Rebates for Heat Pumps

It’s a good time to upgrade your inefficient home heating system. There are rebates currently available through the Home Renovation Rebates Program from BC Hydro, and the CleanBC Better Homes Program funded by the Province of BC and the Government of Canada.

The rebate offered by BC Hydro is $1000 for qualifying air-source mini-split or multi-split heat pump systems installed to replace electric furnaces or baseboard heaters. 

The heat pump incentives from the CleanBC Better Homes program are for homes converting from oil or gas heat, and include $3000 for qualifying mini or multi-split systems, $3000 for qualifying variable speed central systems, and $1200 for qualifying conventional central heat pump systems.

Both rebate programs are combined into one online application form.

There are additional municipal top-up rebates available from select municipalities, which are automatically added when rebate applications are processed. These top-ups are only offered when an eligible heat pump system is replacing fossil fuel heat, not when replacing electric heat. Currently there is a $350 top-up rebate for all residents of the Capital Regional District (CRD), an additional $350 top-up for residents of Saanich, Central Saanich, and North Saanich, and an extra $2000 top-up for residents in the City of Victoria!

An EnerGuide Home Evaluation is not required to receive a heat pump rebate, but there is a $200 incentive offered for homeowners who choose to get one. Some municipalities also offer a top-up of $150 on this rebate.

There are additional home energy rebates available. Try the rebate search tool on the CleanBC Better Homes website to find all the rebates that may be applicable to your home. There are also a number of eligibility requirements, so be sure to review the Program Requirements and the Terms and Conditions for all those details.

For further information and guidance on these rebate programs, contact the Energy Coach service, either through their web contact form or by phone: 1-844-881-9790.

**This post has been updated with rebate program information available as of September 23, 2020.**

Home Energy Rebate Offer extended!

BC Hydro and FortisBC have a rebate program for homeowners making energy efficiency improvements, including insulation, draft-proofing, and space heating. There is an $800 rebate for installation of ductless heat pump systems, available for homes already heated with electricity (i.e. baseboards or electric furnace).

 

UPDATE:  The Home Energy Rebate Program has been extended to March 31st, 2016!

Call Envirotemp to book your installation today - (250) 893-4530.

For more information on the HERO rebate:

https://www.bchydro.com/powersmart/residential/rebates_savings/home-energy-rebate-offer.html

LiveSmart BC Grants

Update:  The LiveSmart BC financial incentives for space heating upgrades, including high-efficiency heat pump systems, expired on March 31, 2013. Rebates are still available for insulation and sealing improvements; check the LiveSmart BC website for details. A new heat pump system still provides substantial savings on home heating bills and, depending on the particular house and type of system being replaced, can pay for itself within a few years. With the recent elimination of the Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) in BC, you will now only pay 5% GST on a new heat pump installation. Envirotemp offers competitive pricing, clean, high quality workmanship, and the best warranties in the industry. Contact us today for a free estimate.
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If you are thinking about upgrading your heating system this year, now may be the best time to tackle it. You can still access significant savings through the LiveSmart BC energy efficiency incentive program until the end of March. If you install an eligible heat pump system (ductless inverter or ENERGY STAR® qualified conventional system), you qualify for a rebate of up to $1500, plus a bonus of $100 for having it installed by an accredited contractor.

But there is no time to waste, as you will need to schedule a pre-retrofit home assessment with a certified energy advisor before having the system installed, and then a post-retrofit assessment after, all by March 31st, 2013. Check the LiveSmart BC website for details. Keep in mind that the last three days of March fall on a long weekend.

For people who want to take advantage of the LiveSmart BC incentives, but do not have room in their budget for home energy improvements right now, check out Vancity's Bright Ideas home renovation loan. It is a personal financing option with a low interest rate of prime plus 1% for a period of up to 10 years, with a maximum amount of $20,000. For Colwood residents, another option is the BC Hydro Home Loan pilot program. This program allows eligible homeowners in Colwood to borrow up to $10,000 at an interest rate as low as 4 per cent.

York Products Rebates

Until the end of April 2012, we will be offering rebates on selected York heat pumps, furnaces, and systems. These rebates apply to the purchase of 16 seer or 18 seer Affinity line heat pumps, and also to 95.5%-97.5% furnaces. The rebate value ranges from $100 to $600. Please contact Envirotemp for details. 
250-893-4530

ecoENERGY Retrofit program closes early, LiveSmart BC still open.

