British Columbia Residential Financial Incentives for Insulation

BC Hydro Home Renovation Rebates for Insulation

Upgrading insulation will help you save at least 10% of your home’s energy cost and improve your home’s comfort year ’round. When planning an insulation upgrade, you’ll need to understand R-value, which is the measure of insulation’s ability to slow the transfer of heat. Rebate amounts are calculated by the amount of R-value you’re adding to your home.

City of Richmond’s High-Performance Incentives

Effective March 16, 2021, dwellings built to the upper tiers of the BC Energy Step Code or the Passive House Standard are eligible for various incentives including reduced fees and floor area exemptions.

For more information, see the following City of Richmond Bylaws:

• Richmond Zoning Bylaw No. 8500, Amendment Bylaw No. 10237: Floor Area Exclusions for High-Performance Single Family and Duplex Housing
• Building Regulation Bylaw No. 7230, Amendment Bylaw No. 10238: Permit Fee Incentives for High-Performance Single Family and Duplex Housing

For more information about the Passive House Standard, see Passive House Canada’s website.

Application and Verification Procedures

1. Prior to submitting the Building Permit application:

• Energy Step Code 4 or 5: the applicant must submit a request letter to the Director of Building Approvals, along with the Pre-Construction Energy Step Code Compliance Report and supporting documents as per the City of Richmond bulletin (Building-38). The request letter must detail the requested floor area exemptions and provide a rationale for each item. Upon verification of compliance of the Proposed House with the applicable Step, the Manager of Plan Review will provide an Incentive Authorization Letter outlining the granted incentives. A copy of this letter must be included in the full Building Permit application package.
• Certified Passive House: A request letter must be submitted to the Director of Building Approvals, along with a letter from a Certified Passive House Designer attesting to the Passive House performance of the proposed design, and a letter from a Passive House Certifier, assuring that if built as designed, the proposed house will achieve Passive House Certification. The request letter must detail all the requested floor area exemptions and the rationale for each item. Upon review of the request letter and supporting documents, a meeting will be arranged by the Manager of Plan Review to discuss the exemption request with the applicant. Other staff from Building Approvals and other departments may be present at the meeting, at the discretion of the Manager
  of Plan Review. After the meeting, and pending any justification or clarification requested during the meeting, the Manager of Plan Review will provide an Incentive Authorization Letter outlining the granted incentives. A copy of this letter must be included in the full Building Permit application package.

    2. Prior to requesting Final Building Inspection:

• Energy Step Code 4 or 5: As-built Energy Step Code Compliance Report confirming compliance with Step 4 or Step 5, as applicable, and supporting documents as per the City of Richmond bulletin Building-38.
• Certified Passive House: Confirmation of Certification.

    3. Building Permit fee refunds will be issued upon successful completion of Final Inspection.

See all program details here.

The CleanBC Better Homes New Construction Program provides rebates up to $15,000 for the construction of new, high-performance, electric homes. Through the CleanBC plan, the Province is supporting the adoption of the BC Energy Step Code and making energy efficient, climate-friendly homes more affordable and accessible for British Columbians.

Available Rebates

Choose your rebate pathway:

• Energy Step Code pathway: build a new home that meets a minimum BC Energy Step code level and uses electric space and water heating systems.
  OR
• Heat pump pathway: build a new home that uses an electric heat pump for space heating or water heating, regardless of Energy Step Code level.

Choose your add-on rebates:

• All-Electric Bonus: build a home with no fossil fuel (e.g. natural gas, propane, oil) connection whatsoever (including for cooking, fireplaces, or other uses) and receive an additional $4,000 per home.
• Energy Advisor Support Rebate: work with a Program Qualified Energy Advisor and receive an additional $1,000 per home.

Energy Step Code Pathway

Build a home to BC Energy Step Code 3 or higher using electric space and water heating systems.

Heat Pump Pathway

Build a home that uses an electric heat pump for space heating or water heating.

• You are eligible for a maximum of one primary space heating system rebate and one primary water heating system rebate per home or unit, regardless of the number of systems installed.

Eligibility Requirements

• The program is open to builders, developers and owner builders who are building a new home in B.C.
• Homes must be constructed in compliance with Part 9 of the BC Building Code and, where applicable, the municipally-adopted minimum BC Energy Step Code requirement.
• The home must be one of the following building types:
  • Single-family home
  • Laneway home
  • Duplex
  • Row/townhome
• The new home must be located in BC Hydro or New Westminster Electrical Utility service territory.
• Builders participating in the Energy Step Code pathway or applying for the Energy Advisor Support Rebate or All-Electric Bonus in the Heat Pump pathway must work with a Program Qualified Energy Advisor.
• You must receive a building permit for the home(s) on or after April 1, 2020.
• You must receive pre-approval for the program by submitting a pre-registration form.

