Two Efficiency Manitoba heat pump bonuses run to March 31, 2027

The multi-unit ground source bonus

Efficiency Manitoba is doubling its performance incentive for apartment-style buildings that move to ground source heat.

The Commercial Deep Energy Retrofit page describes a time-limited 100% bonus on the performance incentive for all multi-unit residential buildings that install a ground source heat pump as the primary heating system. Projects must be enrolled by March 31, 2027. The Mechanical Business report says the bonus is part of the Affordable Home Energy Program and also applies under the New Buildings Program, for new and existing applications.

The base performance incentive, before the bonus, ranges from $2.25 to $6.00 per square foot depending on the energy saved, from a 20% reduction up to 50% or more. The page also lists up to $12,000 for energy modelling and says the Innovation Fund may help pay for a feasibility study on whether ground source suits a project.

Other Deep Energy Retrofit conditions on the page include a Manitoba location, a site energy reduction of at least 20%, and heating primarily by electricity or natural gas without switching from electricity to gas.

Worked example

Here is what the doubling means on paper. For a 40,000-square-foot building that reaches the 50%-plus tier, the base performance incentive is 40,000 × $6.00 = $240,000. With the 100% bonus, the performance incentive would be $480,000, subject to program terms and verification. Smaller savings tiers scale down from there.

The F280 supplier bonus

On the residential side, Efficiency Manitoba pays installers a small reward for sizing heat pumps properly.

The Air Source Heat Pump Rebate page says registered suppliers receive $100 for each eligible application that includes an F280 heat-load calculation and is completed for the customer before March 31, 2027, limited to one bonus per address. For the homeowner, the rebate stays at $2,000 per ducted cold-climate unit and $1,500 per ductless one.

Key homeowner rules on that page:

• the heat pump supplements electric resistance or natural gas heat; homes converting from propane or fuel oil also qualify
• existing primary residences only; new and seasonal homes do not qualify
• replacing an existing heat pump does not qualify
• a contractor registered with Efficiency Manitoba installs it and submits the application within 90 days

Analysis: what this means for heat pump contractors

This section is our analysis, not Efficiency Manitoba's guidance.

These two bonuses reward the same habit: doing the engineering homework before the sale.

1. Make F280 part of your pitch. A load calculation earns you $100 per file, but its bigger value is in the sales conversation. Homeowners in a long prairie winter want to know the system is sized for their house. Say on your site that every quote includes one, if that is true.
2. Target owners of multi-unit buildings separately. A property manager weighing a ground source retrofit has a long decision cycle and a board or lender to convince. They need case-style content, a clear explanation of the incentive tiers and the March 2027 enrolment date.
3. Build the deadline into your calendar. Enrolment by March 31, 2027 means a building owner who starts talking to you in winter is already late. Campaigns for this offer should run in the fall.
4. Be precise about who pays what. Bonuses go to buildings and to registered suppliers under different rules. Never present the supplier bonus as a homeowner saving.

Our Manitoba coverage page covers the province's market, and heat pump Google Ads explains how we time campaigns to deadlines like these.

What to watch next

Time-limited offers can end or change early.

Efficiency Manitoba describes the multi-unit bonus as time-limited. Check its pages for changes, and see the newsroom for other provincial updates. To talk about marketing either offer, call, text or email us.