News

BC Hydro's BESI program welcomes applications for businesses of all sizes

An average 24% saving on the up-front costs of energy upgrades via BC Hydro's Business Energy Savings Incentives program (BESI) adds up. Last year, businesses using the program saved an average of more than $3,200 on their electricity bills.

Not surprisingly, with that kind of savings potential, your customers often have questions about programs. As Alliance members, you're the experts, we rely on you to help answer those questions and help to submit their applications after determining eligibility.

Need help determining customer eligibility? Use this tool. In the meantime, here are four things you should know about BESI.

1. For key account customers, get applications in for next fiscal

Larger customers with key account managers (KAMs) can now apply for incentives for upgrades to be done in BC Hydro's next fiscal year, which starts April 1, 2019. The deadline for those applications is February 28, 2019.

"The program is now accepting applications from key account customers for projects being completed in our next fiscal year," says Tanya Perewernycky, a program delivery specialist with BC Hydro. "We don't know how quickly the funding will run out, but I would say, the sooner you get the applications in, the better."

2. Switch to LEDs heads the popularity list

Today, most of the retrofits that qualify for incentive funding are to go to LED. Topping the list are swapping out old fluorescent technologies, like T12s and T8s, to new LED luminaires. Following closely behind are the HID fixtures, both high pressure sodium and metal halide, to LEDs. The overall improved quality of lighting and the energy savings makes these retrofits an easy win for customers. Be sure to review the available retrofit configurations and associated eligible products in the e.Catalog and a reminder that LED tubes do not qualify for incentives.

3. Already approved? Get that project done by March 31, 2019

Perewernycky offers a gentle reminder to those who have had BESI projects approved for the current year, both for small/medium businesses and those with key account managers. They need to be completed and applications declared complete by March 31, 2019, the last day of BC Hydro's fiscal 2019.

4. For SMB customers, applications are still open for this fiscal

While key account customers can only apply for projects for the next fiscal, all other businesses can still apply for BESI funding for the current fiscal that ends on March 31, 2019.