LiveSmart BC Insulation Grants - LiveSmartBC Home Insulation Rebate

Get up to $5,720
insulation grants + rebates

Home insulation
BC + Canada rebates
up to $5,720
Grants: attic, roof, exterior walls, basement, crawl space, floors ...

BC rebates – Important update

Before August 16, 2009 — No changes have been announced for BC homeowners already enrolled in the LiveSmart BC program. Homeowners who had their first home energy audit before August 16, 2009, are eligible for the Canada ecoENERGY grants + LiveSmart BC rebates listed below.
After August 16, 2009 — Funding for the LiveSmart BC: Efficiency Incentive Program is now fully committed and LiveSmart BC will no longer provide rebates to new participants, starting August 16, 2009.
Canada grants — BC homeowners who have their first home energy audit on or after August 16, 2009, are eligible for up to $5,000 in Canada ecoENERGY grants for home energy renovations. Click here for details
For more information, call 1-877-732-9888

Home insulation - South Coastal BC

South Coastal BC homeowners who had their first home energy audit before August 16, 2009 can get Canadian government grants + LiveSmart BC rebates when they increase the insulation levels in various areas of their home:

Attic & roof — insulation up to $940
Exterior wall — insulation up to $2,275
Basement wall — insulation up to $1,650
Basement header — insulation up to $175
Crawl space wall — insulation up to $1,320
Floor above crawl space — insulation up to $570
Exposed floor — insulation up to $340

See South Coastal BC rebate list for details. Click here

Home insulation - Interior & Northern BC

Interior and Northern BC homeowners who had their first home energy audit before August 16, 2009 can get even more combined LiveSmart BC rebates + Canadian ecoENERGY grants when they increase the insulation levels in various areas of their home:

Attic & roof — insulation up to $1,090
Exterior wall — insulation up to $2,275
Basement wall — insulation up to $1,750
Basement header — insulation up to $185
Crawl space wall — insulation up to $1,520
Floor above crawl space — insulation up to $770
Exposed floor — insulation up to $420

See Interior & Northern BC rebate list for details. Click here

Attic insulation - South Coastal BC

South Coastal BC homeowners who had their first home energy audit before August 16, 2009 can get Canadian government grants + LiveSmart BC rebates when increasing the insulation value of their attic.

Grant amounts listed here are for insulating 100 per cent of the ceiling area. Grants are pro-rated for less than 100 per cent coverage. At least 20 per cent of total ceiling area must be insulated to qualify. Grant amounts may vary in homes with mixed roof types; see note below regarding mixed roof types.*

$940 — attic insulation - increase from a starting point
of up to R12, to achieve total minimum insulation value of R-50 (RSI 8.8)
$640 — attic insulation - increase from a starting point
of up to R12, to achieve total minimum insulation value of R-40 (RSI 7)
$445 — attic insulation - increase from a starting point
of up to R25, to achieve total minimum insulation value of R-50 (RSI 8.8)
$300 — attic insulation - increase from a starting point
of up to R25, to achieve total minimum insulation value of R-40 (RSI 7)

* Mixed roof types: When the roof has more than one type (i.e. attic, cathedral ceiling, flat roof), all applicable grants are pro-rated based on the ceiling area that is insulated.

The maximum Canada ecoENERGY grant for any combination of attic, cathedral ceiling and flat roof is $750. Grants listed reflect 100 percent of the ceiling area being of one roof type.

Roof insulation - South Coastal BC

South Coastal BC homeowners who had their first home energy audit before August 16, 2009 can get Canadian government grants + LiveSmart BC rebates when increasing the insulation value of 100 per cent of their flat roof or cathedral ceiling (see note above regarding mixed roof types*).

$920 — flat roof, cathedral ceiling insulation
from a starting point of un-insulated, increase by a minimum of R-14
$840 — flat roof, cathedral ceiling insulation
increase from a starting point of up to R12, to achieve
total minimum insulation value of R-28
$50 — flat roof, cathedral ceiling insulation
increase from a starting point of up to R35, to achieve
total minimum insulation value of R-50

Exterior wall insulation - South Coastal BC

South Coastal BC homeowners who had their first home energy audit before August 16, 2009 can get Canadian government grants + LiveSmart BC rebates when increasing the insulation value of their exterior walls (see note below regarding row and semi-detached houses**).

Increase your exterior wall insulation by more than R-9 to achieve a minimum of R-12, and get:

$2,275 — exterior wall insulation for 100%
of exterior wall surface - increase by more than R-9
to achieve a minimum of R-12
$1,730 — exterior wall insulation for 80%+
of exterior wall surface - increase by more than R-9
to achieve a minimum of R-12
$1,285 — exterior wall insulation for 60%+
of exterior wall surface - increase by more than R-9
to achieve a minimum of R-12

Increase basement insulation by a minimum of R-3.8 to achieve a minimum of R-12, and get:

$1,265 — exterior wall insulation for 100%
of exterior wall surface - increase by at least R-3.8
to achieve a minimum of R-12
$1,000 — exterior wall insulation for 80%+
of exterior wall surface - increase by at least R-3.8
to achieve a minimum of R-12

A minimum of 20 per cent of the total exterior wall area must be insulated to qualify. The grant is based on the percentage of wall area that is insulated and does not include walls between individual dwelling units.

