The first real cold snap usually shows up in New Brunswick sometime in October, and the bill that follows lands in November. If last winter stung, this one deserves a bit of planning.
Some context on why it stings. Electricity rates across the province went up 4.29 per cent in April 2026, and municipal utilities like Saint John Energy adopted the same increase. That was the fourth above-inflation hike in a row, and NB Power rates have climbed roughly 35 per cent since April 2023. Most New Brunswickers heat with electricity, so a percentage on a rate sheet turns into real money on a December bill.
The good news is that a lot of what drives a heating bill is within your control, and some of the biggest fixes are free or heavily subsidized.
Start with the cheap stuff, because it works
None of this is glamorous, but the payback is immediate.
Find your drafts. On a windy day, hold a lit candle or a strip of tissue near window frames, door frames, electrical outlets on exterior walls, attic hatches, and where pipes or wires pass through the basement wall. Anywhere it flickers, you’re paying to heat the outdoors. Weatherstripping, foam outlet gaskets, and a tube of caulk run maybe $60 total and often save more than that in one winter.
Deal with your basement. In a lot of older NB houses, the rim joist (the band of wood where the floor framing sits on the foundation) is the single leakiest part of the building. Sealing and insulating it makes the floors above noticeably warmer.
Close the curtains at night, open them on sunny days. Thermal or lined curtains on your north and west windows are one of the better $100 purchases you can make. Window film kits help on single-pane windows.
Heat the rooms you use. If you have baseboards, turn down the spare bedroom and keep the door closed. Setting back unused zones to 15°C and the whole house to 17°C overnight is real savings with electric baseboards.
Check the water heater. Hot water is often the second-biggest chunk of the bill. Set the tank to 60°C, insulate the first metre or two of hot water pipe, and fix dripping taps. A low-flow showerhead pays for itself in a couple of months.
Reverse your ceiling fans. On low, running clockwise, they push the warm air that’s pooled at the ceiling back down into the room.
Change your furnace or heat pump filters. A clogged filter makes the system work harder for less heat.
If you have a heat pump, use it the right way
Heat pumps are common in New Brunswick now, and a surprising number of people are using them in ways that cost them money.
- Set it and leave it. Heat pumps are most efficient running steadily at a constant temperature. Big setbacks and constant adjusting force the unit into backup electric resistance heat to catch up, which is exactly the expensive mode you’re trying to avoid.
- Use the heat pump’s own remote, not the wall thermostat, on a mini-split. The remote controls the efficient system; the wall unit usually controls baseboards.
- Keep the outdoor unit clear. Snow drifts, ice buildup, and dripping eaves will choke it. Clear at least 45 cm around it after storms, and never chip ice off the coils with anything metal.
- Let it run in fan-auto, not low. Restricting airflow reduces output.
- Turn off “auto” mode so it isn’t flipping between heating and cooling on shoulder-season days.
- Clean the filters monthly. It takes five minutes and makes a measurable difference.
Programs that will pay for the bigger fixes
This is the part people skip, and it’s where the actual money is.
If your combined household income is under $70,000, look at the Enhanced Energy Savings Program first. Qualifying homeowners get upgrades at no cost, including insulation for attics, walls and basements, ventilation improvements, and mini-split heat pumps. It’s open regardless of how you currently heat or who your energy provider is, and it includes support for getting off oil heat. Heat pumps installed under the program come with a ten-year parts-and-labour warranty and free deep cleans over that period. You’ll need an energy evaluation, and eligibility is based on line 15000 of the most recent Notice of Assessment for each adult in the home.
If you’re above that threshold, the Total Home Energy Savings Program is the main door. You pay $99 plus HST for a home energy evaluation (normally around a $600 value), get a list of recommended upgrades, and earn rebates on the ones you complete. Windows, doors, insulation, air sealing, and high-efficiency heating all qualify. You have nine months from the initial evaluation to finish the work and book the final one, so starting now means you’re not scrambling.
If you rent, ask about the free Energy Savings Kits. They’re aimed at renters and include practical items like LED bulbs and weatherstripping. You can also ask your landlord to look into the programs above, since rental property owners can be eligible.
Watch the deadlines. A number of oil-to-heat-pump supports have closed or are closing. The federal Oil to Heat Pump Affordability Program stopped accepting new registrations on June 30, 2026, and the Canada Greener Homes Grant and Loan are both gone. Rebates for switching off oil are still available through the Total Home program, but check current terms before you plan around any specific number. Everything above is worth confirming at saveenergynb.ca, since program details change.
Smooth out the bill itself
Heating costs in this province arrive unevenly: modest bills in September, brutal ones in January and February. Ask NB Power or your local utility about an equalized payment plan, which spreads your estimated annual cost across twelve roughly equal payments. It doesn’t reduce what you pay, but it stops the February bill from wrecking your month.
If you’re already behind, call before the arrears grow. Utilities have payment arrangements available, and the conversation is much easier in October than in January.
A rough order of operations
- Air seal and weatherstrip this month. Under $100, immediate effect.
- Book an energy evaluation, free or $99 depending on your income. It tells you where your money is actually going.
- Fix insulation before you upgrade equipment. A heat pump in a leaky house is an expensive way to heat the yard.
- Get on an equalized payment plan so the cost is predictable.
None of this makes a New Brunswick winter cheap. But the gap between a well-sealed, well-run house and a drafty one with a badly used heat pump is often hundreds of dollars a season, and most of the difference comes from decisions you can make before the snow arrives.
