Nova Scotia's heating base is notably mixed. Statistics Canada reports that in 2023, 29% of households used electricity, 28% oil and 6% wood as their primary heat, and heat pumps were the main system for 25%. That means three or four distinct buyers, each with different questions, and a rebate landscape that has shifted repeatedly.
This page applies our methods to Nova Scotia. We are a marketing and measurement service, not a contractor; we do not install or repair any equipment.
Halifax and everywhere else
Halifax holds most of the province's search volume. Cape Breton Regional Municipality (Sydney), Truro, East Hants and the Lunenburg and West Hants districts are much smaller. Two consequences for testing:
- a Halifax company with a busy heat-pump page may support a classic split, sized with the sample size formula
- companies serving smaller communities should use switchbacks, qualified calls and call review, as set out in testing with few calls
Four buyers, four hypotheses
The mix in Statistics Canada's household heating table suggests separate audiences:
| Current heat | Likely question | Testable idea |
|---|---|---|
| Oil | "Is switching worth it now the program has closed?" | A cost-explainer page versus a general page |
| Electric baseboard | "Will a heat pump cut my bill?" | Bill-focused first screen |
| Existing heat pump | "Replace or repair?" | Replacement page with clear decision steps |
| Wood | "Do I need backup heat?" | Supplementary heating page |
Each idea is a hypothesis to test, not a finding. Research the actual call questions first with conversion research.
A changeable maritime winter
Winters are cold, damp and changeable, milder on the coast than inland. Changeable weather is hard on before-and-after comparisons, because demand moves week to week. Concurrent splits are strongly preferred; otherwise track a demand index, as in seasonality controls.
Programs to log, as of October 2026
Nova Scotia's program changes are the main confounder for heat-pump tests:
- Efficiency Nova Scotia heat pump rebates: open.
- HomeWarming: open.
- Moderate Income Rebate: Efficiency Nova Scotia was revising its rebate levels once the oil-to-heat-pump offer wound down.
- Oil to Heat Pump Affordability (co-delivered): closed to new applicants on 2 July 2026, with funding fully allocated.
- Home Heating System Rebates: ended 31 December 2025.
Nova Scotia is also one of the provinces with a Canada Greener Homes Affordability Program agreement, announced on 29 June 2026. Confirm all current terms with Efficiency Nova Scotia before any variant mentions a rebate.
A planning example for a Halifax company (illustrative)
Imagine a Halifax company whose calls split roughly between oil-heated homeowners asking about conversion and heat-pump owners asking about service. The research step would confirm that split by listening to a sample of calls. The first test would then compare a dedicated oil-conversion page with the general heat-pump page for traffic from oil-related searches, run concurrently so that both versions see the same changeable weather. The window would avoid any announced change to the Moderate Income Rebate, and the plan would note that the oil-to-heat-pump offer closed in July 2026, so earlier months are not a fair baseline. The primary metric would be qualified calls from inside the service area, with booked visits as the guard rail.
Afterwards, the same company could run a short switchback on its heat-pump service page, testing whether a clear replace-or-repair guide reduces very short calls from owners who only wanted a price.
Regulators to know
For reference only:
- Technical Safety Division, Government of Nova Scotia
- WCB Nova Scotia
- Nova Scotia Consumer Protection
How we approach a Nova Scotia testing program
- Segment by current fuel wherever pages allow it.
- Keep a program calendar, since the Moderate Income Rebate levels were still being adjusted.
- Prefer concurrent tests over period comparisons in a changeable climate.
- Count calls cleanly, using measurement setup.
For plans, see pricing. Call, text or email to plan a Nova Scotia test.
Frequently asked questions
Why does Nova Scotia's program history matter for testing?
Because several offers ended or changed in a short period. Home Heating System Rebates ended on 31 December 2025 and the co-delivered oil-to-heat-pump program closed to new applicants on 2 July 2026. Comparing enquiries before and after those dates measures the programs, not your marketing.
Is Halifax big enough for split tests?
For the busiest heat-pump or heating page, sometimes, with a bold change and several weeks. Outside Halifax, low-volume designs are usually more honest.
Should oil-heated homeowners get a separate page?
It is a strong hypothesis to test, because oil remains a primary heat source for many households. Measure it on qualified calls and keep it separate from general heat-pump pages.
Sources
- Efficiency Nova Scotia: heat pump rebates (2026-10-23)
- Efficiency Nova Scotia: HomeWarming (2026-10-23)
- Efficiency Nova Scotia: Moderate Income Rebate (2026-10-23)
- Efficiency Nova Scotia: Oil to Heat Pump Affordability program (2026-10-23)
- Efficiency Nova Scotia: Home Heating System Rebates (2026-10-23)
- NRCan: Canada Greener Homes Initiative (2026-10-23)
- Statistics Canada Table 38-10-0286-01 (2026-10-23)