Heat pump installation
A heat pump moves heat rather than burning fuel. In winter it pulls heat from outside air into your house; in summer it runs in reverse and cools. One system, both jobs — which matters more in Vancouver every year.
Installed cost typically $12,000–$20,000 before rebates, which can be substantial.
Vancouver's climate is close to ideal for them: mild, wet winters where a heat pump operates efficiently, and increasingly warm summers where the cooling has stopped being a luxury.
Where a heat pump is the right call
Your furnace is at end of life anyway — the incremental cost over a new furnace is smaller than the standalone number suggests · You want cooling as well as heating · You're on electric baseboards, where the running-cost saving is dramatic · You have existing ductwork in reasonable condition · You have outdoor space for the unit and can live with the noise
Where it isn't, or isn't alone
Modern cold-climate heat pumps work well down to around -15°C to -25°C depending on the model, which covers Vancouver in almost every year. But:
In a poorly insulated house, a heat pump struggles where a furnace would brute-force through. Insulation first, sometimes.
If your electrical service is limited, a panel upgrade can add $2,000–$5,000.
If you want to keep gas as a backup for cold snaps and rate flexibility — that's dual-fuel, and it's often the better answer. Dual-fuel
No suitable outdoor location, or strata restrictions on exterior units in a condo.
Ducted or ductless
Ducted uses your existing ductwork — whole-home heating and cooling from one system, the natural replacement for a furnace. Ductless mini-splits use individual indoor heads, no ducts required. Right for homes with boilers or baseboards, additions, and zoned control. Mini-splits
The honest position on electrification
There's considerable pressure right now — from rebate programs and from contractors — to go fully electric. For many Vancouver homes that's genuinely the right move.
For some it isn't, or not yet. A poorly insulated house, a limited electrical service, or a household that wants gas backup for a cold snap may be better served by dual-fuel or by insulating first. We'll tell you which category you're in even when the bigger sale is the other one.
What it costs
Before rebates.
- Ducted heat pump, replacing a furnace
- $12,000–$20,000
- Ductless single-zone
- $4,500–$8,000
- Dual-fuel (heat pump + furnace)
- $14,000–$24,000
