British Columbia home energy rebates & savings guide

British Columbia has some of the lowest electricity prices in Canada and some of the higher natural gas prices. That combination makes heat pumps one of the best upgrades for most BC homes, while solar is usually a slower payback. This guide explains where your money goes and which home energy rebates and upgrades make sense in BC.

Mild coastal winters and cold interior and northern winters mean results vary a lot by region. Use the heat pump calculator or the home energy estimator with your own bills, then check current programs on the BC rebates page.

Electricity in British Columbia

Most British Columbians buy electricity from BC Hydro, with FortisBC serving parts of the Southern Interior and supplying most of the province's natural gas. Almost all of BC's electricity comes from hydro, so the grid is very low in emissions. An all-in residential rate of roughly $0.135 per kWh puts BC well below the Canadian average.

Heating: what pays off

Natural gas furnaces are the most common heating system in BC, followed by electric baseboards and, in rural areas, oil, propane and wood. With gas at roughly $0.75 per m³ and electricity at roughly $0.135 per kWh, a cold-climate heat pump running at a typical seasonal COP of 2.2 to 3.0 usually costs less to run than a gas furnace. Homes on oil, propane or baseboards typically see the largest savings.

On the coast, air-source heat pumps rarely face temperatures that test their limits. In the North and higher interior regions, size the system for your local design temperature and plan for backup heat on the coldest days. The heat pump vs gas furnace guide walks through the numbers.

Solar outlook

Solar in BC is a slower investment than in most provinces because electricity is cheap. Yields are lower on the cloudy coast and better in the Okanagan, Kootenays and Peace region. At typical installed costs of $2.40 to $3.30 per watt, payback for many BC homes runs close to or beyond two decades, so run the solar calculator before getting quotes.

BC Hydro and FortisBC offer net metering for small home systems, and credit terms can change. Confirm the current rules with your utility and read our net metering guide before sizing a system.

Tips for British Columbia homes

• If you heat with gas, compare a heat pump's running cost at BC's low electricity rate before replacing your furnace like for like.
• Oil-heated homes in BC may qualify for the federal Oil to Heat Pump Affordability program, so check eligibility before you book an installer.
• Check CleanBC Better Homes for current heat pump, insulation and window rebates and any pre-approval steps.
• Coastal homes can use a heat pump for summer cooling too, which helps as hot spells become more common.
• In the interior and North, ask installers to size a cold-climate heat pump for your local winter design temperature.