The LiveSmart BC Efficiency Incentive program will remain open to new participants until March 31, 2013. The federal ecoENERGY Retrofit - Homes program is closed to new registrations as of January 28th, having reached its goal of 250,000 registered homeowners. This will give all federally registered homeowners the opportunity to apply for and receive a federal grant for their eligible retrofit upgrades. Participants that have a registration number but have not yet had an energy assessment are still able to book an energy assessment.

British Columbians who have not already accessed incentives from either the LiveSmart BC Efficiency Incentive program or the federal ecoENERGY Retrofit – Homes program are still eligible to access the existing LiveSmart BC incentives. The first step to access LiveSmart BC incentives is to book a home energy efficiency evaluation by a certified energy advisor. No federal registration number is required to book an energy efficiency evaluation for homeowners who are only accessing the LiveSmart BC incentives.

To help ensure that federal ecoENERGY program participants have the opportunity to complete their required post-retrofit evaluation and apply for a grant, the deadline to complete a post-retrofit evaluation has been extended to June 30, 2012. To be eligible for these federal ecoENERGY incentives, all upgrades must still be completed by March 31, 2012. Upgrades completed after March 31, 2012 remain eligible for LiveSmart BC incentives.

LiveSmart BC program participants must have their follow-up assessment within 18 months of their pre-retrofit assessment or before March 31, 2013, whichever comes first. Program participants can only have one follow-up evaluation. If a homeowner chooses to have a follow-up evaluation before June 30, 2012 to be eligible for the federal ecoENERGY incentives, that evaluation will be also be for the LiveSmart BC program. Participants will not be able to do further work later and access additional incentives from the LiveSmart BC program.

Deadline for ecoEnergy Retrofit program coming soon!

Canadians could receive up to $5,000 in federal grants to make energy- and water-efficient home improvements through ecoEnergy Retrofit. The program has been popular for good reason: Homeowners who took advantage of the grants before Budget 2011 saved an average of 20 per cent on their energy bills.

The post-retrofit home energy audit must be completed by March 31, 2012. Book your post-retrofit evaluation as early as possible; it could prove difficult to find an available auditor as the deadline approaches. Evaluations performed after March 31, 2012, will not be eligible for a federal grant.

The rebates under the ecoEnergy program include:

• air conditioners
• boilers
• doors
• drainwater heat recovery (DWHR) systems
• furnaces
• heat pumps
• heat recovery ventilators
• insulation
• thermostats
• toilets
• water heaters
• windows/skylights

  
The LiveSmart BC: Efficiency Incentive Program is set to continue until March 31, 2013.

LiveSmart BC: Small Business Program

Go Green and Save!
Join other businesses across B.C. who are saving money and reducing energy use by participating in the LiveSmart BC Small Business Program, developed in partnership with BC utilities (FortisBC, BC Hydro and Fortis Gas), industry associations, the Small Business Roundtable and other BC-based small business operators.


Determine which of the following Program Components you would like to access.

1. Business Energy Advisors (BEAs): deliver free energy assessments, help owners tap into available product incentives and cash rebates, and help coordinate product installation.
   
   
2. Direct Installation: funds 100 per cent of the cost of replacing and installing select energy efficient equipment such as lighting and pre-rinse spray valves for commercial kitchens.
    
3. Enhanced Product Incentives: offers enhanced cash rebates for more than 10,000 energy efficient products.
    
4. LiveSmart Champion: an open call for businesses to access funding for new, innovative ways to conserve energy.
   

ecoENERGY Grants Available Now!

Save NOW with a home retrofit grant – Save later on your energy bills.

The Government of Canada has renewed the ecoENERGY Retrofit – Homes program from June 6, 2011, to March 31, 2012, to help homeowners make their homes more energy-efficient and reduce the burden of high energy costs.

 

Please note that the ecoENERGY grants are separate from the LiveSmart BC grants offered by the provincial government, and you need to register to access these grants.

 

When selecting a new ENERGY STAR qualified air-source heat pump (ASHP) or central A/C, the complete system must meet the requirements listed below. The system is composed of a matched outdoor unit (condenser coil), indoor unit (evaporator coil or head in the case of ductless mini-splits) and sometimes a specific furnace. The installer must supply an invoice with all makes and model numbers including the Air-Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) reference number. When the AHRI reference number includes a furnace model, that furnace must be present at the time of the post-retrofit evaluation or otherwise the ASHP or A/C will not qualify for a grant. For ductless mini-split AHSP, at least one outdoor unit combined with one or more heads must meet the 12,000 BTU/hr requirements.

