The island of Prince Edward in eastern Canada experienced its hottest month of July on record, since comparison data became available. These weather conditions have increased the demand for the island's heat pump program.

In the last July, 700 households on the island registered to have a heat pump installed in their homes, an increase of 75% from the 400 requests the program received in the previous May.

“The free heat pump program is enjoying great success, and the response has been very positive,” said Derek Ellis, the sustainability manager at the Department of Environment, Energy and Climate Action in the island's government.

Ellis added that the extremely high temperatures in July undoubtedly played a role in the residents of the island flocking to the program.

About 7,000 households have received their heat pumps. In February, there were nearly 3,500 households interested in benefiting from this initiative on the waiting list.

According to Ellis, the heat pump is installed for those who request it about three weeks after their application.

As more contractors have been approved to participate in the program, around 1,000 pumps can now be installed monthly.

The company “Greenfoot Energy Solutions” is one of the companies installing the heat pumps provided for free by the island's government.

Rob Steeves, one of the energy consultants at the company, stated that they are installing between 100 and 200 heat pumps each week.

“The demand for heat pumps is high, regardless of the season. Of course, we are receiving more calls currently, as people are looking for relief from the humidity and heat, but we always stay busy,” Steeves explained.

The island's government launched the free heat pump program in 2021. The pumps are available for free to any household with an annual income of less than $75,000.

Prince Edward Island is the smallest of Canada’s ten provinces by area and population. It covers an area of 5,660 square kilometers and has a population of about 176,000, nearly half of whom live in the capital city, Charlottetown, and its suburbs.