Heat pump cost · Canada · 2026

How much does a heat pump cost in Canada? (2026)

A ducted cold-climate heat pump costs $12,000–$19,000 installed in a typical 2,000–2,500 sq ft Canadian home, and a single ductless head $4,000–$8,500. A gas-heated Ontario home switching to dual-fuel pays about $4,500–$8,500 after its rebate. Home size, the system chosen and the province's rebates set the final figure.

By Locally Visible · Data last verified 2026-10-09 · How these numbers are built

Heat pump cost calculator

Choose a province, home size, system and current heating. The estimate updates as you go and uses the same data as the tables on this page.

System
Current heating
Is your electrical panel 100A or smaller?

Estimated installed cost

$6,000–$10,000

  • Dual-fuel (heat pump + existing furnace): equipment and labour$6,000–$10,000

Possible extras, not included above: $3,500–$7,500

  • Electrical panel upgrade to 200A$2,000–$4,000
  • Ductwork modifications$1,500–$3,500

Grants and rebates

Separately, the federal National Heat Pump Rebate will add up to $10,000 for households below the median income, or $2,000 for others. It opens in early 2027 and covers eligible installs from November 1, 2026. Not included above.

Estimated cost after grants and rebates

$4,500–$8,500

Estimate only, based on data last verified 2026-10-09. Get two or three itemized written quotes before deciding.

Heat pump cost in Ontario

A ducted cold-climate heat pump costs $12,000–$19,000 installed in a typical 2,000–2,500 sq ft Ontario home, and a single ductless head $4,000–$8,500, before rebates.

No source publishes a price specific to Ontario, so these are the national ranges. The rebate is what differs. For one example, a gas-heated 2,000–2,500 sq ft home switching to dual-fuel (a heat pump with your furnace kept as backup) costs $6,000–$10,000 installed and about $4,500–$8,500 after $1,500 in rebates.

Ontario heat pump cost: after rebates, by home size, and what it costs to run →

Ontario heat pump rebates: each program and how to apply →

Heat pump rebates and installation in Ontario →

Heat pump cost in Nova Scotia

A single ductless head costs $4,000–$8,500 installed in Nova Scotia, and a ducted cold-climate system $12,000–$19,000 in a typical 2,000–2,500 sq ft home, before rebates.

No source publishes a price specific to Nova Scotia, so these are the national ranges. The rebate is what differs. For one example, an oil-heated 1,500–2,000 sq ft home switching to multi-zone ductless costs $7,800–$15,200 installed and about $7,050–$14,450 after $750 in rebates.

Nova Scotia heat pump rebates: each program and how to apply →

Heat pump rebates and installation in Nova Scotia →

Heat pump cost by system type

A ducted system uses the existing forced-air ducts and heats the whole house. Ductless heads suit homes without ducts, additions and single rooms; a multi-zone system puts several heads on one outdoor unit to cover the whole home. Dual-fuel keeps the existing furnace as backup for the coldest days, which lets the heat pump be smaller and cheaper, while geothermal costs the most to install and the least to run.

SystemInstalled, 2,000–2,500 sq ft home
Ducted air-source (cold-climate) $12,000–$19,000
Ductless mini-split, single zone $4,000–$8,500
Ductless multi-zone $8,000–$15,000
Dual-fuel (heat pump + existing furnace) $6,000–$10,000
Geothermal (ground-source) $20,000–$40,000

Heat pump cost by home size and tonnage

Equipment is roughly half of an installed price and scales with capacity, while labour, line sets, electrical work and commissioning change little from one size to the next. That is why price rises more slowly than size: a home twice as large does not pay twice as much.

