Residential Hybrid Heating Early Adopter Program   

Participants may receive:

• up to $15,000 in rebates on the purchase of equipment and installation costs
• up to $1,000 for electric service upgrades
• up to $4,000 for additional upgrades required for installation (such as ancillary components, and/or ducting)

After installation, the performance and energy usage of the system will be measured and evaluated for one year. Additional incentives include:

• $500 for participating in measurement and verification (M&V; sub-metered equipment will be installed at selected homes to measure the new system for one year^*)
• $50 for submitting electricity usage/billing data for one year and completing a final survey

^*Selection of measurement and verification participants will be at FortisBC’s discretion.

All installations must be completed by a program-eligible contractor. Contractors can receive an incentive of $500 per system installed for program participants. To be eligible, contractors must be Home Performance Contractor Network accredited and agree to and meet the program contractor terms and conditions.

Please note: recruitment has now closed and we are no longer accepting applications.

To be eligible, participants must:

1. have a residential FortisBC natural gas account
2. be the registered owner and year-round permanent resident of an existing single-family detached home primarily heated with natural gas that you’ve lived in for at least two years and that has not undergone any significant building envelope upgrades for at least two years
3. agree to not undergo any other energy-efficiency upgrades during the pilot program term from April 3, 2023 to December 1, 2024
4. purchase a qualifying hybrid heating system consisting of eligible models of a new electric air source heat pump, new natural gas furnace and new integrated thermostat, and have them installed by a program-eligible contractor
5. submit monthly electricity billing data for two years before the hybrid system installation and one year after installation
6. respond to survey(s) and agree to share gas and electricity consumption data with FortisBC during the evaluation period for one year following installation

All equipment must be on the list of pilot-eligible models and installed by a program-eligible contractor.

Please see below for qualifying air source heat pump/furnace hybrid system combination requirements:

• Minimum HSPF ≥ 10.00 or HSPF2 ≥ 8.5
• Minimum SEER ≥ 16.00 or SEER2 ≥ 15.2
• Minimum capacity of 12,000 BTU (1 ton)
• AHRI certified with a reference number that includes all components of the heat pump
• For dual fuel ducted heat pumps, the AHRI certified reference number must show the outdoor unit, indoor unit, and high-efficiency furnace.

Review the terms and conditions

You can apply for one rebate per home under this program. New construction, secondary suites, laneway homes, additions and substantial reconstructions are not eligible. The rebate cannot be combined with any other provincial or federal home renovation rebate programs.

Applying for the program does not create any right for the participant to have their application approved. FortisBC reserves the right in its sole discretion to determine whether to accept or refuse an application. FortisBC may refuse applications which are incomplete, inaccurate or do not meet terms and conditions

Review all the terms and conditions

1. Review terms and conditions.
2. If your pre-application has been approved and you've submitted your quote for review, ensure you've received approval from FortisBC before proceeding with the equipment installation.
3. Have the equipment installed by the contractor within 30 days of the rebate confirmation.
4. Send your paid invoice and electricity usage/billing data for the previous two years to FortisBC within 30 days of installation. Rebates are typically processed within 90 days.
5. At the end of the program term, complete the participant survey and submit electricity usage/billing data for the year to receive any additional incentives you may be eligible for.