RRSP Home Buyers’ Plan

This program allows you to withdraw up to $25,000 from your RRSP to buy or build a new home.

You can also use it to buy or build a home for yourself or someone you know with a disability.

Home Buyers’ Tax Credit

The THBTC is a non-refundable tax credit that helps homeowners recover closing costs such as legal expenses and inspections. First-time buyers can claim up to $5,000 for the purchase of a qualifying home on their personal tax return on the year of purchase. However, you cannot have lived in another home you or your partner owned in the previous 4 years.

If you have a disability (i.e., you are eligible for the disability tax credit) or if you bought the house to improve accessibility for someone who is disabled, you do not have to be a first-time home buyer.

GST/HST New Housing Rebate

The GST/HST new housing rebate gives back some of the GST or the federal part of the HST you paid – up to $1,500 – for a new or substantially renovated house that is your primary place of residence provided you meet all the eligibility requirements.

Residential Rehabilitation Assistance Program for Secondary/Garden Suite On-Reserve

This program is open to First Nations and First Nation members owning residential properties that want to create affordable, self-contained rental accommodation (secondary, granny, or garden suites) within their primary residence.

Eligible households can receive fully forgivable loans that do not have to be repaid as long as you stick to the conditions of the program, such as renting the suite to low-income tenants. The most you can get is $60,000 per unit unless you live in a northern or remote community. In that case, the amount increases by 25%.

CMHC Green Home

If you buy, build, or renovate for energy efficiency using CMHC-insured financing, you could receive a 15% rebate for building a home to ENERGY STAR® standards or up to 25% for building a home to R-2000 building standards.

Genworth Canada Energy-Efficient Housing Program

Receive a 25% rebate when you build a home through one of Genworth Canada’s qualifying energy-efficient building programs or meet the prescribed minimum Natural Resources Canada EnerGuide requirements and fund it through a Genworth Canada insured mortgage.

Home Owner Grant for People With Disabilities

If you’ve spent at least $2,000 in the last year making modifications to your home to accommodate a disability (or if you meet a couple other qualifications), you can have up to $845 (in the Capital Regional District, Greater Vancouver Regional District, and the Fraser Valley) or up to $1,045 (in the rest of the province) of your property taxes reduced.

Home Owner Grant for Seniors

This is the same program as above, except if you’re over 65, you could still qualify—without having a disability!

Home Adaptations For Independence (HAFI)

If you are a low-income homeowner with a disability, or someone in your household has a disability, and you need to make modifications to your home, this program will provide up to $20,000 in financial assistance; either as a grant or a forgivable loan. Landlords are also eligible for this program.

Regular Property Tax Deferment Program

If you are a homeowner that is 55 or older, a surviving spouse of any age, or a person with disabilities that impairs your ability to function on a day-to-day basis, this program allows you to defer some or all of your property taxes. You could also qualify under the Families with Children Program.

Home Renovation Tax Credit for Seniors and Persons with Disabilities

Seniors 65 and over, a family member living with a senior, or people with disabilities can receive up to $1,000 in tax credits for making renovations to their home.

B.C. FIRST TIME HOME BUYER GRANTS

Newly Built Home Exemption & First-Time Home Buyers’ Program

• You could be eligible for a full or partial exemption from the property transfer tax the first time you purchase or build a new home.

Families with Children Tax Deferment Program

If you are supporting a child under 18, a child attending a college or university, or a child with a disability, you may be eligible for a low-interest loan that defers paying part of your property taxes.

Home Owner Grant

If you live in Rural British Columbia and pay your property tax directly to the province and not a municipality, you are eligible for a reduction in property tax. To do so you must meet one the following conditions:

Under 65

You can receive a $570 reduction for a primary residence in the Capital Regional District, Greater Vancouver Regional District, and the Fraser Valley Regional District and a reduction of $770 in all other areas of the province. However, your home must be valued at less than $1.6 million.

