Insulation rebates

Adding or upgrading insulation is a cost-effective renovation to increase the energy efficiency and comfort of your home all year round.

Before beginning work, make sure you qualify for this rebate by reviewing the Program Rebate Requirements, as outlined in the terms and conditions and the eligibility and rebate details below. Note: as of April 1, 2021, insulation must be installed by a program registered contractor for insulation to qualify for a rebate.

General eligibility

The home must have:

a residential FortisBC natural gas account and/or
a residential FortisBC or municipal electricity account of Grand Forks, Penticton, Summerland or Nelson Hydro

If the registered owner of the property where upgrades were made is not the utility account holder (e.g. landlord/tenant) the owner must have the account holder complete the Utility Account Holder Consent form.
The home must be either an existing single-family, duplex, row home, townhouse, stacked home or mobile home on a permanent foundation. New construction, reconstructions, additions and garage upgrades are not eligible.
The home must have a minimum of 12 months of continuous utility billing prior to the upgrades being made. Note: this requirement is specific to the home and not the registered property owner.
Applications must be submitted within six months of the paid invoice date.
Rebates cannot exceed the paid cost on the invoice.

Insulation specific requirements

Batt, loose fill, board and spray foam are eligible insulation types.
As of April 1, 2021, insulation must be installed by a Program Registered Contractor for insulation with a valid GST number and BC business licence to qualify for rebates. Invoices dated prior to April 1, 2021, from a non-program registered contractor must be submitted within six months of the invoice date.
Insulation must be installed in accordance with BC Housing’s Best Practice Guide for Air Sealing and Insulation Retrofits.
If there are any issues with pest infestations or rodent tunnels in insulation, they must be remediated before receiving the rebate.

Review the terms and conditions

Rebate details

Upgrade location	Rebate	Minimum R-value of new insulation added¹
Attic - flat and cathedral ceiling	$0.02 x square feet x R-value added, up to $900	R12
Exterior wall cavities	$0.09 x square feet x R-value added, up to $1,200	R12
Exterior wall sheathing	$0.09 x square feet x R-value added, up to $1,200	R3.8
Basement/crawlspace walls	$0.09 x square feet x R-value added, up to $1,200	R10
Other - exposed floor or floor over basement/crawlspace	$0.07 x square feet x R-value added, up to $1,000	R20
Two-upgrade bonus	Install insulation in two or more eligible areas, each with a minimum rebate value of $500, and you could qualify for our $300 two-upgrade bonus.	N/A
$200 bonus	You may qualify if you registered for a promo code by December 31, 2020, hire a program-registered contractor to complete the work between October 1, 2020 and March 31, 2021 and achieve a minimum $500 rebate. Note: “other” insulation type is not eligible towards this bonus.	N/A

¹Rebates are calculated based on the R-value of new insulation added. In cases where pre-existing insulation was removed (Eg. Due to pest infestation or mold), the rebate will be calculated on the difference in R-Value between the new and pre-existing insulation.

R-value explained

R-value is a measure of resistance to heat flow. As heat spontaneously flows from warm areas to colder areas, the higher the R-value of insulation, the more effectively it will prevent (resist) heat from escaping your home in winter. In summer it does the opposite, by helping to prevent warm outside air from entering your cooler home.
Insulation products must meet the applicable Canadian national thermal insulation standards. Only products with Canadian thermal resistivity values (R-values) provided by the manufacturer are accepted. “System values” or values of materials not tested to Canadian national thermal insulation standards cannot be used for determining the amount of insulation added.

How to apply

Apply online within six months of your invoice date 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 or, if you’re not the utility account holder (e.g. rental property), please have the account holder complete the consent form
- your email
- scanned copies of all paid invoices showing details of all work performed, including:
  - the purchase date
  - installation permit numbers (if applicable)
  - the location(s) of installation
  - type of insulation (batt, loose fill, board or spray foam)
  - R-value of new insulation added
  - starting and final R-value of insulation
  - total amount of insulation added in square feet
  See a sample invoice for insulation.
If you’re not the utility account holder (e.g. property is a rental), have the account holder complete the Utility Account Holder Consent form.
Applications may take up to 90 days to process.

Start your rebate application

Note: the rebate application link takes you to Account login. Once you’ve registered and/or logged in you can start your rebate application.

For tips on using the online rebate application, read our how-to guide.

Third-party offers and services

CleanBC

Program Registered Contractors for Insulation who have completed training with FortisBC and BC Hydro on industry best practices for installing insulation and our rebate program requirements are listed on CleanBC’s website. Note: FortisBC does not guarantee or assume any liability for any work performed by the program registered contractors and is simply offering training to better educate contractors.

IOE Consulting

As we work to continuously improve our programs, we will be asking a small percentage of applicants to provide access to their home to verify the installation of their new insulation. This work is being carried out by IOE Consulting.

The site visit may be conducted either in-person or virtually using an app such as FaceTime or Google Hangouts. IOE staff will always call or email in advance to book a site visit appointment with you. Their staff also carry photo ID badges identifying them as FortisBC contractors.

Additional resources

Stay safe. Test your home for radon.

Radon is a naturally occurring, odourless gas in the soil that can enter your home through the foundation or plumbing. Exposure to radon is the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers. The only way to know if your home has a radon problem is to test. Learn more about the health risks of radon and home testing and mitigation.

Best practice guide for air sealing and insulation retrofits

Insulation must be installed in accordance with the BC Housing’s Best practice guide for air sealing and insulation retrofits.

Upgrading insulation isn't a DIY job

Read one homeowner's story about her home insulation experience.