Considering new energy-efficient windows and doors for your home? The good news is that not only do they improve your energy rating and the value of your home, but they also can cost you less than you thought.

The Province of British Columbia has launched a new low-income loan rebate program – the CleanBC Better Homes Income Qualified Program. Thus, power upgrades have become more affordable for everyone. If household income is within a certain range, British Columbians can get a low-income household rebate for improvements and retrofits to help make homes more comfortable and energy-efficient.

A rebate income qualifying is a good way to compensate for the expenses of windows and doors installation, but you will need to meet their criteria. Let’s figure it out.

How Can You Benefit From The Program?

The CleanBC Better Homes Income Qualified Program allows low-income homeowners:

• to reduce their energy bills
• to enhance home comfort
• to improve indoor air quality
• to lower greenhouse gas emissions
• to receive a rebate for upgrades

What is rebate income according to this program?

It is an opportunity to get back some of the money you spent on retrofits in order to improve the energy efficiency and performance of your house.

Low-income families may obtain rebates that compensate 60-95% of the renovation costs in the house, reaching such values:

• Insulation: Up to $5,500
• Heat pumps: Up to $9,500
• Heat pump water heaters: Up to $3,500
• Windows and doors: Up to $9,500

There are additional low-income power rebate options for essential health and safety, ventilation, and electrical panel upgrades.

The good news about this program is that you don’t have to bother applying for a low-income rebate – it is the responsibility of the contractor. After the completion of renovations, your contractor submits a rebate application, and they will deduct it from the final cost of the upgrades.

Who Can Receive A Rebate?

You must meet certain requirements to be eligible for a program and receive a low-income energy rebate.

Income Qualification

To participate in any of the income rebate programs, your family must meet the income requirements listed below:

Level 1: If your total income meets the criteria, you may be eligible for up to 95% of the renewal cost.

Level 2: If your total income meets the criteria, you can claim 60% of the cost of the upgrade.

Housing Criteria

To take advantage of the program, the home you will be renovating must comply with the following criteria:

1. It must be your primary residence in British Columbia and be older than one year. The following types of housing are eligible for the program:

• single-family dwelling
• secondary suite in a single-family dwelling
• wheelhouse, permanently stationary, having water, sewer, heating, and electrical networks.
• duplex, triplex, or townhouse

NB: Multi-unit and apartment buildings, garages, workshops, newly built homes, and houses determined as “substantially reconstructed” ARE NOT eligible. 

2. It must be connected to a residential account with FortisBC, BC Hydro, or a municipal utility.

3. It needs to be heated by (to choose from):

• natural gas, propane, or oil
• wired electric heating facilities
• wood or solid fuel heat system

NB: Your heating system should be able to heat at least 50% of the house throughout the cold season up to 21°C.

Other Requirements

• You need to register and verify eligibility with a special eligibility code before installing updates.
• Rebatable income cannot exceed the invoiced value plus the upgrade fee paid.
• You can only request a rebate once per update.
• Utility accounts must be registered in the name of a resident.
• The homeowner must fill out a landlord consent form if your home is rented.

Requirements For Windows And Doors

You can get a rebate of up to $9,500, replacing your existing windows and doors with more energy-efficient and functional ones – up to $950 per each. Good news for those who have long planned renovations in the house.

To participate in the CleanBC Better Homes Income Qualified Program, keep the following things in mind.

• New windows and doors should be installed in place of existing units in the home envelope between the unheated and heated space.
• Installation of skylights is not compensated.
• New windows and doors must be registered with one of the certification bodies such as the Canadian Standards Association (CSA), Intertek Canada, etc.
• The number of windows and doors for which you can receive a rebate depends on the rough openings (each counts as one window).
• A registered contractor must do all upgrades. DIY installation is not suitable for the program.

• Your new windows and doors must have a heat transfer coefficient of 1.22 (W/m2-K) or less.
• You must provide an Invoice showing the itemized CleanBC rebate deducted from the total price. You will also need to attach a photo of the manufacturer’s label from each installed unit.

Rebate Duration

You must complete your home renovation project within 12 months from the date of your email confirming your pre-approval for the program. Application for participation and required accompanying documentation must be submitted after installing the updates within 6 months of the invoice date.

How To Apply For The Rebate?

1. Carefully review the requirements and find out if you and your home are eligible for the program.

2. Consider possible retrofits and conditions for receiving a rebate. If desired, you can consider an EnerGuide home assessment to evaluate how you can best improve your home through the program.

3. Complete the Program Pre-Validation and Pre-Registration to confirm your eligibility through the official portal.

4. Obtain account number(s) from your utility bills.

5. Make sure to have a digital copy of the contractor’s invoice and supporting documentation.

6. Upon confirmation, you will receive an eligibility code and a feature report outlining the proposed upgrades.

7. Choose a Contractor to complete renovations.

8. Upon completion of the renovation, the contractor will apply for a rebate and deduct it from the project’s final cost.

Can You Apply For CleanBC And Other Rebates Simultaneously?

Before the Canada Greener Homes Grant ended, homeowners could apply for both the CleanBC Better Homes Income Qualified Program and that federal incentive. Currently, you still have the British Columbia Energy Efficiency Rebate Program (up to $2000) available, but whether you can apply for both grants depends on your specific energy-efficient upgrade and home’s conditions. Remember that the cumulative rebates should not exceed the cost indicated in the invoice or the paid cost of the renovation project. Contact us to get a free consultation.