A Senior

You can receive a reduction of $845 for a primary residence valued up to $1.6 million in the Capital Regional District, Greater Vancouver Regional District, and the Fraser Valley and a reduction of $1,045 in all other areas.

A Person with a disability or living with A Person with a disability

Here too you can receive a reduction of $845 for a primary residence valued up to $1.6 million in the Capital Regional District, Greater Vancouver Regional District, and the Fraser Valley and a reduction of $1,045 in all other areas.

A Veteran

Here too you can receive a reduction of $845 for a primary residence valued up to $1.6 million in the Capital Regional District, Greater Vancouver Regional District, and the Fraser Valley and a reduction of $1,045 in all other areas.

?Other Qualifications

You may even qualify for this program if you live with a spouse or relative with disabilities or are a spouse or relative of a deceased owner who would have met the other requirements.

BC Home Energy Coach is funded by the Province of BC’s Innovative Clean Energy Fund and supported by BC Hydro and Fortis BC. It provides many different rebates and incentives, including coaching on ways to make your home more energy efficient, which saves you money and helps the environment. Some of its incentives are listed below. For more incentives and rebates, visit BC Home Energy Coach.

Home Renovation Rebate Program

If you live in a participating municipality, you can receive rebates for making environmentally friendly improvements to your home.

The rebates include those listed below:

• Insulation (up to $3,250)
• Ductless heat pump ( $800)
• Draft proofing (up to $500)
• Air source heat pump (up to $800)
• Ventilation fans ($50)
• Natural gas hot water heaters (Up to $1,000)
• Natural Gas Fireplace ($300)
• Energy coaching evaluation ($150)
• If you install three or more of the above, you could receive an additional $750

FortisBC Connect to Gas Program

With this incentive, you may qualify for rebates between $700 and $2,700 for installing a natural gas heating system, heating appliance, or heating and hot water system.

• $1,300 rebate for installing a qualifying natural gas heating system
• $1,700 rebate for installing both a qualifying natural gas space heating system and natural gas water heating system, or a qualifying combination space and water heating system
• $700 rebate for installing a qualifying natural gas direct vent wall furnace
• $1,100 rebate for installing both a qualifying natural gas direct vent wall furnace and natural gas water heating system

You could also receive up to $1,000 through the Natural Gas Water Heater rebate program if you install an eligible high-efficiency natural gas water heater.

Energy Conservation Assistance Program

This service is open to residents in participating towns or municipalities. It provides a free home energy audit, personalized energy-efficiency advice, and energy saving product installation including efficient lightbulbs, high-efficiency showerheads and weather-stripping.

You may even qualify to receive an ENERGY STAR® refrigerator, insulation in walls, attic, and/or crawlspace, and/or a high-efficiency gas furnace.
This program is for those with a low income.

Tap by Tap Program

If you live in one of the participating towns or municipalities, you could get free high-efficiency fixtures for your house. If your community is not a part of the program, you can also apply to make it a part of the program!

This program is currently available in the following communities: Colwood, North Cowichan, Duncan.

Credits to: thisispopulist.com

Home Renovation Rebate Program

You can receive rebates for making environmentally friendly improvements to your home. This is the same program described above and includes all the same rebates and incentives and more. To see all the rebates and incentives offered for Vancouver through this program, visit BC Energy Coach.

And if your home was built before 1940, you could eligible for additional grants from the Vancouver Heritage Foundation.

Vancouver Compost Bin Subsidy

If you are a Vancouver resident who would like a compost bin, this program will give you a bin for just $25.00 because the City will subsidize the other $50.

The City of North Vancouver offers many different rebate and grant programs to assist residents with improving their energy efficiency, easing their tax burden, and making home improvements.

Water Efficient Appliance Rebate Program

In addition to the Provincial BC Hydro Program described elsewhere in this blog, the City also offers an additional $50 rebate on select ENERGY STAR qualified clothes washers (from May 4 to June 5, in this year).