** In the case of a semi-detached or row house that is an end unit, the grant amount for the insulation of exterior walls, basement or crawl space walls is 75 percent of the amounts shown. In the case of a row house that is a middle unit, the grant amount is 50 percent of the amounts shown.

Basement wall insulation - South Coastal BC

South Coastal BC homeowners who had their first home energy audit before August 16, 2009 can get Canadian government grants + LiveSmart BC rebates when increasing the insulation value of their basement exterior walls. Row homes and semi-detached homes are also eligible: see note above regarding row and semi-detached houses**.

Basement wall insulation grants are pro-rated depending on percentage of wall covered. Basement wall insulation grants are also pro-rated depending on wall type: see note below regarding mixed wall types***.

Increase basement insulation by more than R-23 and get:

$1,650 — basement wall insulation for 100%
of exterior wall surface - increase by more than R-23
$1,300 — basement wall insulation for 80%+
of exterior wall surface - increase by more than R-23
$890 — basement wall insulation for 60%+
of exterior wall surface - increase by more than R-23

Increase basement insulation by more than R-10 to achieve a minimum of R-12, and get:

$855 — basement wall insulation for 100%
of exterior wall surface - increase by at least R-10
to achieve a minimum of R-12
$650 — basement wall insulation for 80%+
of exterior wall surface - increase by at least R-10
to achieve a minimum of R-12
$495 — basement wall insulation for 60%+
of exterior wall surface - increase by at least R-10
to achieve a minimum of R-12

*** A minimum of 20 per cent of the foundation’s wall area (including basement and crawl space walls, when applicable) must be insulated to qualify. The grant is based on the percentage of wall area that is insulated and does not include walls between individual dwelling units. When both a basement and crawl space are present, the Canada ecoENERGY grant is pro-rated to a maximum of $1,250 based on the total wall area that is insulated.

Basement header insulation - South Coastal BC

South Coastal BC homeowners who had their first home energy audit before August 16, 2009 can get Canadian government grants + LiveSmart BC rebates when sealing all of their basement header area and increasing the insulation value of their basement header insulation.

$175 — basement header insulation - insulate 100%
of basement header area. R-value must be increased by a minimum of R-20 (RSI 3.5)

Crawl space insulation - South Coastal BC

South Coastal BC homeowners who had their first home energy audit before August 16, 2009 can get Canadian government grants + LiveSmart BC rebates when increasing the insulation value of their crawl space exterior walls (see note above regarding row and semi-detached houses**, and note above regarding mixed wall types***).

Eligible homeowners can qualify for either the crawl space wall rebate, or floor above crawl space rebate, but not both.

$1,320 — crawl space wall insulation - insulate 100%
of exterior wall surface for an increase of more than R-23
$600 — crawl space wall insulation - insulate 100%
of exterior wall surface for a minimum increase of R-10

Or, eligible homeowners can get Canadian government grants + LiveSmart BC rebates when they insulate the floor above their crawl space.

$570 — floor insulation above crawl space - increase insulation on 100% of the floor above a crawl space by a minimum of R-24 (RSI 4.2)

Exposed floor insulation - South Coastal BC

South Coastal BC homeowners who had their first home energy audit before August 16, 2009 can get Canada ecoENERGY grants + LiveSmart BC rebates when increasing the insulation value of their exposed floors.

$340 — exposed floor insulation - increase insulation on exposed floor by a minimum of R-20 (RSI 3.5)

A minimum floor area of 14 square metres (150 square feet) must be insulated to qualify – applies to overhangs and floors above an unheated space, excluding crawl spaces.

See South Coastal BC rebate list for details. Click here

See Interior & Northern BC rebate list for details. Click here

Insulation rebates — how they work

Eligible homeowners can take advantage of combined grants + rebates for home insulation from the Canadian and BC governments:

Canada ecoENERGY grants — BC homeowners can get up to $4,190 in grants for home insulation through the Canadian government’s ecoENERGY Retrofit - Homes program, which is in effect until March 31, 2011.
LiveSmart BC rebates — BC homeowners who had their first home energy audit before August 16, 2009, get more money with LiveSmart BC rebates in South Coastal BC and Interior & Northern BC – for total combined rebates of up to $5,380 and $5,720 for home insulation depending where you live. The BC government’s LiveSmart BC: Efficiency Incentive Program provides rebates in addition to the $5,000 available in Canada ecoENERGY grants - for a total of more than $10,000. Click here for more
Home Energy Assessments — To qualify for Canada ecoENERGY insulation grants, and LiveSmart BC insulation rebates, BC homeowners must get a home energy assessment before and after their home insulation improvements. Click here for more
Home Renovation Tax Credit — BC homeowners can claim the cost of their home insulation improvements and other energy-saving home renovations against their federal income tax. Get income tax credit of up to $1,350 when you make home improvements in 2009. The home renovation tax credit (HRTC) can be claimed for a wide range of home improvements, including energy-saving renovations. The home renovation tax credit is separate from Canadian government ecoENERGY grant and LiveSmart BC rebate programs. Click here

BC rebates — before August 16, 2009

Home insulation is just one way to save.

