B.C. increasing energy rebate programs

LANGFORD — British Columbia’s government has announced it’s boosting incentives to help homeowners and businesses save energy and cut greenhouse gas emissions.

The Better Buildings program offers thousands of dollars in rebates and incentives to entice the switch to high-efficiency heating equipment and improve building envelopes, which include walls, windows, roofs and foundations.

Premier John Horgan says helping people keep their homes cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter makes sense, and the efficiency they’re investing in will help B.C. reduce climate pollution.

Incentives include a $3,000 rebate for those who switch to high-efficiency electric heat pumps, up to $2,000 in rebates for upgrades on doors and windows and up to $20,000 for energy studies to help identify improvements in commercial buildings. The plan allows for $14,100 for a home and $220,000 for a business to make the energy-saving changes.

The CleanBC program announced last year was part of the agreement Horgan’s NDP signed with the B.C. Green party in order to form a minority government in 2017.

“This program will help us get to our CleanBC goal of reducing climate pollution, making B.C. cleaner and creating good jobs that support families and sustain our communities,” Energy Minister Michelle Mungall said.

The incentives aim to help replace fossil fuel heating systems with electric air-source heat pumps, improve insulation, encourage upgrades to high-efficiency natural gas furnaces and install more windows and doors that minimize heat loss.