Is a heat pump right for my Toronto house?

The honest answer is: probably yes — but only if a few things are true about your house, your wiring, and your tolerance for paperwork.

What you're actually deciding

A heat pump is a swap of one fuel for another, with a piece of equipment that's also an air conditioner. You're moving from gas (mostly stable rates, small variations between providers) to hydro (subject to time-of-use, off-peak/on-peak hours, and longer-term rate changes). You're also adding the option to electrify your heating without giving up your existing furnace, if you choose hybrid mode.

The four questions we ask on every visit

1. 1Is the building envelope reasonable? Old plaster homes with R-12 attics will be uncomfortable with any system; insulating first is usually higher-leverage.
2. 2Does your panel have capacity? Most pre-1980 homes have 100A service and a heat pump retrofit needs careful load management or a panel upgrade.
3. 3What are your gas and hydro patterns? We model annual cost across both fuels using your actual 12-month bills, not a national average.
4. 4How long will you be in the house? Below 5 years, payback rarely works without aggressive rebates. Above 8 years, almost always.

When we recommend keeping gas

Three cases. First, when the panel can't accommodate a heat pump and the homeowner doesn't want a service upgrade. Second, when the building envelope is so leaky that any system will struggle and insulation work should come first. Third, when the homeowner is selling within 18 months and won't capture the operating-cost benefit.

What rebates actually look like

Rebate and loan programs change often enough that we do not build the quote around them until eligibility is confirmed. We list the current programs to check, then provide the model numbers, invoice, and warranty documents you need for the application file.

What we recommend you do next

1. 1Pull last 12 months of gas and hydro bills. We'll model your actual case in the first visit.
2. 2Get an EnerGuide audit if a program requires one, or if you have not had the envelope assessed in the last few years.
3. 3Walk your panel with us during the visit. We can spot capacity problems in 5 minutes and save you a wasted quote.

If you want a real read on your specific house, the visit is free. We don't sub-contract it, we don't try to upsell IAQ accessories during the visit, and we tell you when the answer is to keep your existing furnace and just maintain it well.