Heat Pump Parties
- Nathan Postma
- Mar 10
- 3 min read
Updated: Jul 16
You try on shoes, test drive cars, and paint a small section of a wall before pulling the trigger. But you’ve probably never tried out a furnace or A/C before buying it!
Heat pump parties are your way to “test drive” a heat pump (with a bonus helping of friendly neighbours, good snacks and great conversations).
A Heat Pump Party is the most fun you'll ever have researching a purchase.
What to expect
Heat Pump Parties are for you to bring your heat pump questions to a neighbour who already has one. They host a casual evening to talk about how heat pumps work, how much their project cost, what rebates they got, and if there were any surprises or speed bumps along the way. The parties are casual and candid.
The format can change, but Heat Pump Parties usually have:
Excellent snacks
Time for the host to explain the work they did on their home
A tour to show off the equipment and where it hooks up to everything else
Guest experts to handle tricky technical questions
Since your neighbours often make other home improvements, like adding solar, insulation, induction stoves, and heat pump water heaters, they’ll usually show those things off, too.
Bruce and Janet have been more than accommodating in leading attendees through the advantages and the pitfalls of heat pumps and solar energy. What's more Bruce and Janet have been extremely generous with their time explaining the development of Bruce's experiments, detailing what has worked and what hasn't worked in what I think could best be described as the living laboratory of their sustainable home. ~Bill, a Heat Pump + Solar Party Attendee.
Why we love them
There’s nothing for sale! Industry reps will sometimes attend, but only to answer technical questions.
For many, these events mark the start of something more lasting. By helping each other make their homes modern, clean and safe, neighbours have a reason to get to know each other. They rely on each other in a way that builds trust.
Another plus is that you often get to see a heat pump working in a home that's probably a lot like yours (from a similar decade and built with similar materials...we can’t speak for the decor!).
How do I find one?
Our event page is a great place to start. Even if the party isn’t in your neighbourhood, you’re welcome to register and attend. We share heat pump party invites in our fun and infrequent newsletter, too.
Can I host?
Absolutely! In fact, you can host even if you don’t have a heat pump.
A homeowner in Bedford Park hosted an Energy Assessment Party. You could host an induction stove party. You could also link up with your neighbours and share hosting responsibility (one home could show off their solar system, the other their heat pump, and the last their heat pump water heater). It's your party! But we'd love to help with the logistics.
Toronto Home Energy Network can help you with:
Registration and promotion. You don't need to make any flyers or set up an online event.
Resources. We'll drop off printed info on rebates and other take-homes, like copies of Your First Heat Pump Guidebook.
Finding expert speakers. Our Retrofit Advisors often attend Heat Pump Parties—they get into the technical specifics, like heat pump sizing.
Set up and clean up.
Ideas for what to talk about!
Basically, tell us where, when, and how many people you can fit, and we can handle the rest!
If you'd like to host (or if you're on the fence!), fill in the form on this page, and we'll be in contact with more info. Don't be shy! The parties are a lot of fun, simple to host, and are HUGELY appreciated by attendees (see Bill's testimonial above!).
