Manitoba runs colder than most Canadians expect — Winnipeg's design temperature sits around -33°C, and much of the province sees similar or worse. That makes ground-source heat pumps especially attractive: soil temperatures at borehole depth hold around 5–7°C regardless of what's happening outside. The province has 17 verified geothermal contractors in our directory, with installers active in Winnipeg, Brandon, Portage la Prairie, and surrounding regions. Manitoba also has Canada's strongest provincial geothermal incentive package — the Efficiency Manitoba GSHP program offers no upfront cost plus $13,500 in interest-free financing, and the province is the current national delivery point for the federal Canada Greener Homes Affordability Program.
- 17 verified contractors
- 9 cities covered
- ★ 0 avg rating
- 1 WaterFurnace dealers
- 2 IGSHPA-certified
Top Manitoba cities for geothermal contractors
Winnipeg is the hub for Manitoba's geothermal industry, with most active contractors licensed through the Manitoba Geothermal Energy Alliance. Brandon and other southwestern communities have growing coverage. Rural installations are common given the large number of agricultural properties and acreages with suitable land for horizontal loops.
Featured Manitoba geothermal contractors
Listings are ranked by verification status, years in business, and profile completeness. IGSHPA-accredited and WaterFurnace-certified contractors are identified in each profile.
Manitoba geothermal incentives in 2026
Manitoba has the strongest geothermal incentive package in Canada. Three programs are currently active, and multiple programs can be combined for a single project.
- Efficiency Manitoba Ground Source Heat Pump Program — No upfront cost for qualifying homeowners, plus $13,500 in interest-free financing paid back at $75/month over 15 years on your Manitoba Hydro bill. For a straight GSHP replacement (rather than a new installation), the program provides a $5,000 fixed incentive plus the same $13,500 financing. Projects above $38,000 (new install) or $18,500 (replacement) require the homeowner to cover costs above those thresholds. Eligible heating sources include electric baseboard, electric furnace, natural gas, and fuel oil. Your contractor must be registered with Efficiency Manitoba and an active member of the Manitoba Geothermal Energy Alliance (MGEA). Learn more at our Canada rebates guide.
- Manitoba Green Energy Equipment Tax Credit — A tax credit claimed through your income tax return. The structure: 7.5% on a Manitoba-manufactured geothermal heat pump, plus 15% on the rest of the system's capital cost (excluding the heat pump itself). Any government assistance received reduces your claimable base. Equipment must be new, and the heat pump must meet minimum COP thresholds — 3.3 for closed-loop, 3.6 for open-loop (ISO 13256). This credit has been available since 2009 with no announced end date.
- Manitoba Hydro Home Energy Efficiency Loan (HEEL) — Interest-free financing up to $20,000 for Manitoba Hydro residential customers. Geothermal heat pumps are an eligible upgrade. This is a loan product, not a grant — confirm current terms at hydro.mb.ca before applying.
- Canada Greener Homes Affordability Program (CGHAP) — Manitoba is the active national delivery province for this federal program, delivered through Efficiency Manitoba. The program covers heat pumps and insulation for lower-income households. Contact Efficiency Manitoba for current amounts and eligibility, as the federal page does not publish dollar figures directly.
- Oil to Heat Pump Affordability Program (OHPA) — Federally delivered in Manitoba for oil-heated income-qualified homes. Up to $10,000 for qualifying ground-source installations meeting CSA C448. No provincial top-up in Manitoba (the $15,000 co-delivery applies to other provinces). This can stack with Efficiency Manitoba's provincial program if your home heats with oil.
Manitoba geothermal regulations & well-drilling rules
Manitoba's geothermal drilling rules are among the most clearly written in Canada. The governing statute is The Groundwater and Water Well Act, C.C.S.M. c. G110 (S.M. 2012, c. 27, in force 2017), with detailed rules in the Groundwater and Water Well (General Matters) Regulation, M.R. 214/2015, and the Well Standards Regulation, M.R. 215/2015. Administration is by the Groundwater Management Section, Manitoba Environment and Climate Change.
Horizontal closed-loop systems are entirely exempt from the Act. M.R. 214/2015 s.2 states this explicitly — no licence, no reporting, no permit required for horizontal loop installations.
Vertical closed-loop and open-loop systems: These require a licensed Well Drilling Contractor. Manitoba is one of the few Canadian provinces with a dedicated licence class for geothermal drilling: Class 2 covers closed-loop geothermal wells only (vertical boreholes). Class 1 covers all well types including geothermal. Licence fee is $100/year for either class, with $2 million minimum liability insurance required per claim.
Well construction reports: Under M.R. 214/2015 s.12, closed-loop geothermal well construction reports are not currently required — the reporting requirement was not activated when the Act came into force. Open-loop well construction reports are required within 45 days of completion.
Rockwood Sensitive Area: If you are located north of Winnipeg in the Rockwood Sensitive Area (designated for groundwater protection under The Environment Act), a permit is required before drilling. Contact 204-785-5030. No other sensitive groundwater areas are currently designated under the Groundwater Act.
Open-loop water rights: If your open-loop system withdraws more than 25,000 L/day of groundwater, a Water Rights Act licence is likely required. Contact [email protected] to confirm whether a licence is needed for your specific project.
Contact the Groundwater Management Section at [email protected] / 204-945-6959, or use our permits tool for province-specific guidance.
Manitoba climate and ground conditions
Manitoba's climate is continental in the extreme — cold, dry winters with long heating seasons, and warm summers. Winnipeg averages around 5,300 degree-days of heating annually, comparable to the coldest US markets. Ground temperatures at borehole depth (typically 60–120 m) stay around 5–7°C across southern Manitoba's mixed sedimentary geology.
Southern Manitoba sits on a deep sedimentary basin with productive aquifer layers, which also means geology is generally well-understood and borehole drilling proceeds predictably. Rural properties across the prairies often suit horizontal loop systems when land area is available — and with horizontal loops exempt from regulation entirely, those installations move faster. Urban Winnipeg properties tend to go vertical.
Manitoba's long heating season (8+ months in many locations) is exactly the scenario where geothermal's stable operating cost advantage compounds over time compared to fossil fuel heating. Combined with the province's relatively low electricity rates and the Efficiency Manitoba incentive package, the economics of switching to geothermal are hard to match anywhere else in Canada.