Fewer than half of Canadians know a heat pump can heat a home in cold weather, and just over half don’t realize it can cool one too. Clean Energy Canada’s answer to the awareness problem: get Canadians talking about it at summer barbecues.

Inspired by the 91% of Canadian heat pump owners who would recommend one to friends and neighbours, CEC’s new Heat Pump Summer initiative rests on the principle that when it comes to embracing complex technologies like heat pumps, people trust family, friends, and neighbours for information.

Designed as a friendly challenge to Canadians, the initiative offers three tiers of engagement.

Those just beginning to explore the technology are invited to use a mycleanbill.ca calculator to estimate the energy and cost savings a heat pump would bring to their household.

If they sign up to the “Heat Pump Curious” challenge, they receive detailed information about available incentives and support programs. The challenge requires them to ask a friend or neighbour who already owns a heat pump about their experience.

Heat Pump Summer arrives three months after CEC released a survey of more than 3,800 heat pump owners in Canada. More than 90% of respondents said they would recommend a heat pump to friends or neighbours, “a finding consistent across regions, housing types, gender, age, and income, and despite differences in the types of heat pump installed and the systems they replaced or supplemented.”

Canadians who already have a heat pump installed in their homes are being challenged to become “Heat Pump Connectors” who share their knowledge and experience with others.

“You don’t have to be an expert—-just willing to start the conversation,” says CEC. Signing up to be a “connector” links homeowners to a wealth of information about how heat pumps contribute to year-round efficiency and affordability.

Participants who want to go a step further and become “Heat Pump Champions” would commit to hosting a “heat pump hangout” in their homes, where invitees will be welcome to ask questions, and get answers. The first 10 hosts who register and send CEC an event photo will receive a small prize.

Signing up to participate in the initiative secures plenty of resources. The collection includes the Toronto Home Energy Network’s heat pump guidebook, with real-world pricing on Toronto-area projects, tips to avoid “I wish I had known that sooner” moments, and the Building to Electrification Coalition’s homeowner guide.

Whatever challenge level a household chooses, the goal of Heat Pump Summer is to boost awareness.

“Knowledge of heat pumps remains relatively low, with less than half of Canadians aware of key facts, such as their efficiency in cold weather—68% unaware—and even their ability to provide cooling (53% unaware),”  Keri McNamara, CEC’s outreach manager, told The Energy Mix, citing findings from a 2025 CEC survey of residents in Toronto and Vancouver.