If you are building, buying, or renovating in Kelowna, the BC Step Code is worth understanding, because it is quietly changing how homes here are heated and built. In short, it is the provincial framework steering new construction toward lower energy use and lower emissions, with most new homes moving away from natural gas and toward electric systems like heat pumps. Here is what it actually means for your home.
What is the BC Step Code?
The BC Step Code is really two related standards. The BC Energy Step Code sets rising energy-efficiency requirements for new buildings, and the newer Zero Carbon Step Code addresses the emissions a building produces, encouraging efficient electric systems over fossil fuels. Local governments adopt these steps over time, so the exact requirement depends on where you are building in the Central Okanagan.
The 2030 and 2032 targets
The province has set two milestones. New construction is being steered toward net-zero-energy-ready by 2032 and zero-carbon by 2030. Net-zero-ready means a home is built to be so efficient that it is ready to produce as much energy as it uses once an owner adds something like solar panels. It is a phased rollout, not a single switch, and each step tightens the standard for new homes.
What it means for new homes
The practical effect is a steady move away from natural gas in new construction. As the Zero Carbon Step Code is adopted, new homes increasingly use efficient electric appliances, with heat pumps becoming the default for heating and cooling rather than a gas forced-air furnace. Many new builds will not include natural gas stoves, fireplaces, or hot water tanks, depending on the step the local government has adopted. The upside for an owner is a home that is cheaper to operate and built for where the market is heading.
What it means for older Kelowna homes
Most homes in Kelowna today are still heated and cooled with natural gas forced-air furnaces, and nothing requires you to change that in a home you already own. The shift is happening at the margins, through renovations and choice. The cost concern that used to come with efficient systems has eased: in many homes that have switched from gas, a heat pump has produced similar or lower energy costs, and the province offers rebates through CleanBC to help owners convert. If you are renovating, it is worth pricing a heat pump before you replace a furnace like for like.
What it means for buyers and sellers
Energy efficiency is slowly becoming part of how homes are valued. For buyers, a more efficient home means lower monthly operating costs and a system that will not feel dated in a few years. For sellers, an efficient home, or one that has already moved to a heat pump, is an easier story to tell as buyers grow more cost-aware. We are happy to talk through how this factors into a specific home, whether you are buying or preparing to sell. For more on where BC’s home rules are heading, see our note on future-ready BC homes.
Frequently asked questions
No. The Step Code applies to new construction and major projects, not to homes you already own. You are free to keep your current heating system, though rebates exist if you choose to upgrade.
Increasingly not, depending on what step your local government has adopted. The province is steering new construction toward zero carbon by 2030, which favours electric systems like heat pumps over gas for heating, hot water, and cooking.
Not necessarily. In many homes that switched from natural gas, heat pumps have delivered similar or lower energy costs, and they provide both heating and cooling, which matters in Okanagan summers.
It means a home is built to be very energy efficient and is ready to become net-zero when an owner adds renewable generation such as solar panels that produce as much energy as the home uses over a year.
The BC Step Code is not something to worry about so much as something to understand, especially if you are building or buying new. If you would like a clear read on how it affects a particular home in Kelowna, we are glad to help.
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