Power Hours Rewards Program

With the Power Hours Rewards Program, you can earn bill credits when you sign up your smart thermostat, electric vehicle (EV), or EV charger and use less electricity during busy times.

What is the Power Hours Rewards Program?

Power hours are between 4 p.m. and 9 p.m.—the time when most people use the most energy at home. When your family gets home from work and school, you turn on the heat or AC, do laundry, charge your EV and phones, cook dinner, and watch TV. The thing is, so does everyone else. That’s why electricity use is highest during these hours.

The Power Hours Rewards Program gives rewards to residential customers who help lower electricity use during these busy hours. When you sign up and take part in power hour events, you can earn bill credits. You can join by:

  • letting your smart or WiFi-connected thermostat be adjusted slightly (up or down depending on the season), and/or
  • charging your EV outside the peak hours of 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Apply now

Participants with smart or WiFi-connected thermostats

If you have an eligible smart or WiFi-connected thermostat and you join the program, we’ll send you a text or email before a power hours event starts. During the event, your thermostat will be adjusted automatically. You can change it back anytime by adjusting it yourself.

Don’t have a smart or WiFi-connected thermostat yet? We’ve got rebates up to $150 on the installation of a new eligible connected thermostat. (Make sure the model you purchase is included in the eligibility list below if you want to participate in the Power Hours Rewards Program.)

Item

Incentive

Details

ecobee®, Honeywell Home™, Google Nest1, Mysa or Sensi™ smart or Wi-Fi connected thermostat

Sign up incentive - $25 per customer

Participation incentive - $25 per season (winter and/or summer)

  • Winter season events (for heating systems) occur between November and March.
  • Summer season events (for cooling systems) occur between May and September.
  • Incentives will be given as bill credits at the end of the winter and summer seasons.

To participate in the Power Hours Rewards Program, you must:

  1. be a FortisBC residential electricity customer
    • Note: the Power Hours Rewards Program is currently not available to municipal electricity utility customers of Summerland, Penticton, Grand Forks and Nelson Hydro.
  2. live, year-round, in your principal residence (any dwelling type)
  3. have an ecobee®, Honeywell Home™, Google Nest1, Mysa or Sensi™ smart or Wi-Fi connected thermostat, controlling an electric space heating and/or cooling system, such as:
    • line-voltage electric baseboard heaters
    • air source heat pump (both central and mini/multi-split types qualify)
    • electric forced-air furnace
    • electric boiler
    • central air conditioner
  4. have a functioning internet connection that can be used to connect your thermostat to FortisBC’s partner software and maintain this connection throughout your participation in the program.

Terms and conditions

Residential “Power Hours Rewards” program terms and conditions

  1. Review the terms and conditions at the link above and confirm that you meet the eligibility requirements, including having an eligible thermostat controlling electric heating/cooling equipment.
  2. Apply online. You’ll need your FortisBC electricity account number.

Note: you'll be required to enroll your eligible device(s) on the manufacture's website or through your device settings.

Participants with EVs and EV chargers

You can participate in power hours events by registering either your eligible EV or your eligible EV charger. You can participate in power hours events every day by simply charging your EV outside the peak demand power hours between 4 p.m. and 9 p.m.

Item

Incentives

Details

Electric vehicle or electric vehicle charger

 

Sign up incentive - $25 per electric vehicle or electric vehicle charger

Participation incentive - $0.50 per event

  • must be on the list of eligible EV models 
  • You can only register your EV OR your EV charger, not both
  • FortisBC cannot control the connected EV, only monitor its charging when parked at the address specified on the application form.
  • EV charging events are defined as any time a vehicle draws 5 kWh or more during one continuous charge while parked at the address specified on the application form.
  • Incentives will be paid quarterly as bill credits. 

 

To participate in the Power Hours Rewards Program, you must:

  1. be a FortisBC residential electricity customer
    • Note: The Power Hours Rewards Program is currently not available to municipal utility customers of Summerland, Penticton, Grand Forks and Nelson Hydro.
  2. live year-round in your principal residence (any dwelling type)
  3. have an eligible EV model OR, have a ChargePoint Level 2 networked EV charger
    • Optiwatt for electric vehicles FortisBC is currently piloting Optiwatt, an EV-charging scheduler, as part of the Power Hours Rewards Program. Visit Optiwatt to sign up.
  4. have a functioning internet connection that can be used to connect your EV or EV charger to FortisBC's partner software, and maintain this connection throughout your participation in the program.

Terms and conditions

Residential “Power Hours Rewards” demand response program terms and conditions

  1. Review the terms and conditions at the link above and confirm that you meet the eligibility requirements, including having an eligible EV or EV charger.
  2. Apply online. You’ll need your FortisBC electricity account number.

Note: you'll be required to enroll your eligible device(s) on the manufacture's website or through your device settings.

Questions? We’re here to help

Check out our frequently asked questions page for more information. More questions? Email [email protected] or call 1-866-436-7847.

1Google and Nest are trademarks of Google LLC.