Rebates, without the fake numbers
You will see contractors across BC advertising very different figures for the same programs. We are not going to add another one. Here is which programs exist, what actually decides your amount, and where to check it properly.
Why there are no dollar figures on this page
The official CleanBC programs do not publish one number, because there isn't one. The province's own wording is that rebates “depend on the kind of home you live in, your household income, and how many people live with you.” Any site quoting you a single headline figure is guessing, or quoting a number that has already changed. We would rather tell you how to find your real one.
For homes
These are the programs that apply to heating and cooling upgrades in BC. Which ones you can use depends on your home, your income and what you are heating with now.
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Home Renovation Rebate
Efficiency upgrade rebates for BC households at any income level. The usual starting point for a heat pump.
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Energy Savings Program
Larger rebates for lower-income households, to make the same upgrades affordable. Apartments and condos are eligible.
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Condo and apartment rebates
A BC Hydro and CleanBC program for heat pumps and heat pump water heaters in individual units, at any income level. Worth knowing about on the North Shore.
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Multi-unit building retrofits
Whole-building upgrades for apartment and condo buildings — the route for strata councils rather than individual owners.
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Energy Conservation Assistance
Free upgrades, including heat pumps, for income-qualified BC Hydro and FortisBC customers.
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Municipal top-ups
Some local governments add funds on top of the provincial rebate. Where they apply, they are added automatically when you apply, while funds last.
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FortisBC rebates
A separate set of rebates and offers, including income-qualified heating upgrades for homes on electric resistance heat.
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Financing
Several lenders and utilities run loan programs for home energy upgrades, including on-bill options in some communities.
What decides your amount
- What you heat with now. Coming off electric baseboards is treated differently from coming off gas or oil.
- What kind of home it is. A detached house, a townhouse and a condo unit all sit in different programs.
- Household income and size. The income-qualified streams are substantially larger than the standard ones.
- Whole-home or partial. A system that covers most of your heating is treated differently from one that handles a room or two.
- The equipment itself. Programs generally require specific efficiency ratings, and cold-climate certification for some rebates.
- Where you live. Municipal top-ups, and some rebates aimed at colder parts of the province.
Check before you book anything
Rebate programs generally want you registered and approved before the work starts. Booking an installation first can cost you the rebate entirely.
The province runs a free Energy Coach service that will tell you what you qualify for, independently of any contractor:
For businesses
Commercial refrigeration and HVAC upgrades have their own incentive programs, and they are worth checking before you replace anything.
BC Hydro business incentives
BC Hydro runs incentives covering refrigeration and HVAC add-on upgrades, aimed primarily at commercial and smaller industrial sites. Funding varies by equipment type, applications go through BC Hydro's own system, and there are eligibility conditions on both the site and the contractor.
FortisBC business rebates
FortisBC lists rebates for commercial refrigeration equipment, including upgrades to existing walk-in coolers and freezers, alongside its heating and water heating offers.
Where we come into it
We install the equipment and do the heat loss calculation that most programs ask for. We do not decide what you qualify for — that is between you and the program.
Tell us what you are considering and we will tell you what the installation involves and what the equipment needs to meet. Check your eligibility with the Energy Coach, then we can get on with the work.
Planning an upgrade?
Call and tell us about the property and what you are heating with now. We will tell you what the work takes.