NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release 2011ENER0010-000348
April 6, 2011
Ministry of Energy and Mines and Minister Responsible for Housing
Increased home efficiency rebates help families save
VICTORIA – In partnership with BC Hydro and FortisBC, the Province of British Columbia is extending and improving its popular LiveSmart BC: Efficiency Incentive Program, where homeowners can receive more than $7,000 in rebates for energy saving improvements and equipment.
The program is extended for an additional two years and rebates for improvements like insulation, draft-proofing and high-performance windows and doors have increased by up to 700 per cent.
Effective April 1, 2011, the increased incentives include:
Up to $1,500 for exterior wall insulation, up from $400. Up to $1,200 for basement insulation, up from $500. Up to $750 to install attic insulation, up from $310.
Up to $70 per window, door and skylight replacement, up from $40 each. Up to $500 to replace a supplementary heating system with a pellet burning appliance, up from $250.
In all, rebates have increased for 35 of 54 different items, and to further encourage participants to reduce a home’s heat loss, 12 new items have been added to the program.
To access the rebates, homeowners must hire a certified energy advisor to conduct an energy-efficiency assessment prior to and after making any eligible improvements. The advisor will handle all the paperwork in applying for provincial incentives after the post-retrofit assessment.
Quotes:
Rich Coleman, Minister of Energy and Mines and Minister Responsible for Housing –
“For most families, their most important investment is their home. The LiveSmart BC program aims to help more than 40,000 B.C. families protect that investment while fighting climate change. Improving your home’s energy efficiency is a smart way to make it more comfortable, to increase its value, and generate ongoing energy savings.”
David Cobb, president and CEO, BC Hydro –
“Anything we can do to make it easier for people to conserve electricity is beneficial not only to
individual homeowners but to our province’s energy future in general. Individual efforts all add
up and will help us achieve our goal to meet two-thirds of new demand through conservation
and efficiency by 2020.”
Doug Stout, vice president, energy solutions and external relations, FortisBC –
“Energy conservation is important to our customers, and we’re proud to continue our
association with the LiveSmart program to offer broader incentives to British Columbians. Our
PowerSense and Energy Efficiency and Conservation programs are also helping gas and
electricity customers manage energy use, reduce costs and lower greenhouse-gas emissions.
Throughout B.C., we provide our customers with advice, programs and workshops, rebates and
other money-saving incentives.”
Quick Facts:
Over the coming two years, the LiveSmart BC: Efficiency Incentive Program will provide up
to $30 million in provincial funding for upgrades, with a further $11.7 million available from
BC Hydro and Fortis BC.
The new incentives are for homeowners entering the program on or after April 1, 2011.
40,000 new entrants are expected to enter the program.
The rebates vary by region – typically 25 per cent higher in the Interior/Northern region for
improvements to insulation and draft proofing windows and doors.
Homeowners are encouraged to use certified installers to improve the quality and value of
the work, with a new $100 rebate for heating systems installed by a certified professional.
The program continues to pay $150 toward each initial energy assessment, lowering the
cost for families to access this $325 service.
Since its inception in 2008, the LiveSmart BC: Efficiency Incentive Program has:
o Stimulated growth green economy jobs, such as manufacturers, distributors, energy
advisors, contractors and tradespeople.
o Grown the number of full-time energy advisors from about 30 to over 125 today.
o Helped more than 65,000 participants in communities throughout BC.
In January 2011, the Province launched the LiveSmart BC: Small Business Program, a new
$15-million, three-year program to support small businesses through energy efficiency
advisors, enhanced product incentives, equipment installation and funding for innovative
energy solutions.
Learn More:
For a full list of the changes and incentives available to homeowners through the LiveSmart
BC: Efficiency Incentive Program visit:
www.livesmartbc.ca/rebates
To learn more about the LiveSmart BC: Small Business Program visit:
www.livesmartbc.ca/green_business/index.html