They also offer rebates on other energy efficient appliance upgrades, but the spring list isn’t quite ready yet, so check their website often to see what will be available this season.

City Rain Barrel Sales

Get $10 off your purchase of a rain barrel at this year’s Rain Barrel Sale. Check their website for where and when.

NELSON HOMEOWNER GRANTS

Ecosave Energy Retrofits Program

Interested in saving money and reducing your energy consumption? Then check out this program that offers a home energy evaluation, free energy-efficient products, and optional low-interest financing that comes directly off your bill. Check out their website to decide what options are best for you.

CHILLIWACK HOMEOWNER GRANTS

Wood Stove Exchange Program

Improve the air quality in your area by participating in the Fraser Valley Regional District’s Wood Stove Exchange Program. They will give you a $250 rebate when you switch out your old stove with a new, EPA-approved stove.

SIDNEY AND NORTH SAANICH HOMEOWNER GRANTS

If you’re lucky enough to live in Sidney or North Saanich, then for a limited time – and on top of current incentives offered through the Home Renovation Program – you may also be eligible to receive these additional incentives:

• A $500 bonus top-up
• Personalized energy coaching services to support your energy efficiency upgrade project
• A free water saving kit to install in your home, including an efficient showerhead, and kitchen and bathroom water aerators
• A free energy saving smart strip suitable for gaming consoles and entertainment centres

This is, on average, the highest greenhouse gas emission reduction of any single upgrade for single family homes. The rebate is offered through the province’s Oil-to-Heat Pump Incentive Program.

Climate Action To-go Kits

Not sure what you can do to at home to reduce energy use and greenhouse gas emissions, not to mention the money you pay on your energy bills?

Borrow a Climate Action To-go Kit from the public library! Each kit contains resources and activities for you to

• Measure household appliance electricity use with the Kill-A-Watt Meter,
• Discover air leaks in your home using the Thermal Leak Detector,
• Test out the ultra-efficient LED light bulb,
• Draft proofing ($500)
• ee how efficient your showerhead is with an easy test, and
• earn more about more local solutions to climate change with a documentary film and a variety of books.

NANAIMO HOMEOWNER GRANTS

RDN REBATES

Nanaimo has a variety of rebates to help you improve your energy efficiency:

• Oil to Heat Pump Rebate: a $250 rebate in addition to the rebate from the provincial Oil to Heat Pump Incentive Program
• Septic Maintenance: get up to

• $200 for installing or replacing a distribution box
• Up to $300 for installing risers
• Up to $100 for installing an effluent filter
• $600 flat rate to replace a malfunctioning system
• Bonus: up to $100 when you take part in the this year SepticSmart workshop to “top-up” an eligible rebate
• Rainwater Harvesting: get up to $450 for a cistern rated for potable use and able to collect a minimum of 4,546 L (1,000 imperial gallons) of rainwater and up to $300 for other eligible collection system expenses such as transport piping, debris traps, filters and installation costs
• Irrigation Upgrades & Soil Improvements: get up to $675 per residential property to help offset the cost of landscape upgrades to improve water efficiency
• The Sustainable Development Checklist: get up to $1,000 when you build an energy-efficient home that scores high on the Sustainable Development Checklist
• Home Energy Assessment: get a $150 rebate when you have a home energy assessment done and an additional $200 when you improve the EnerGuide rating of your home
• Woodstove Exchange and Outreach: get a $400 rebate when you switch out your old wood stove for a new electric, gas, propane, or pellet-heating source
• Graded Site-Cut Timber: get up to $250 when you use graded site-cut timber for structural use in renovations and new construction requiring a building permit
• Residential Electric Vehicle Charging Station: qualify for a rebate when you install a residential Level 2 Electric Vehicle Charging Station
• Renewable Energy Systems: receive a $250 incentive when you upgrade to energy efficient technology such as solar hot water, photovoltaic, geoexchange (ground-source or water-source), or micro (under 1 kW) and small wind (1 to 10 kW)
• Toilet Rebate: receive a rebate of $50 per toilet (to a maximum of two) when you upgrade to a new, CSA-approved new low-flow model

BC Hydro rebates:

BC Hydro offers many rebates for installing energy-efficient appliances. The today list will be out soon, so check their website often if you’re thinking of upgrading this year.

