Are you a British Columbian homeowner looking to save on energy costs? BC Hydro, in conjunction with CleanBC Better Homes, and Fortis BC offer energy rebates on heat pumps for homeowners in the North Okanagan of BC and the rest of the province. These rebates offer a fantastic opportunity to not only make your home more energy-efficient but also save money in the long run. Below, we’ll detail the energy rebates available for various heating and cooling systems installed by Coldstream Mechanical, as well as outline the basic steps you need to take to apply for energy rebates for each type of system.
Image Credit: Fortis BC
Energy Rebates for Heat Pumps Available for Vernon BC Homeowners through BC Hydro & Clean BC Better Homes
According to the CleanBC Better Homes website, in British Columbia, the Clean BC Better Homes program is available for homeowners in Vernon (and the rest of BC) who are upgrading their existing heating or cooling systems. Applications for energy rebates are only accepted once all the upgrade work has been completed and paid for and rebate applications must be submitted within 6 months of the invoice date. However, qualifying for rebates is not automatic. Rebate eligibility is not as simple as living in BC and being a homeowner and wading through all the eligibility requirements can cause some serious stress for anyone not familiar with the process.
So, it’s a good thing that here at Coldstream Mechanical, we are very familiar with the energy rebate application process and we are here to help our customers figure out if they qualify for a heat pump rebate, which rebate they qualify for, and how much they are eligible to receive.
General Provincial Energy Rebate Eligibility Requirements for Vernon BC Homeowners Who are Replacing Existing Systems
Heat Pump rebate general eligibility is dependent upon a detailed list of criteria.
Here are some of the general eligibility requirements for energy rebates in BC:
Heat Pump Energy Rebates MUST USE an HPCN Contractor
In order to be eligible for any of the heat pump rebates offered, you’ll need to use a certified member of the Home Performance Contractor Network (HPCN). Coldstream Mechanical Ltd. is one of only 7 HPCN certified contractors in Vernon BC.
Your Home must qualify for an energy rebate based on British Columbia’s province-wide guidelines
Coldstream Mechanical helps our North Okanagan homeowner clients to apply for eligible heat pump upgrades and that means, in some cases, that your home must pass a blower test and meet the following criteria, listed on the CleanBC website:
- It has to be connected to an account with BC Hydro and/or Fortis BC;
- It must be your primary, year-round residence that is at least one year old and fits one of the following types of buildings:
- Single family home (SFH)
- Secondary, individually metered suite in a SFH
- Permanently fixed mobile home
- Individually-metered duplex, triplex, row home or townhome with utility account in your name.
- It must be permanently in place
- It must have a heating system that is (or was) capable of maintaining an interior temperature of 21° Celsius
- It must have an intact envelope (the protective layer that separates the inside from outside), including temporarily air sealed openings
- Current renovations can ONLY affect the inside of the dwelling
- It has to have a current AC electrical supply available
Check out the 2023 CleanBC full energy rebate guide to see all eligibility requirements in detail. Also note that the above are general requirements for eligibility through CleanBC Better Homes and that the other parties involved (BC Hydro & Fortis BC) may have additional eligibility requirements for energy rebates.
PLEASE NOTE: It is VERY important that homeowners read through all the terms and conditions for each type of rebate and cover all their bases (and get help if they are confused about the process). If you don’t dot all the i’s and cross all the t’s, so-to-speak, you may end up being denied a rebate and your contractor will not be held responsible when rebates are denied. We’ve listed all the relevant links for eligibility requirements at the bottom of the page for convenience, but you can also call our office if you’re a Coldstream Mechanical customer and our Office Manager, Steph, can help you figure it all out and walk you through the energy rebate application process.
HPCN Certified Contractor Coldstream Mechanical Ltd. Installs Rebate-Eligible Air Source Heat Pumps for North Okanagan Homeowners
General eligibility requirements for energy rebates in BC right now are offered for the conversion of one type of heating/cooling to another in an established residence. Some of the eligible types are air source heat pumps converted from wood heat and air source heat pumps converted from fossil fuels.
Here at Coldstream Mechanical, we install air source heat pumps only (not ground source or heat pump water heaters) and these air source heat pumps can be ducted, mini-split or multi-split—all of which qualify for rebates from $1200 up to $6000, depending on the system installed.
Tables that summarize the amount available for different types of heat pumps from BC Hydro & Fortis BC (based on CleanBC eligibility criteria)
Air Source Heat Pump converted from electric
To qualify a BC homeowner for a rebate grant, the existing electric heating system (including baseboards, radiant heat ceilings, radiant heat floors, or forced-air furnaces) must be replaced with one of the following air source heat pumps:
Air Source Heat Pump converted from wood
To qualify for a heat pump rebate through CleanBC Better Homes, an existing wood heat system must be replaced with one of the following heat pumps:
Air Source Heat Pump converted from fossil fuel
To meet the eligibility criteria for an energy rebate from a fossil fuel conversion through CleanBC and/or BC Hydro Top Up rebates, an existing fossil fuel system (oil, propane, or natural gas) must be replaced by one of the following heat pumps:
List of Links Related to BC Homeowner Energy Rebates
- Clean BC Better Homes Complete Guide to Energy Rebate Eligibility
- BC Hydro Power Smart Residential Rebate Programs for Home Renovations
- Fortis BC Rebates & Energy Saving Incentives
If you live in the North Okanagan and want to install a heat pump or convert from an existing system to a heat pump system so you can apply for rebates, let us help! Contact Coldstream Mechanical today and we’ll walk you through the process and get you set up!
