Rebate programs for homes in your community
Rebates, programs1 and support are available for Indigenous communities making energy-efficiency improvements and upgrades to their homes. We also facilitate and sponsor group lunches or dinners to talk to community members about conservation and energy-efficiency opportunities.
The Indigenous Communities Conservation Program is for Indigenous communities in FortisBC’s service territory who plan to or are already in the process of improving the energy efficiency of existing homes in their community. This program must be administered through your housing department.
We’re there to work with your community throughout the upgrade process, from assisting with applications to ensuring eligible energy-efficient products are selected. Before beginning work, review the program terms and conditions to see details about eligibility and requirements for upgrades.
How to apply for rebates
First, apply to the program by completing the online form. Once we receive your information, we will send you an Excel workbook that you can use to log the energy-efficiency upgrades completed at each home.
When the work is complete, you can send us the Excel workbook, along with paid invoices and any other required documentation (see Appendix A of the terms and conditions) to apply for your rebates.
Available rebates
This table summarizes rebates available for improving the health, safety and energy efficiency of existing homes in Indigenous communities. Review the terms and conditions for upgrade-specific requirements.
| Upgrade1 | Rebate | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Health and safety improvements | up to $1,000 per premises | For supporting activities necessary for energy-efficiency upgrades to proceed (e.g., drywall repair, soffit repair, mold/moisture damage remediation, removal of radon, asbestos and pests, etc.) |
| Air source heat pumps | up to $5,000 per system | For eligible central (ducted) or variable-speed multi- or mini-split (ductless) air source heat pumps in homes primarily heated by electricity supplied by FortisBC. |
| Electric heat pump water heaters | up to $1,000 per unit | For eligible Tier 2 or higher models used for primary water heating in homes that use electricity supplied by FortisBC. |
| ENERGY STAR® certified appliances | Chest freezer: up to $400 per unit Refrigerator: up to $1,000 per unit |
For replacing existing appliances that were manufactured before 2001 with comparably sized eligible fridges and freezers. |
| High-efficiency natural gas boilers | $2,000 per unit | For eligible boilers used for primary space heating that are at least 94% AFUE (annual fuel utilization efficiency). |
| High-efficiency natural gas furnaces | 95 to 96.9% AFUE: $2,000 per unit 97 to 99% AFUE: $3,000 per unit |
For eligible furnaces with 95 to 96.9% AFUE or
97 to 99% AFUE, used for primary space
heating; add a connected thermostat for an additional $150 rebate. |
| High-efficiency natural gas water heaters | Storage tank: $500 per unit Condensing tankless: $2,500 per unit |
For eligible ENERGY STAR storage tank and tankless water heaters used for primary water heating. |
| Insulation | up to $2,000 per area |
For adding/upgrading insulation to meet minimum R values in
|
| Ventilation | up to $1,200 per premises | For installing eligible ENERGY STAR bathroom fans and ducting to outside (if they enable energy-saving upgrades to occur, such as windows or insulation). |
| Windows and doors |
Tier 1 windows (U-factor 1.4 to 1.23 (W/m2-K)): $100 per unit, up to $2,000 per premises
Tier 2 windows and doors (U-factor 1.22 or less (W/m2-K)): $200 per unit, up to $4,000 per premises |
For replacing existing exterior windows and doors with eligible windows and doors. See terms and conditions or contact us for more information. |
| Two-upgrade bonus offer | $300 per premises | Bonus for having at least two eligible upgrades installed. Not all rebates qualify toward the bonus offer. See terms and conditions or contact us for more information. |
For Indigenous communities that are building new non-profit housing (Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. section 95) or homes owned or rented by community members, this program aligns with the BC Energy Step Code and provides a choice between two enhanced rebate options for building high-performance single family homes, duplexes and townhouses:
- Option A: build homes to BC Energy Step Code 2 or higher using natural gas space and water heating (or electric space and water heating in FortisBC's electricity service area) to qualify for home performance rebates of $4,000 to $13,000. Additional rebates are available for hiring program-qualified energy advisor support, and for appliances and equipment such as EnerChoice® fireplaces, drain water heat recovery systems and more.
- Option B: build homes to Step Code 1 or minimum building code and choose from a variety of rebates, including high-efficiency water heaters. Though not required, support for hiring a program-qualified energy advisor is available to help maximize efficiency.
We also provide funding to support energy-efficient design of homes. For homes built to Step Code 3, 4 or 5, you may be eligible to receive up to $7,000 toward consulting fees of Integrated Design Process (IDP) consultants, building science consultants and/or mechanical design specialists.
This program must be administered through your housing department. Review the New Home Program terms and conditions or contact us for full details.
Having natural gas and electric appliances regularly inspected and maintained by a licensed contractor helps keep them operating safely and efficiently. It also helps extend the life expectancy of equipment, and many appliance manufacturers require regular servicing to maintain appliance warranties.
These rebates are available to Indigenous communities for annual maintenance of the following equipment in homes. This program must be administered by your housing department and is not available to individual households. Terms and conditions apply.
| Appliance service | Rebate (per household) |
|---|---|
| Gas furnace or boiler | $100 |
| Electric heat pump (in FortisBC’s electricity service territory) | $100 |
| Gas storage tank water heater | $50 |
| Gas tankless water heater | $100 |
| Gas fireplace | $50 each (up to two per household) |
More energy-saving programs for community members
Individual households in your community may be eligible to receive a free kit with energy-saving products they can install themselves at home, or a free home energy evaluation and installation of energy-saving upgrades. Funding and support is available to help administer and promote these programs to your community members – contact us for details. Note: households in Indigenous communities do not need to provide proof of income to participate in these programs.
Let’s get in touch
If you have questions about services, programs and rebates for Indigenous communities, email us or call 1-866-884-8833 and select option 4.
1Terms and conditions apply to these programs. FortisBC may modify or cancel programs at any time without notice.