Service
Heat pump circuits
The electrical side of a heat pump install: the circuit, the disconnect and the capacity to carry it.
Nova Scotia has taken to heat pumps faster than most of the country, and heat pump wiring is now one of the most common reasons a house needs attention at the panel.
What heat pump wiring actually involves
The circuit. Sized from the nameplate of the specific unit, not from the model range or the brochure. Minimum circuit ampacity and maximum overcurrent protection are printed on the unit itself, and they are what the circuit is built to. The conductor is then sized for the length of the run as well as for the load.
The disconnect. A means of disconnection within sight of the outdoor unit, so whoever services it can see that it cannot be energised behind them.
The capacity to carry it. A load calculation on the existing service. A mini-split on a modest service is often fine. A whole-home ducted system on a 100 amp service in a house with electric hot water and a range is often not.
It is straightforward work. It becomes complicated only when the existing service cannot carry it.
What the electrical side actually is
Three things, and the HVAC quote usually covers none of them: the circuit, the disconnect and the capacity. They are separate, permitted electrical work, so the heat pump price and the electrical price are two numbers rather than one.
That is also where the faults come from when somebody else has done it. The one we are called to most is a unit connected with no disconnect within sight of it, which is not optional and does not pass an inspection.
Ductless heads against ducted systems
A single ductless head is a modest load. A multi-head system is a larger one. A ducted central heat pump with electric backup heat is among the largest loads a house can take on, and the backup element is the part that decides it: that is the load that runs at minus fifteen when you need it most. It is the version that sends services to an upgrade.
Ducted and ductless are not the same electrical job
A ductless head is one circuit to one outdoor unit. A ducted system also needs a separate supply for the air handler, so it is two circuits, two runs and two sets of decisions.
Know which of the three you are buying before anyone quotes you the electrical side, because the answer differs by a factor of several. A quote given for “a heat pump”, with no configuration named, is not a quote.
The order things should happen in
Capacity first, then the equipment choice, then the order, then the install date. Done in that order, nothing on the list can surprise the one after it.
The mistake we see most often is the heat pump being bought and scheduled before anyone has checked the service. Then the install day arrives, the electrical is not feasible as planned, and everybody is negotiating under time pressure.
Sequence the trades
Get the nameplate data, or at least the model number, to us before the equipment is ordered. A load calculation takes very little time and it is the difference between an install and a postponed install.
Working alongside your HVAC contractor
We are happy to coordinate directly with whoever is supplying and installing the unit, so their quote and ours describe the same job rather than two overlapping ones.
When the calculation says the service cannot carry it, the next conversation is a panel upgrade. If an EV charger is also coming, size for both at once rather than one after the other.
Rebates, and what they do not cover
Efficiency Nova Scotia runs heat pump rebates worth up to $5,000 depending on the equipment and the household. The Oil to Heat Pump Affordability program, which was the largest of them, stopped accepting new applications on 2 July 2026, so anything you read that is older than that is out of date.
What none of those programs pay for is the heat pump wiring. The circuit, the disconnect, and the panel upgrade if the service will not carry the load, all sit outside the rebate. That is the part people are surprised by, and it is the part worth pricing before you sign anything with an HVAC supplier.
Rebate terms move. Check the Efficiency Nova Scotia site for what is current rather than trusting a blog post, including this one.
The permit
Heat pump wiring is permitted work. In Nova Scotia only a certified electrician can pull that permit, and the inspection is booked through Nova Scotia Power. The process is set out on the electrical permits and inspections page.
What will this cost?
Nobody can price this down the phone, and anyone who does is guessing. What you can find out now is what will decide the number on your house.
Common questions
My heat pump installer says they handle the electrical. Do they?
Some do and some subcontract it. What matters is that the circuit is installed by a licensed electrician, permitted and inspected. Ask who is pulling the electrical permit, and if the answer is vague, that is worth following up.
Will a heat pump overload my service?
It depends entirely on the unit and on what else is on the service. A single ductless head on a 200 amp service is rarely an issue. A ducted system going into a 100 amp service that already has electric hot water and a range often is. The load calculation is the answer, not a rule of thumb.
More on heat pump circuits
What a 60 amp service actually stops you doing
A 60 amp service was plenty for a house with lights, a stove and a fridge. Here is how to tell if you have one, and what it rules out in a Halifax home today.
What decides a panel upgrade cost in Nova Scotia
Panel upgrade cost in Nova Scotia runs on five things: service size, the mast and meter, the panel itself, access, and what the inspection turns up.