Hot water at home

Between Thursday, Nov 16 to Sunday, Dec 10, residents were invited to provide feedback on proposed changes to the Vancouver Building By-law that would require higher efficiency domestic hot water equipment in existing detached homes in two scenarios:

1. Home renovation over $75,000 would no longer be required to upgrade insulation and air-tightness, and instead would be required to replace existing hot water heaters with higher efficiency equipment (expected to begin in July 2024).

2. When domestic hot water equipment is replaced (expected to begin in January 2025).

"Higher efficiency" means equipment that is at least 100% efficient, which includes electric water heaters, electric heat pump systems, hybrid gas/electric systems, and high-efficiency gas heat pumps.

A series of exceptions are also being proposed to provide some flexibility in the early years of implementing the proposed changes.

The proposed updates to equipment standards would reduce Vancouver’s emissions by about 7,300 tonnes per year, every year once fully implemented (up to 22,000 tonnes per year reduction after three years of implementation, which is equivalent to taking 5,400 cars off the road).