itself, with cold climate models working efficiently to temperatures as low as minus-30. And because heat pumps are three to five times as efficient as legacy heating systems, this can save you significant money throughout the heating season. Recent modelling published by Clean Energy Canada shows that, on average, annual household energy bills with a cold climate air source heat pump would be $169 lower than with a natural gas furnace and A/C, and $849 lower than with electric baseboards and A/C. To lower the cost further, many British Columbians can access a rebate from the provincial government or B.C. Hydro toward the cost of buying a unit if it is also used for heating.
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Additionally, heat pump adoption could actually lead to grid-wide cost savings as the province builds out its electricity system. Currently, many B.C. households use less-efficient electric baseboards. As a result, Clean Energy Canada’s modelling shows a province-wide switch to heat pumps would save the equivalent of 80,000 households’ worth of electricity, while adding cooling for many homes.