Heated floor areaTypical sizeDuctedDual-fuelMulti-zone ductless
Under 1,000 sq ft 1.5 tons $9,000–$14,300 $4,500–$7,500 $6,000–$11,300
1,000–1,500 sq ft 2 tons $9,800–$15,600 $4,900–$8,200 $6,600–$12,300
1,500–2,000 sq ft 2.5 tons $10,600–$16,700 $5,300–$8,800 $7,000–$13,200
2,000–2,500 sq ft 3 tons $12,000–$19,000 $6,000–$10,000 $8,000–$15,000
2,500–3,000 sq ft 3.5 tons $13,200–$20,900 $6,600–$11,000 $8,800–$16,500
Over 3,000 sq ft 4+ tons $14,400–$22,800 $7,200–$12,000 $9,600–$18,000

Tonnage is a rule of thumb for an average Canadian home. A Manual J load calculation sets the real size; see the sizing guide.

Heat pump cost by province

No published source supports a province-specific installed price, so the ranges below are the national figures in every province. Local contractor guides do quote different numbers, but none gives a sourced provincial factor. What does differ by province is the rebate, shown in the last column at its largest value for a household at market income.

ProvinceDuctedDuctless single-zoneMax grants + rebates
Ontario $12,000–$19,000 $4,000–$8,500 $8,000
British Columbia $12,000–$19,000 $4,000–$8,500 $4,000
Alberta $12,000–$19,000 $4,000–$8,500 —
Manitoba $12,000–$19,000 $4,000–$8,500 $2,000
Saskatchewan $12,000–$19,000 $4,000–$8,500 —
Nova Scotia $12,000–$19,000 $4,000–$8,500 $2,400
New Brunswick $12,000–$19,000 $4,000–$8,500 $2,000
Newfoundland and Labrador $12,000–$19,000 $4,000–$8,500 —
Prince Edward Island $12,000–$19,000 $4,000–$8,500 —

What heat pump installation costs include

Every installed range on this page includes:

  • Equipment: the outdoor unit, the indoor unit or air handler, and the thermostat or controls.
  • Labour for removal of the old equipment and installation of the new.
  • Refrigerant line set, condensate line and the outdoor pad or wall bracket, raised above the snow line in cold provinces.
  • The electrical connection from the existing panel to the new equipment.
  • Permits where the municipality requires them.
  • Commissioning: refrigerant charge, airflow and controls checked at startup.

These extras are not included, because only some homes need them:

ExtraWhen it appliesTypical cost
Electrical panel upgrade to 200AWhen the existing electrical panel is 100A or smaller. One 2026 Canadian guide puts this at roughly 30% of retrofits.$2,000–$4,000
Ductwork modificationsDucted and dual-fuel systems, when the existing ducts are too small for heat pump airflow.$1,500–$3,500
Oil tank removal and decommissioningOil-heated homes: draining, removing and disposing of the tank.$800–$2,000

What people pay after rebates: three worked examples

Each example below is computed from the same data as the calculator, so the figures change together when the data does.

Ontario: gas furnace to dual-fuel

Installed $6,000–$10,000; grants and rebates $1,500; after rebates $4,500–$8,500.

Open this example in the calculator

Nova Scotia: oil furnace to multi-zone ductless

Installed $7,800–$15,200; grants and rebates $750; after rebates $7,050–$14,450.

Open this example in the calculator

British Columbia: electric baseboard to multi-zone ductless

Installed $9,000–$17,200; grants and rebates $4,000; after rebates $5,000–$13,200.

Open this example in the calculator

Running costs: heat pump vs. gas, oil and baseboard

A heat pump moves heat rather than making it. Over a Canadian heating season a cold-climate unit delivers roughly two to four units of heat for each unit of electricity, against one for a baseboard heater and less than one for any furnace. Whether that lowers the bill depends on the local price of electricity against the fuel it replaces.

  • Electric baseboard or electric furnace: the clearest saving, since the same electricity buys two to four times the heat.
  • Oil and propane: usually a large saving. Both are among the most expensive ways to heat a Canadian home; heating oil sold for 179 to 203 cents a litre in Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver in July 2026.
  • Natural gas: the narrowest gap. Gas is cheap per unit of heat, and the federal consumer fuel charge has been zero since April 2025. A heat pump's case here usually rests on also replacing an air conditioner, with the furnace kept as backup.