Rebates for Improving Your Home’s Energy Efficiency

BC Hydro also offers rebates when you make renovations to improve your home’s energy efficiency. The following renovations can allow you rebates:

• Clothes Dryer
• Clothes Washer
• Dishwasher
• Freezer
• Refrigerator

BC Hydro also offers Energy Savings Kits and professional advice for low-income homes. This kit includes a water-efficient showerhead, weather-stripping, window film, outlet and plate sealers, furnace filter coupon, LED night light, and a thermometer for your refrigerator or freezer.

Municipal Rebate

If you live in select locations, you can receive a $500 rebate and personalized energy coaching services to improve your household. The locations included are:

• Vancouver
• New Westminster
• Victoria
• District of Saanich
• Campbell River
• District of North Saanich
• Town of Sidney

Fortis BC offers rebates to install these new appliances:

• Natural gas fireplaces ($300 – more if you’re replacing a wood stove)
• Natural Gas Water Heater (up to $1000)
• Energy Star natural gas heater central heating system ($1000)

If you are making home renovations, Fortis Inc. will provide rebates for the following installations to your home:

• Insulation (Up to $1200)
• Space Heating (Up to $800)
• Water heating ($1000)

Plus, when you hire a program-qualified Energy Advisor to perform an EnerGuide®1 pre- and post-upgrade home evaluation, you could qualify for additional rebates of up to $1,400.

As with BC Hydro, Fortis BC also offers Energy Savings Kits for Low-income Homes. This kit includes a water-efficient showerhead, weather-stripping, window film, outlet and plate sealers, furnace filter coupon, LED night light, and a thermometer for your refrigerator or freezer.

The Energy Conservation Assistance Program

If you have a qualifying income, you could also be eligible to receive a free home energy evaluation, energy-saving products, and advice provided you have one of the following utility accounts:

• BC Hydro
• FortisBC
• New Westminster
• Grand Forks
• Penticton
• Summerland
• Nelson Hydro

The Empower Me Program

This is a free, one-on-one program tailored specifically for South Asian, Chinese, Korean, and Persian homeowners—delivered in their native language—interested in creating a safer and more comfortable home while reducing energy bills. They can receive advice and education about energy efficiency, reading and reducing energy bills, and installing energy-saving measures such as faucet aerators, low-flow showerheads, and draftproofing supplies.

Upgrade to Energy-efficient Appliances

If your home is heated with an electric furnace and you install a central air source heat pump, you’ll be eligible for a rebate of $1,200.

Upgrade your electric furnace or baseboard heaters to a qualifying high-efficiency air source heat pump and Fortis BC will give you a low 1.9% interest rate on up to $6,500 over 10 years. Tune up your heat pump and receive a $50 rebate.

Fortis BC offers a variety of rebates and incentives—from appliance purchases to water heater replacements—throughout the province. Check out their website and choose your city from the dropdown list to see everything available in your area.

RBC Energy Saver™ Loan

When you buy qualifying energy-efficient products for your home, you could receive 1% off the loan interest rate or a $100 rebate on a home energy audit on a fixed rate instalment loan over $5,000. Take up to 10 years to pay it back and choose your payment options. The money you save in energy costs can help you pay the loan back.

Vancity Energy Saver™ Loan

Vancouver City Savings Credit Union has a similar loan if you’re considering becoming more energy efficient. For qualifying upgrades, such as insulation, space heating, or ventilation, you can receive a personal loan at a prime+1% rate for up to 15 years. You can borrow as little as $3,500 or a maximum of $50,000 and pay it back through flexible payments options.