Using the worksheets in Prince Edward Island

The market

Charlottetown is the main centre, with Summerside second and Stratford, Cornwall and Three Rivers next. Most of the island is within a reasonable drive of either city, so travel costs are lower than in larger rural provinces, but the total number of customers is small.

On the ad budget worksheet, this shows up as diminishing returns. The first few hundred dollars a month may book jobs at a good cost, while the next few hundred reach the same people again. Watch cost per booked job month by month, and stop increasing spend when it starts to climb steeply.

On the ROI worksheet, referrals and repeat customers are often the biggest line. That is a strength. Protect it with good review habits, and track it honestly so you know its true size.

Climate and the heating mix

PEI has a maritime climate, with cold, snowy winters softened by the surrounding Gulf of St. Lawrence. According to Statistics Canada, in 2023 heat pumps were the main heating system for about 36% of PEI households, while about 28% used oil, 18% electricity and 8% wood as their main heating energy.

For HVAC and plumbing businesses, that makes heat pump servicing, replacement and backup heating large rows on the job value worksheet, alongside oil system work. A heat pump service plan customer may also be worth more over three years than a one-off install, so the customer-value column deserves attention. Seasonal weights are heavy in winter, with a summer bump from cooling.

Regulators to know

PEI's inspection services cover boilers and pressure vessels, electrical, elevators and lifts, plumbing and propane.

Several licences have marketing relevance, because customers may ask for them:

• a Plumbing Contractor's Licence for plumbing companies
• a Mechanical Contractor Licence for boiler and pressure vessel work, on a three-year cycle that ends December 31, 2027
• an Elevator and Lifts Contractor's Licence
• an LP Gas Personnel Licence for people servicing propane appliances

The Workers Compensation Board of PEI covers workers' compensation. We link these for reference; check the province's pages for what applies to your work.

Programs: what has changed

PEI's programs changed significantly in 2026. As of October 2026:

• The efficiencyPEI free heat pump program and the oil-to-heat-pump co-delivery show applications as closed.
• The residential heat pump equipment rebates ended April 15, 2026. Purchases made from April 15, 2025 to April 15, 2026 may still qualify within a year of purchase.
• A June 2026 federal agreement expands the province's free insulation program for income-qualified homeowners. Intake details were not confirmed.

If your website or Google profile still promotes rebates that have ended, update it now. Confirm any program detail with the province before using it.

A quick worksheet adjustment for a small market

Picture an invented Charlottetown heat pump business that doubles its monthly ad spend in a good month. On the ROI sheet, leads rise by perhaps a third rather than double, because many of the extra clicks come from people who already saw the ad. Cost per booked job climbs. On a small island, the useful question is not how much more to spend but where spend stops paying, and the monthly cost-per-booked-job column answers it. Once it passes the target from the job value sheet, put the money into reviews and service-plan follow-ups instead.

How we would approach PEI

We would put the local SEO checklist and reviews first, because in a small market reputation compounds. Then a modest, tightly tracked ad budget aimed only at high-value jobs. And a clean-up of any outdated rebate claims.

Trades.Tools is a marketing and business consulting service, not a contractor. To go through your PEI numbers, call, text or email us.