Energy prices vary by province and by utility rate plan, so the most reliable comparison uses a home's own rates from its gas, oil and electricity bills.

Why heat pump quotes for the same home vary

Three quotes for one house can differ by thousands of dollars. The gap usually comes from four places:

  1. Different equipment. A cold-climate inverter unit costs more than a single-stage unit of the same tonnage. A quote that names only "standard 3-ton system" can hide that difference, so each quote should list the model numbers and the AHRI matched-system certificate.
  2. Different scope. One quote includes electrical work, ductwork changes and removal of the old equipment; another leaves them out and adds them later as change orders.
  3. Different overhead. Small operators often bid lower than franchises carrying marketing and call-centre costs. That does not make the franchise install worse, but a simple retrofit rarely needs the overhead.
  4. Different experience. An installer with hundreds of heat pumps behind them catches airflow, line-set and placement problems that a newcomer misses, which matters more than a small price difference.

Asking every contractor for the same four itemized sections (equipment, scope, labour and rebates) makes the quotes comparable line by line. The heat pump scam guide covers the red flags in a heat pump quote.

Find a qualified installer

This site is an independent guide. It does not sell or install heat pumps and does not provide quotes. The programs and directories below are where to find registered contractors and the rebate rules that apply in each province.

Heat pump cost questions

How much does a heat pump cost in Canada?

A ducted cold-climate air-source heat pump costs $12,000–$19,000 installed for a typical 2,000–2,500 sq ft home. Single-zone ductless systems run $4,000–$8,500, multi-zone ductless $8,000–$15,000, and geothermal $20,000–$40,000. Home size, electrical capacity and the system chosen move the figure; the calculator adjusts for all three.

How much does it cost to install a heat pump?

Equipment and installation together typically run $12,000–$19,000 for a ducted system and $4,000–$8,500 for a single ductless head. Common extras are a 200A panel upgrade, ductwork changes and, for oil homes, tank removal; what installation includes lists each with its range.

How much is a 3 ton heat pump?

A 3-ton ducted heat pump, the usual size for a 2,000–2,500 sq ft Canadian home, costs about $12,000–$19,000 installed. Cost by home size shows every size band.

How much does a heat pump cost for a 1,500 sq ft house?

A 1,500 sq ft home usually needs a 2 to 2.5 ton heat pump. Installed, before rebates, that is about $9,800–$16,700 for a ducted system, $4,900–$8,800 for dual-fuel (a heat pump that keeps the furnace as backup) and $6,600–$13,200 for multi-zone ductless. A single ductless head, at $4,000–$8,500, suits one open area or an addition rather than the whole house.

How much does a heat pump cost for a 2,000 sq ft house?

A 2,000 sq ft home usually needs 2.5 to 3 tons. It sits where those two sizes meet, so a load calculation decides which. Before rebates, a ducted heat pump costs about $10,600–$19,000 installed, dual-fuel $5,300–$10,000 and multi-zone ductless $7,000–$15,000. The calculator takes off the rebates open in your province.

How much does a heat pump cost for a 3,000 sq ft home?

Usually 3.5 to 4 or more tons. A ducted heat pump for a 3,000 sq ft home costs about $13,200–$22,800 installed, dual-fuel $6,600–$12,000 and multi-zone ductless $8,800–$18,000, before rebates. An older, draftier house this size can need more capacity than its floor area suggests, so get a Manual J load calculation (a room-by-room heat-loss estimate) before comparing quotes.

What is the average cost to install a heat pump?

For a ducted air-source system in a typical home, $12,000–$19,000 before rebates; for a single ductless head, $4,000–$8,500. No Canadian government body publishes an average installed price, so these are ranges drawn from the published sources listed under how these numbers are built.

How much do rebates reduce the cost of a heat pump?

