Electricians in Newfoundland and Labrador say that with rising costs of living and cooler weather, they are seeing a surge in demand from Newfoundland and Labrador residents who are moving away from oil heating to greener alternatives.
Torbay 709 Electrical co-owner Trevor Leonard said consumer demand for electric vehicles was “unprecedented”.
“We’re doing a lot of work moving people off the oil, installing baseboard heating, installing electric furnaces, installing district heating pumps,” he told CBC News on Monday.
The provincial government is implementing a rebate program to help homeowners move away from oil heating. Fuel prices rose after the Russian invasion of Ukraine sent world oil prices skyrocketing. The program, which runs from April 1 to March 15, is also an attempt to encourage people to switch to environmentally friendly heating alternatives.
Business has skyrocketed this winter to the point where electricians are booked months in advance as customers try to save money by using electricity.
Leonard, who has worked as an electrician for about 20 years in the St. Johns area, said that fall tends to be a busy time for electricians, even in a normal year.
But he said demand had far outstripped supply this year and finding more staff to keep up with the times had been difficult, leading to project delays.
“Essentially, jobs are just waiting longer because we can’t find enough manpower to accommodate all the incoming jobs. If someone called me today, I would be busy for two or three months.”
Tony Parker, general manager of Greenfoot Energy Solutions in St. John, said 2022 will be a record year for mini split heat pump sales.
Demand starts picking up in the summer when it’s very humid, but consumers are also looking forward to lower heat consumption in the winter, he said.
In some cases, mini-split heaters use about 50% less energy than baseboard heaters, he says.
“What we’re seeing is that when people start having a thermostat in their homes, it motivates them to keep going,” Parker said.
“If you’re going to install a heat pump, I totally understand why you’re doing it – you’re trying to save money.”
Leonard agreed. Supply chain problems amid the pandemic could still be part of the delay, he said, but the low demand is due to people trying to save money.
“People are tired of paying high gas prices. Of course, oil prices have skyrocketed. People have $1,000 a month and $2,000 a month in their oil bills,” he said.
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