(Ottawa) Ottawa intends to ban the installation of oil boilers in new construction as early as 2028, Energy Minister Jonathan Wilkinson announced Tuesday.
The federal government’s planned phase-out of fuel oil would be accompanied by increased financial support to allow Canadians to purchase and install heat pumps instead.
Liberal ministers believe Canada’s Green Buildings Strategy, released Tuesday, will improve energy efficiency while addressing affordability and GHG emissions issues.
The programme aims to accelerate the renovation of existing buildings, ensuring that buildings are climate resilient and use low-carbon construction materials and technologies.
In a statement, Wilkinson described the document as “a plan to save Canadians money, create jobs and seize the economic opportunities that a clean, sustainable economy offers.”
PHOTO SEAN KILPATRICK, CANADIAN PRESS ARCHIVES
Energy Minister Jonathan Wilkinson.
He added that the pace and scale of the plan will ensure it meets the needs of Canadians wherever they are.
Last fall, the Liberal government announced it would eliminate the federal consumer carbon price on the purchase of home heating oil for three years.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the intention is to give people with oil furnaces more time and money to replace them with electric heat pumps.
In its strategy on Tuesday, the federal government committed to introducing a regulatory framework banning fuel oil in newly constructed buildings by 2028.
The document says there will be exemptions for regions without sufficient access to the electricity grid and for those that need backup fuel.
The plan details that the regulations will apply in provinces where similar measures are not already in place, noting that Quebec has banned oil furnaces in new construction starting this year, and Nova Scotia has committed to doing the same.
Housing Minister Sean Fraser said in a news release that the strategy’s measures will improve the longevity of new and existing buildings.