alliance@bchydro.com

www.bchydro.com/homerebates

betterhomesbc@gov.bc.ca

www.betterhomesbc.ca/

https://betterhomesbc.ca/rebates/income-qualified/

IQPcontractorsupport@clearesult.com

qualityinstalls@fortisbc.com

www.fortisbc.com/homerebates

Question

Response

What are the consumption requirements?

A home's electricity consumption is compared to the average electricity consumption of electrically heated homes of the same size, over the past three years. Customers should check online whether they meet the minimum electricity consumption before doing an upgrade, by visiting this website: https://app.bchydro.com/Hero/eligibility/.

The minimum electricity consumption is only a requirement for homes that are primarily heated by BC Hydro electricity and does not apply to homes that are primarily heated by a FortisBC energy source.

Does Fortis also have consumption eligibility requirements?

No, FortisBC does not have consumption requirements.

If customers do not have a computer or the internet, do they have to apply via phone or is there a paper application?

If customers do not have access to a computer or the internet, they can apply over the phone at 1-855-909-2329 with a Customer Service Representative.

Do the rebate programs use NRCan's definitions for what constitutes a basement, crawlspace, etc?

The program partners refer to the Best Practice Guide for Air Sealing and Insulation Retrofits For Single Family Homes. The Guide was created using the BC Building Code (BCBC).

Can you explain stacking the rebates? Does that apply to the income qualified and the Fortis/BC Hydro one or is that just income qualified and greener homes?

Provincial rebates (Better Homes and Home Renovation Rebate Program and the CleanBC Income Qualified Program) cannot be stacked with one another, but provincial rebates can be stacked with the Federal Greener Homes program.

Please Note: Any stacking of rebates cannot exceed the total project cost and program requirements for each program must be met independently.

I also work in Naramata, Peachland, Oliver, Okanagan Falls.
Are those municipalities not eligible for rebates?

As long as they are FortisBC or BC Hydro customers for heating (and meet the rest of the rebate program eligibility requirements), they are eligible for rebates.

Are rebates the same for batt insulation as they are for spray foam?

Yes. Insulation types do not impact the rebate value, but must be an eligible insulation type: batt, spray foam, board, or loose-fill. Rebates are calculated differently based on the location of the insulation (e.g., attic versus exterior walls), R-value added, and minimum R-value added.

For details on how the rebates are calculated visit:

www.fortisbc.com/rebates or,

www.bchydro.com/rebates.

When doing an attic, do you have to use spray insulation?

No. You do need to use an eligible insulation type which are: batt, loose-fill, board, or spray foam.

Will contractors under the IQP be compensated for materials and labour expenses in the case that a client cancels a project prior to completion?

No, the Income Qualified Program suggests that the homeowners portion of the invoice/quote be required as the down payment. Then the only remaining payments will be from the province, so there should be no reason to cancel the project.

For homes with existing insulation that is highly variable (thick in some areas, thin in others), what R-value should be used?

We suggest using the average of R-value for the calculation. As we only provide rebates for the added insulation, it should not make a difference in the rebate provided.

My clients are wondering what the current wait time is for receiving their rebate from BC Hydro and Greener Homes from the time they apply.

We generally advise that a rebate application can take up to 90 days to process however the rebates teams aim to process applications well within 90 days of receiving them.

Customers are encouraged to include all documentation including invoices, pictures etc. with the application. This helps process the applications sooner rather than waiting for the required information to be emailed back.

If there is a discrepancy in R-values between the energy assessment and our inspection how is this dealt with?

Customers are asked to include pictures of the work that was completed in the home with their rebate application. If there is a discrepancy please send before and after pictures for reference.

Additionally, applications are selected at random for site visits. Site visits are to confirm program compliance, if there is a discrepancy with the R-values the site visit contractor will validate which R-value to use.

How is exterior wall sheathing related to an upgrade? What is wall sheathing?

Exterior wall sheathing insulation is typically rigid board that is added to the exterior of the building (right before the cladding), in contrast with exterior wall cavities which is also a rebate eligible location, located between the studs.