Additional requirements apply. Confirm eligibility by reviewing the Rebate Eligibility Requirements and Terms and Conditions.

How to Apply

1. Carefully read the Rebate Eligibility Requirements and Terms and Conditions to confirm your eligibility.
2. Fill out and submit the pre-registration form. Within 30 days of submitting this form, we’ll send you an email with the status of your submission.
3. Complete your project within 12 months of the date of your pre-approval confirmation email. If 12 months have passed, submit a new pre-registration form.
4. Submit the post-construction application and required supporting documentation:
   • As-Built BC Energy Compliance Report and EnerGuide (N) Evaluation Homeowner Information Sheet for the Energy Step Code pathway, All-Electric Bonus and Energy Advisor Support Rebate;
     • Passive House certified homes to submit the Passive House Planning Package in lieu of the EnerGuide (N) Evaluation Homeowner Information Sheet.
       OR
     • Heat pump installation invoice for the heat pump pathway. See sample invoices.

See The Heat Program

Indigenous Communities Conservation Program 

Residential Energy Rebate Program

Back for a limited time, the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) is making it easier for homeowners to reduce monthly utility costs with the Residential Energy Assessment Rebate Program.

The rebate program offers Whistler homeowners $250 towards an Energuide for Homes home energy evaluation, helping homeowners access hundreds or even thousands of dollars in utility program rebates-and ongoing reductions in monthly bills.

Non-Profit and Aboriginal Housing Upgrades

Non-profit housing providers and aboriginal communities can get free help upgrading their housing units with energy efficient products to help tenants and members save on their electricity costs and improve their overall comfort.

All upgrades are completed by a professional contractor at no cost to you or your tenants. The contractor will evaluate each home’s efficiency to determine the necessary upgrades. They’ll also provide tenants with tips for how they further reduce their electricity use.

Available upgrades

Single-family detached homes, townhomes, row homes, duplexes, apartments and mobile homes are all eligible. The exact upgrades installed will be determined by the housing type and individual characteristics of each home.

Fortis BC Insulation Rebates

How to Apply

1. Apply online within six months of completing your installations with the following information:

• your FortisBC natural gas and/or electricity account number, or municipal electricity account number from Grand Forks, Penticton, Summerland or Nelson Hydro
• your email
• scanned copies of all paid invoices showing details of all work performed, including the purchase date, make, model and installation permit numbers (if applicable). Invoices for insulation rebate applications should indicate the location(s) of installation, type of insulation (batt, loose fill, board or spray foam), the R-value of new insulation added and the total amount of insulation added in square feet.

2. If you’re not the utility account holder (e.g. property is a rental), have the account holder complete the consent form.

3. Applications may take up to 90 days to process.

Fortis BC Energy Conservation Assistance Program (ECAP)

A program for lower-income earners.

• Free home energy evaluation
• Free installation of energy saving products (including insulation in attics, walls, and crawlspaces)
• Free energy efficiency advice

Clean BC

Rebates are calculated based on the R-value of new insulation added and not the total combined final R-value of the new and pre-existing insulation, including in cases where the pre-existing insulation is removed.

*Rebate available for crawlspace walls OR floor over crawlspace, but not both.

East Kootenay District: Kimberley Energy Efficient Building Incentive Program

Offered by the City of Kimberley, the program offers financial incentives to existing and new buildings.

• Existing buildings: 1% building permit rebate for every EnerGuide (EG) point improvement
• New builds: building permit fee rebate based on the achieved EG rating
  • EG 78-79: 10% rebate
  • EG 80-82: 20% rebate
  • EG 83-85: 40% rebate
  • EG 86-90: 60% rebate
  • EG 91-100: 80% rebate

Nanaimo and Lantzville District Home Energy Assessment

The Regional District of Nanaimo offers the following incentives to its residents:

• $150 rebate for an initial home energy assessment resulting in an EnerGuide (EG) rating;
• $10 per EG rating point improvement ($200 maximum).

Nelson EcoSave Energy Retrofits Program

The City of Nelson and Nelson Hydro have partnered up to offer homeowners the following for retrofit upgrades:

• Free post-energy assessment (value $150);
• 3.5% on-bill financing, amortized 5-10 years with a one-time dispersal fee of $100.

