What happens to our heat-pump business when oil-conversion funding ends?

As of October 2026, Save Energy NB says advance-payment registration for its oil-to-heat-pump stream closed on 2026-06-30, with upgrades due by 2027-03-31. A plan should ask what share of recent jobs came from that stream and what replaces it, such as replacement heat pumps, maintenance and service.

Should our marketing be in English and French?

That depends on your customers. If you serve francophone communities, a package will look at whether your calls, website and reviews reflect the language your customers actually use. The province's official-languages duties apply to government services, not to private businesses in general.

HVAC Advisory Packages for New Brunswick Companies

New Brunswick is already a heat-pump province: more than a quarter of homes use one as their main heating system. Utility and federal programs, including an oil-to-heat-pump stream that has now closed to new registrations, have shaped demand for years. The question for owners now is how to keep a heat-pump business healthy on replacements, service and maintenance when program money is less certain. Moncton, Saint John and Fredericton lead the market, with Dieppe, Riverview, Quispamsis, Miramichi and Edmundston close behind.

The New Brunswick market

In 2023, Statistics Canada reported electricity as the primary heating energy for 39% of New Brunswick households, with heat pumps the primary system in 27% of homes and mini-split heat pumps alone in about 21%. Electric baseboards were the primary system in about 31% of homes.

Those figures describe a large installed base of ductless units that will need service, cleaning and eventually replacement, plus a sizeable baseboard stock still to convert. A Business Diagnostic here often finds that companies built for installs have under-built their service and maintenance side.

Seasons and workload

New Brunswick's winters are cold and snowy, harder inland and in the north than along the Bay of Fundy. Heat pumps carry much of the heating load, so cold-snap service calls cluster in the deepest weeks of winter. Summer demand for cooling adds a second, smaller season. Most plans fit best in late spring or early autumn.

Programs in play, as of October 2026

Save Energy NB lists several home programs, including the Total Home Energy Savings Program for renovations such as windows, insulation and heating, and the Enhanced Energy Savings Program, which offers free upgrades for households with income under $70,000 a year. Its oil-to-heat-pump stream closed to advance-payment registration on 2026-06-30, with upgrades to be completed by 2027-03-31. The national heat pump rebate announced in October 2026 is not yet open. Confirm current terms with Save Energy NB.

For a growth plan, the end of a program is as important as its start. A good plan models the months between one program closing and the next opening, so a company doesn't hire for a wave that is about to pass.

Language and customers

New Brunswick is Canada's only officially bilingual province, but the Commissioner of Official Languages for New Brunswick notes that private companies don't have to offer service in both languages unless they are delivering a service on the province's behalf. Whether your marketing and call handling should run in both languages is a business question: where are your customers, and in which language do they search and call? A package answers that from your own call records and reviews.

Regulators to know

The province's Technical Inspection Services covers boilers and pressure vessels, electrical, plumbing, elevators and propane, natural gas and medical gas installations. We name these for reference only.

Questions a New Brunswick package would ask

How many of last year's jobs came through a program that has now closed?
How many existing heat-pump customers are on a maintenance plan?
Do you serve francophone customers, and can they reach you in French?
How much service capacity will the installed ductless base need over the next few years?
What will replace program-driven installs on your calendar next spring?

Honest answers to these usually show whether the next year is a growth year or a consolidation year.

How we'd shape a New Brunswick package

A New Brunswick 90-Day Growth Plan might include building a maintenance-agreement offer for the existing heat-pump base and a written plan for the post-program months. The Advisory Retainer suits owners who expect program changes to keep coming. See the Canada-wide overview for other provinces.

Advisory packages for HVAC companies in New Brunswick