The federal government is rolling out a massive $2 billion program to get Canadians off oil heat and onto electric heat pumps.

Prime Minister Mark Carney announced a new National Heat Pump Rebate this week, offering up to $10,000 for eligible low-income households.

Once the program kicks in, Carney says the turn-around time between application and decision will be 24 hours.

One of the companies which has been in the business for a long time, Cole Air Contracting, says they will be ready to meet the uptick in terms of equipment and personnel, although getting the trades workers is always a challenge.

Joanne Murphy, regional sales consultant with Cole Air, says every house is its own case but savings after the installation of a heat pump in a house which uses oil can amount to 50-70 per cent. Even those with electric baseboard can reduce costs by 20-40 per cent.

“It’s not a cookie cutter kind of solution – that’s why we offer free in-home consults because it really comes down to what are you paying for heat, and what can you expect because a lot of people think that if my neighbour did this or that, the effect will be the same on me, but that’s not the case,” says Murphy. “But you will save money.”