Social housing retrofit support program

Get funding for an energy study, implementation support and upgrades

Does your social housing organization operate a multi-unit residential building? We’re working with FortisBC to provide you with energy assessments and upgrades that can help you save energy, lower electricity costs and reduce your building’s greenhouse gas emissions.

The offer

We provide funding to identify and implement a variety of electric and natural gas energy conservation upgrades including:

• Up to $8,000 for an energy study (optional)
• Up to $11,000 for support to implement recommendations from the energy study (optional)
• Rebates on a variety of high-efficiency upgrades

Rebates available

You could qualify for a rebate on the replacement cost of:

• Commercial kitchen equipment
• Commercial refrigeration equipment
• Heat pumps and electric water heaters
• LED lighting and controls
• Variable speed drives

To find out if your existing equipment is eligible for a rebate, use our rebate calculator [XLSM, 370 KB].

Eligibility

• You must be a registered charity that assists low-income persons, or a housing provider that is a:
  • Local government,
  • Housing society registered under the Societies Act,
  • Housing co-op registered under the Cooperative Association Act, or
  • Governing body of an Indigenous band provided the housing is primarily for low-income households.
• You must be a commercial customer of BC Hydro and/or FortisBC (natural gas or electricity) or a municipal utility.
• The building where energy conservation upgrades will be implemented must be an existing multi-unit residential building with a minimum of nine units.
• Spaces being retrofitted should be common areas. Recreational spaces can qualify.

Read the terms and conditions [PDF, 231 KB] for a complete list of requirements.

How to apply

You should apply through BC Hydro if your project includes upgrades to electrical equipment only and if your building is in our service area, including New Westminster.

Contact your Key Account Manager to request an application.

If you’re not sure who to talk to, contact our business help desk at 1 866 522 4713 or send us an email.

If your project includes upgrades to natural gas equipment, apply via FortisBC instead.

Resources

Program partnership

This program is offered in partnership with FortisBC.

Related programs

Free programs based on income

We offer free energy-saving kits, energy coaching and energy-efficient upgrades to our lower income customers.

Energy conservation campaign toolkit

We offer four free toolkits to help you plan and execute an energy conservation initiative with your staff.