Insulation rebate – income qualified

Income-qualified customers who upgrade their insulation may be eligible for up to $2,000 in rebates on eligible upgrades. Providing income-qualified customers with enhanced rebates on high-efficiency upgrades is one of the ways we support all customers in their efforts to reduce energy consumption and associated greenhouse gas emissions.

Eligibility

1. You must be:
   1. residential FortisBC gas customer with only one active residential gas account and/or
   2. residential FortisBC municipal electricity customer of Grand Forks, Penticton, Summerland or Nelson Hydro with only one active residential electricity account.
2. Your combined annual household income (from all sources) must be below the maximum shown for your household size. Proof of income is required.

   Household size	Maximum household income
   1 person	$48,900
   2 people	$60,900
   3 people	$74,800
   4 people	$90,800
   5 people	$103,000
   6 people	$116,100
   7 or more people	$129,300

3. The home must be a year-round primary residence that is at least 10 years old, no larger than 3,500 square feet and be one of the following: single family home; duplex; triplex; row home; townhouse or manufactured/mobile home on a permanent.
4. Applications must be submitted within one year of the invoice date.

Insulation specific requirements

5. Batt, loose fill, board and spray foam are eligible insulation types.
6. Insulation must be installed for the purpose of reducing heat loss from the home. Soundproofing insulation and any insulation type installed in an outbuilding is not eligible for rebates.
7. Insulation must be installed by a Home Performance Contractor Network member, and in accordance with the Best Practice Guide Air Sealing and Insulation Retrofits for Single Family Homes. Self-installations are not eligible.
8. A home defined as “substantially reconstructed,” by the Homeowner Protection Act (as per Regulatory Bulletin: Substantially Reconstructed Homes and the Home Owner Protection Act (No. 6)) is not eligible. A substantially reconstructed home can include structural repairs, renovation where exterior walls and/or existing plumbing, electrical or gas lines are moved or it requires a New Home Registration Form under the Homeowner Protection Act.
9. Insulation upgrades made to a home that require installations to meet code compliance and new building construction requirements, including and not limited to renovations that require a “New Construction” or “Addition/Alteration” building permit are not eligible.
10. If there are any issues with pest infestations or rodent tunnels in the existing insulation, they must be remediated before receiving the rebate.

Review all the terms and conditions.

Rebate details 

Ask your contractor to help you understand your home’s 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

1. You may request a pre-qualification code to help the contractor installing your system know what rebates you're eligible for.
2. Review the terms and conditions.  
3. Apply online within one year of the invoice date along with the following information:

• your FortisBC natural gas account and/or

• your FortisBC electricity account number or municipal electricity account number from Grand Forks, Penticton, Summerland or Nelson Hydro

• your email
• your proof of income

• a scanned copy of your paid invoice showing the details of all work (see sample invoice) 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

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

Start your rebate application

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

How do I show proof of income?

Submit a copy of one of the following for each member of your household over 18 years of age.

• Notice of Assessment (NOA): submit a copy of your NOA from the Canada Revenue Agency for a current income tax return. Black out all information except for your name, effective date and income (line 15000 on NOA).
• Social Assistance: submit your monthly cheque stub, or a printed copy of your Confirmation of Assistance if registered for  My Self Serve.
• Shelter Aid for Elderly Renters (SAFER): submit either your SAFER cheque stub, acknowledgment letter or benefit change letter from BC Housing.
• Rental Assistance Program: submit your Rental Assistance Program acknowledgment or benefit change letter from BC Housing.
• National Child Benefit Supplement: submit your benefit notice from Canada Revenue Agency.
• Other income: if applicable, provide documentation of foreign, rental and/or other income.
• Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS): submit your GIS notice.

How to get your Notice of Assessment

• If you have your most current NOA, send us a copy with your application.
• If you do not have your NOA, use Canada Revenue Agency’s My Account service to view and print a copy of your information.
• You can also call them to request your NOA at 1-800-959-8281. Agents are available Monday-Friday, 3:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. PST, or on Saturday from 4:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. PST.

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.

We’re here to help you save

We have low- and no-cost energy savings tips as well as support with our income-qualified programs. If you have questions about any of our income-qualified rebates, call 1-855-909-2331 or email [email protected].

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.

²Rebate available for crawlspace walls or floor over crawlspace, but not both