It depends on the province, the system and the fuel it replaces. For a household at market income, the largest combined rebate in the current data is $8,000. Alberta, Saskatchewan, Newfoundland and Labrador and Prince Edward Island had no heat pump rebate open to market-rate households when the data was last checked. The federal Greener Homes Loan and Oil to Heat Pump Affordability program are closed. Separately, the federal National Heat Pump Rebate will add up to $10,000 for households below the median income, or $2,000 for others. It opens in early 2027 and covers eligible installs from November 1, 2026. It is not counted in these figures until it opens.

Is a heat pump cheaper to run than a furnace?

Against oil, propane or electric baseboard, almost always: a cold-climate heat pump delivers two to four units of heat for each unit of electricity. Against natural gas the gap is narrow, because gas is cheap per unit of heat; the case there usually rests on also replacing an air conditioner and keeping the furnace as backup for the coldest days. Running costs covers each fuel.

Is a heat pump cheaper than oil?

On running cost, yes, in most of Canada. Oil is among the most expensive ways to heat a home: heating oil sold for 179 to 203 cents a litre in Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver in July 2026. A heat pump replaces burned fuel with electricity and gets two to four units of heat from each unit. The federal oil-conversion grant closed on July 31, 2026, so today the up-front cost depends on provincial programs. Separately, the federal National Heat Pump Rebate will add up to $10,000 for households below the median income, or $2,000 for others. It opens in early 2027 and covers eligible installs from November 1, 2026.

Are heat pumps worth it in Canada?

The strongest cases are replacing oil, propane or electric baseboard heat, and replacing a furnace and an air conditioner that are both near the end of their lives. The weakest is replacing a working high-efficiency gas furnace in a home that does not need cooling. Rebates help where they exist, but the fuel being replaced matters more than any rebate.

What hidden costs should I watch for?

Three extras account for most surprises: an electrical panel upgrade ($2,000–$4,000), ductwork changes ($1,500–$3,500) and, in oil-heated homes, tank removal ($800–$2,000). A quote that leaves them out may present them later as change orders.

How long does heat pump installation take?

On site, a ducted retrofit takes 1-2 days, a single ductless head 1 day, multi-zone ductless 2-3 days, an oil conversion 2-3 days including the tank, and geothermal 5-10 days. Where a provincial rebate requires an energy assessment before the work, that assessment has to happen first.

How long does a heat pump take to pay back?

It depends mostly on the fuel being replaced and local energy prices. Replacing oil, propane or electric resistance heat pays back fastest; replacing a working high-efficiency gas furnace pays back slowest. Rebates shorten payback where they exist, and replacing an air conditioner at the same time adds to the saving.

How these numbers are built

No Canadian government body or efficiency agency publishes installed heat pump prices by system type. The strongest published source is the Dunsky Energy + Climate Advisors technical memo for the Canadian Climate Institute, Heat pumps pay off (revised February 2024), which costs systems from RSMeans data, utility technical reference manuals and retailer pricing. The ranges on this page start from that memo and are cross-checked against 2026 Canadian contractor price guides.

Home size. The 2,000–2,500 sq ft range is the reference. Smaller and larger homes are scaled from it; the 1,500–2,000 sq ft factor comes from the Dunsky memo's rowhouse-versus-detached comparison and the others are extrapolated. Single ductless heads do not scale with home size.

Province. No source supports a provincial price factor, so every province uses the national range.

Rebates. Every program was checked on its own page on 2026-10-09. Only programs open to new applicants are included, so the federal National Heat Pump Rebate, announced on October 8, 2026 and opening in early 2027, is left out until it opens. Loans are shown as financing and never subtracted, and income-qualified programs are never included in the default after-rebate figure. Per-ton rebates are calculated at the size band's tonnage.

Running costs. The heating oil prices are Statistics Canada figures for July 2026, retrieved through a secondary data mirror. Provincial electricity and propane prices for 2026 have not yet been verified from a primary source, which is why this page does not publish a 10-year cost table.