BC Home Energy Improvement Bonus
Active$20 for every percentage-point your home improves — $750 minimum, $2,000 maximum — or $300 for any two upgrades
What it pays
- $20Per percentage-point of measured EnerGuide improvement
- $750Minimum bonus (eligibility met)
- $2,000Maximum bonus
- 3 bonus-eligible upgradesRequirement
- 18 monthsTime to finish the upgrades and the post-upgrade evaluation
- 6 monthsApply within, after the post-upgrade evaluation
- $300Two Upgrade Bonus (no evaluation; can't be combined with the above)
The audit question
Audit required
Built entirely around the audit: a pre-upgrade and a post-upgrade EnerGuide evaluation by a program-qualified energy advisor bracket the work, and the bonus pays on the measured improvement between the two. The $300 Two Upgrade Bonus is the exception: it needs no evaluation.
Who qualifies
BC homeowners who complete three bonus-eligible upgrades between a pre- and a post-upgrade EnerGuide evaluation by a program-qualified energy advisor, within 18 months. It stacks on top of the individual utility rebates for the upgrades themselves — the bonus pays for the measured whole. One bonus per home.
How to apply, step by step
Book a pre-upgrade EnerGuide evaluation with a program-qualified energy advisor before any work starts — this sets your baseline rating and starts an 18-month clock.
Plan three bonus-eligible upgrades from the evaluation report (air sealing, insulation, windows, heating — the report ranks them for your house).
Complete the work, keeping invoices, and claim the individual utility rebates for each measure as you go.
Book the post-upgrade evaluation within 18 months of the first to measure the new rating.
Apply online within six months of the post-upgrade evaluation — payment scales with the measured percentage-point improvement.
The gotchas
- No pre-upgrade evaluation, no bonus — work done before the baseline visit doesn't count, so book the audit first, not after the contractor.
- Three upgrades is the floor for the Improvement Bonus. With only two, the $300 Two Upgrade Bonus is the one to claim: install any two bonus-eligible upgrades within 18 months of each other and apply within six months of the second invoice.
- One bonus per home: the Improvement Bonus and the Two Upgrade Bonus can't be combined.
- Miss the six-month application window after the post-upgrade evaluation and the bonus is gone.
- The $2,000 cap means very deep retrofits don't earn past 100 points of improvement — but the utility measure rebates still apply on top.
- Income-qualified households should check the CleanBC Energy Savings Program first — free installs beat rebates.
Worth knowing
This is the purest pay-for-performance design in Canada right now: the more your blower-door number and EnerGuide rating actually move, the more it pays. Sequence air sealing before insulation and you earn the same dollars twice — once in the bonus, once on your bills. The current program requirements apply to invoices dated on or after May 15, 2026. Through October 31, 2026, BC Hydro also pays a limited-time bonus of up to $1,000 for replacing electric heating with an air-source heat pump, while funding lasts.
Common questions
Who can get the BC Home Energy Improvement Bonus?
BC homeowners who complete three bonus-eligible upgrades with pre- and post-upgrade EnerGuide evaluations through BC Hydro and FortisBC's Home Renovation Rebate program. The current requirements apply to invoices dated on or after May 15, 2026; we found no regional limit in them. Verified October 2, 2026.
How much is the bonus actually worth for a typical retrofit?
It pays $20 per percentage-point of measured EnerGuide improvement, between $750 and $2,000. A meaningful envelope package — air sealing plus attic and basement insulation — on an older home routinely moves the rating enough to land in the upper half of that range, and the pre-retrofit evaluation report will estimate your specific potential.
Does it stack with BC Hydro and FortisBC rebates?
Yes — the per-measure utility rebates apply to the individual upgrades, and the bonus pays separately on the whole-home improvement the evaluations measure. Stack both; they're designed together under the Better Homes BC umbrella.
What if I only do two upgrades?
Claim the $300 Two Upgrade Bonus instead. It needs no evaluation: install any two bonus-eligible upgrades within 18 months of each other and apply within six months of the second upgrade's invoice. It's one bonus per home, so you can't also claim the Improvement Bonus.
Official program page ↗ Always confirm details there before spending — programs change faster than any tracker.
Sources
- BC Hydro — bonus rebates: Improvement Bonus ($750–$2,000), Two Upgrade Bonus ($300), deadlines (verified 2026-10-02)
- Better Homes BC — program requirements (invoices on or after May 15, 2026) (verified 2026-10-02)
- BC Hydro — limited-time heat pump bonus (to October 31, 2026) (verified 2026-10-02)
- Better Homes BC — program hub (verified 2026-10-02)
Start with the required assessment
BC Improvement Bonus runs through a registered energy advisor. We'll match you with a licensed service organization for your area.
Email us what you’re planning, your postal code and the type of building (a house, a duplex or triplex, or a larger multi-unit building) — we’ll reply with registered service organizations for your area and which rebates apply.
Email dave@clickshift.ca