Energy Save New West

The City of New Westminster is offering homeowners a limited number of pre-upgrade energy assessments for $60 (total savings of $240). The assessments help identify available incentives and rebates for energy upgrades through BC Hydro and FortisBC.

Insulation rebates up to $5500 available through the program for existing homes.

Saanich Step Code Rebate

The Step Code Implementation Rebate is intended to assist builders with the costs of an energy advisor and mid-construction blower door test during the early phases of the BC Energy Step Code requirement in Saanich.

One $500 rebate is available per building permit application in the District of Saanich until Dec 31, 2020 or until funds are exhausted.

City of Kamloops Step Code Incentive Program

Projects are eligible for the incentive that corresponds with the step that is achieved according to the as-built form that the energy advisor completes.

Comox Valley Regional District Energy Efficient Houses Rebate 

For new homes with permits dated after and including March 29, 2018:

City of Kelowna Energy Step Code Building Permit Rebates

The City of Kelowna is offering $500 – $1,000 building permit fee rebates for achieving Step 4 and 5 of the BC Energy Step Code until May 31, 2021.

For new Part 9 residential homes with building permits issued after and including May 20, 2019:

District of Sparwood Energy Step Code Policy Initiative

• Incentive #1 – Aligning with Step 1
  • 100% contribution to a maximum of $500 provided to new home construction that complies with the BC Building Code via performance pathway (Step 1 of the BC Energy Step Code). To achieve Step 1, builders need to use a whole-building energy model to calculate the energy use of the building and conduct an airtightness test, but the performance of the building only needs to be as good as the base BC Building Code requirements for energy efficiency. The District will offer a 100% contribution toward Community Energy Advisor fees (to a max of $500) as a limited, one-year offer for performance pathway compliance. The goal of this incentive is to familiarize builders with this model of measuring energy efficiency.
• Incentive #2 – Aiming for higher steps
  • Incremental building permit fee rebate for energy performance aligned with BC Energy Step Code tiers.
    • Step 2 = 50% rebate of Building Permit Fee
    • Step 3 = 75% rebate of Building Permit Fee
    • Step 4 = 100% rebate of Building Permit Fee d.
    • Step 5 = 100% rebate of Building Permit Fee
  • A building permit fee rebate will be offered in addition to the Community Energy Advisor fee (to a maximum of $500), when a home achieves energy performance aligned with Steps 2 to 5 of the BC Energy Step Code as shown above.
  • In order to receive Incentive #2, builders must apply the EnerGuide Label within their home on the electrical panel.

City of Kimberley Energy Efficient Building Incentive Program

New buildings with Building Permits issued after January 1, 2018 are eligible for an initial rebate of $500 off the Building Permit cost to offset the fees associated with hiring an energy advisor.

FortisBC New Home Program

Option A – Build a Home to BC Energy Step Code 2 or higher

Nanaimo Sustainable Development Checklist Rebate

There are three levels to rebates that are available:

Rebates are administered based on which minimum score your home must achieve in order to qualify for the incentive. The minimum score is based on the square footage of the home, and how many bedrooms the home has.

Your score is calculated as:

• EnerGuide Rating + Bonus Points = Total Score

Bonus Points are points acquired with the Sustainable Development Checklist. Homeowners and owner-builders can pursue additional points through two different options to achieve a higher Checklist score:

• Option A: Shortcut. The project has achieved an eligible building standard, including LEED or ENERGY STAR®.
• Option B: Step-by-step. The project receives points for including energy efficiency upgrades in the project.

Township of Langley – Upper Steps Initiative

New Construction Single Family Dwellings

New Construction Multi-Family Dwellings

*End units receive 25% more than the amount specified (for Step 4 ($375) and for Step 5 ($625).

City of Vancouver Home Renovation Rebates

Heritage Energy Retrofit (Pilot Program)

Vancouver Heritage Foundation (in partnership with the City of Vancouver Sustainability Group and City Green Solutions) is offering homes on the Vancouver Heritage Register or built before 1940 up to $3,000 for retrofits (including insulation) that result in measurable reductions in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Homes must be heated by oil or gas.

VanCity Home Energy Loan

VanCity is offering Vancouver residents a loan to leverage the cost of renovation projects, including insulation upgrades. $3,500-20,000 loans are offered at prime + 1% for up to 15 years, with flexible payment options.

For those who participate in BC Hydro’s Home Renovation Rebates, VanCity is adding a $200 VanCity Home Energy Rebate to help save up to $6,400 on a variety of energy efficiency upgrades.