 

Minimum requirements for air-source heat pumps and air conditioners
Air-Source Heat Pumps:

Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER) 14.5
Energy Efficiency Ratio (EER) 12.0
Heating Seasonal Performance Factor (HSPF) for Region V (Canada) 7.1
Heating capacity (BTU/hr) 12,000

Air Conditioners:

Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER) 14.5
Energy Efficiency Ratio (EER) 12.0

 

Install one of the following ENERGY STAR qualified air-source heat pumps (ASHP) that provide space heating and optional cooling. The ASHP must have an AHRI number meeting the minimum requirements.

• central split-system ASHP that is a complete new system or replacement including the matched indoor coil and outdoor unit, as well as a furnace if required to meet ENERGY STAR

• single package ASHP

• ductless mini-split ASHP with at least one indoor head per floor (excluding the basement) that is a complete new system or replacement including indoor head and outdoor unit.

• $500

Replace your central air-conditioning system with one of the following ENERGY STAR qualified A/C systems:

• central split-system A/C that has an AHRI number meeting the minimum requirements

• ductless mini-split that has an AHRI number meeting the minimum requirements with at least one indoor head per floor excluding the basement

• an ASHP that meets the minimum requirements that also provides cooling (such a system would be eligible for both a space heating and cooling grant).

• $250 

 Install an HRV or ERV that is certified by the Home Ventilating Institute (HVI) and listed in Section 3 of their product directory. Go to hvi.org, click “Consumers” and “Certified Products Directory.” Systems listed in other sections of the HVI directory are not eligible. $375

Heat Pumps Incentives

Here are the new grants available from LiveSmart BC for heat pump installations and other residential HVAC improvements. Check out the LiveSmart BC website for information on how to access these grants.

Air Source Heat Pump

• ENERGY STAR central heat pump system verified with an AHRI number, with either a new DC variable speed air handler or a new ENERGY STAR furnace with DC variable speed motor ~ $1500
• Ductless mini-split heat pump: one head in main occupied area plus one additional head on a different floor, ENERGY STAR or non-ENERGY STAR inverter-based system ~ $1500
• ENERGY STAR central heat pump system added to an existing furnace or added to an existing indoor air handling unit ~ $1000
• Ductless mini-split heat pump: Single head in main occupied area, ENERGY STAR or non-ENERGY STAR inverter-based ~ $1000

Ground or Water Source Heat Pump

•  CAN /CSA C448 compliant, new ground source heat pump installation that is certified by the Canadian GeoExchange Coalition ~ $2500
• CAN /CSA C448 compliant, ground source heat pump replacement that is certified by the Canadian GeoExchange Coalition ~ $1000
• CAN /CSA C448 compliant, new shared ground source heat pump serving three or more homes that is certified by the Canadian Geo Exchange Coalition: One incentive per shared loop ~ $1500, One for each distribution system in the shared loop ~ $1000

Water Heating

•  Electric heat pump water heater with an Energy Factor of 2.0 or greater. Must be installed in an unconditioned space or have ducting of the exhaust and supply air to the outdoors. Integrated system ~ $400, Add-on system ~ $200
•  Drain water heat recovery installation with efficiency greater than 42% ~ $150

 Other Home Heat Incentives

• ENERGY STAR gas furnace 95% AFUE or better with DC variable speed motor ~ $500
• Install an HVI certified ENERGY STAR Heat Recovery Ventilator and a house air tightness of 4.5 ach @50Pa in South Coastal ~ $800
• Replace a minimum of five thermostats for electric baseboards with electronic thermostats ~ $50

Retrofits Incentives

Through a grant from Natural Resources Canada’s Clean Energy Fund and other funding partners such as BC Hydro, the City of Colwood will be providing incentives towards solar thermal hot water heating systems, ductless split heat pumps, home energy monitoring systems and more. Details of the program are being finalized, and the City hopes to launch the program and begin retrofits in May 2011. The goal is to retrofit 1,000 homes over the three year program.

The incentives will be greatest for those who join the program early. The first ten homes will receive a $3,800 incentive towards the cost of solar hot water heating; the next 200 homes will receive $3,000 each. An energy assessment will help you to identify other energy- and cost-saving retrofits, and the program coordinator will be working to make this process easy for homeowners to take part. http://www.solarcolwood.ca/home-business.php

Ductless Split Heat Pumps

Air source heat pumps are an increasingly common option for homeowners looking to reduce energy costs for heating and cooling their homes. These work well for homes with a ducting system (forced air system). For homes with no ducting system—for example, those with electric baseboard heaters—a ductless heat pump may be a great option. As the name implies, it is a heat pump without ducts. Instead warm (or cool) air is blown into the room where the indoor unit is located. Such a system is ideal for retrofits where installation results in minimal changes to the home. http://www.solarcolwood.ca/clean-energy.php