British Columbia is two heating markets in one province. The southwest coast around Vancouver and Victoria has mild, wet winters, while the Interior and the North have long, cold heating seasons. Fuel use is close to evenly split between natural gas and electricity. For a heating contractor, that means the same rate story lands very differently in Surrey, Kelowna and Prince George.
The heating mix
The short answer: gas leads electricity by a few points, and heat pumps are part of both conversations.
According to Statistics Canada's household survey, 42% of BC households relied on natural gas for their primary heating system in 2023 and 36% on electricity. That balance makes BC one of the few provinces where a gas rate increase and an electricity rate story both reach a large share of homes.
The largest markets by population are in Metro Vancouver, including Vancouver, Surrey, Burnaby and Richmond, with Kelowna, Abbotsford and Saanich among the other large municipalities. Housing ranges from condos with electric baseboards to detached homes on gas furnaces and older homes with hot-water boilers.
Climate and the season
The short answer: a gentle coastal season and a hard Interior one, so plan two calendars.
On the coast, heating demand builds slowly from October and rarely spikes for long. In the Interior and the North, cold arrives earlier and stays later, and a cold snap can fill a contractor's schedule overnight. Campaigns should be planned by region, not for the province as a whole.
Rates and prices in the news
The short answer: FortisBC gas bills rose about 11% from January 2026.
FortisBC announced on December 9, 2025 that the BCUC had approved rate increases from January 1, 2026, with the average residential bill rising about 11.1%, or roughly $10.95 a month. Fort Nelson customers saw about 11.5%. Our full report on FortisBC's 2026 rates explains how the bill is built and what the increase means for contractors.
Programs as of October 2026
The short answer: income-qualified rebates continue, with tighter rules since July 2026.
- CleanBC Better Homes Energy Savings Program: rebates tied to household income, covering heat pumps, heat pump water heaters and building envelope work. New requirements apply to invoices dated on or after July 6, 2026; according to the program's updated rules, some rebates were removed, electric-to-heat-pump upgrades are now limited to the lowest income level, and the highest income level is limited to ground-oriented homes switching away from gas, propane or oil.
- CleanBC Better Homes Home Renovation Rebate Program: listed for households that are not income-qualified. We did not confirm current rebate amounts.
- Canada Greener Homes Affordability Program (CGHAP): a June 29, 2026 federal backgrounder describes BC delivery through BC Hydro (weatherization and heat pumps for about 6,000 lower-income households) and FortisBC (dual-fuel systems and other measures for about 1,000).
- Federal National Heat Pump Rebate: announced October 8, 2026 for eligible cold-climate air source heat pumps; check the federal government for the opening date.
Programs change often. Treat this as of October 2026 and confirm with each administrator.
Regulators to know
The short answer: rates go through the BCUC; gas and electrical safety through Technical Safety BC.
- Technical Safety BC licenses gas and electrical contractors and oversees gas, propane, boilers and pressure vessels.
- The British Columbia Utilities Commission approves FortisBC's and BC Hydro's rates.
- WorkSafeBC covers workplace safety and insurance, and SkilledTradesBC administers trades certification, including gasfitter and refrigeration mechanic.
We link and summarise; we do not give compliance advice.
How we approach marketing in BC
The short answer: region by region, fuel by fuel, with rebate claims checked every month.
- Split coast and Interior campaigns. Different weather, different buying windows.
- Write for both gas and electric homes. A hybrid heat pump with gas backup is a real option for many detached homes; a ductless heat pump suits many baseboard-heated condos and townhouses.
- Keep rebate copy current. After the July 2026 rule change, older pages promising rebates to every income level are wrong. Our rate-change explainer pages are built to stay current.
- Prove it locally. Two of our BC examples: GasBoilers.ca, CANRO Heat's gas-boiler division, now covers 26+ BC communities, while BCWide.ca achieved 3× leads in 90 days. See our results for what transfers.
Back to all provinces and territories, or call, text or email to talk about your BC service area.
Frequently asked questions
What is the main heating fuel in British Columbia?
Natural gas, narrowly. Statistics Canada's 2023 household survey shows 42% of BC households using gas and 36% using electricity as the energy for their primary heating system.
Did BC heat pump rebates change in 2026?
Yes. The CleanBC Better Homes Energy Savings Program introduced new requirements for invoices dated on or after July 6, 2026. Confirm current eligibility and amounts with Better Homes BC before advertising them.
Who licenses gas contractors in BC?
Technical Safety BC. Its remit includes contractor licensing for gas and electrical work and safety oversight for natural gas and propane. We link to it for reference only; we do not give compliance advice.
Sources
- Statistics Canada Table 38-10-0286-01: Primary heating systems and type of energy (2026-10-22)
- FortisBC: Change in gas rates for FortisBC customers on January 1 (2025-12-09) (2025-12-09)
- Better Homes BC: Energy Savings Program (2026-10-22)
- Better Homes BC: Home Renovation Rebate Program (2026-10-22)
- Technical Safety BC (2026-10-22)
- Natural Resources Canada backgrounder: CGHAP agreements with Quebec, BC, Nova Scotia and PEI (2026-06-29) (2026-06-29)
- Environment and Climate Change Canada: National Heat Pump Rebate announcement (2026-10-08) (2026-10-08)