BC homeowners who had their first home energy audit before August 16, 2009 can get combined tax-free BC rebates of up to $10,000 and more for:

Home Renovations — Windows, doors, insulation, and air sealing
Equipment — Furnaces, heat pumps, hot water heaters, boilers, geothermal heating, solar panel hot water systems, HRV, low-flush toilets, and more ...

BC homeowners who had their first home energy audit before August 16, 2009, can choose from a shopping list of combined Canada ecoENERGY grants + British Columbia LiveSmart BC rebates for combined grants of more than $10,000.

Furnaces — high-efficiency gas or oil, up to $1,920
Heat pumps — air-source heat pump which doubles as air conditioner up to $1,950
Water heaters — condensing gas up to $595
Water heaters — tankless/instantaneous gas, condensing-type up to $685
Water heaters — electric heat pump $130
Boilers — high-efficiency gas or oil, up to $1,870
HRV — heat recovery ventilator $875
Solar — hot water system up to $1,375 in grants, plus $1,000 SolarBC incentive
Geothermal — ground- or water-source heat pumps which are energy-efficient heating and cooling systems up to $5,625

BC homeowners can also get ...

Attic or roof — insulation up to $1,060
Exterior wall — insulation up to $2,275
Basement — insulation up to $1,750
Crawl space — insulation up to $1,520
Air sealing — for your home up to $710
Windows & doors — up to $80 for each replacement unit
Toilets — $65 for each replacement unit

And there’s more.

South Coastal BC rebates — shows combined tax-free grant + rebate amounts of up to more than $10,000 from the Governments of British Columbia and Canada for eligible BC homeowners in South Coastal BC. Click here
Interior & Northern BC rebates — LiveSmart BC provides bigger rebates for eligible homeowners living in Interior & Northern areas. Click here
British Columbia rebates — shows the full list of LiveSmart BC rebate incentives available from the BC government for homeowners who had their first home energy audit before August 16, 2009. Click here

Easy to start — BC

All you do is make one call — 1-877-732-9888 — to book a home energy audit with a BC Energy Advisor – your first step to qualifying for LiveSmart BC rebates for home energy renovations.

Book your energy audit with a certified HomePerformance Energy Advisor. Your BC Energy Advisor will help you make the right energy saving choices for your BC home. Click here

LiveSmart BC — conditions

Some conditions apply.

Home energy audit — To qualify for LiveSmart BC grants you must get an ecoENERGY home energy assessment before and after upgrades to your BC home. You will receive grants for improvements started after your first audit.
Renovations — You can complete the improvements yourself or hire a BC contractor. We recommend you document your renovations with receipts, photos and product literature to be sure you get full credit for all improvements.
March 31, 2011 — You need to apply for LiveSmart BC grants by completing your follow-up (post-retrofit) audit within 18 months of your first audit, or by March 31, 2011, whichever comes first. Use the opportunity to complete as many upgrades as possible.
Existing homes only — Newly built BC homes occupied for less than six months do not qualify for grants. Once a newly built home has been occupied for more than six months, there is no limit to how old a home can be to qualify for LiveSmart BC rebates.
Local codes & by-laws — All improvements or renovations must meet BC building codes and by-laws. Pay special attention to the placement of vapour barriers when adding insulation to the building envelope. Before undertaking improvements or renovations, find out about the appropriate products and installation techniques to ensure that your home’s building envelope and indoor air quality will not be compromised.
Higher efficiency — To qualify for LiveSmart BC grants, any new equipment installed in your BC home must have a higher efficiency than that of the original equipment it replaces.
Questions about eligibility — If you are not certain about the eligibility of your BC house, or any specific renovations you are planning, you should request clarification from the BC government. Homeowners are responsible for clarifying that their house and planned improvements are eligible for LiveSmart BC grants before undertaking any upgrade work and related expenses.

BC rebates & incentives

British Columbia LiveSmart BC rebates

BC homeowners who had their first home energy audit before August 16, 2009, get more money with LiveSmart BC tax-free rebates.

LiveSmart BC — Rebates for home energy assessments and incentives for energy-efficient home improvements are available for BC homeowners who had their first home energy audit before August 16, 2009. Click here for details
$150 refund — You pay the energy advisor up to $150 for your first energy assessment. LiveSmart BC will pay the energy advisor for the remaining portion of the cost. To reduce your costs further, LiveSmart BC will send homeowners who had their first energy audit before August 16, 2009, a refund of up to $150 for the costs paid for their first assessment (not including GST and travel costs). To qualify for this refund, you must complete energy-efficiency renovations to your home, and obtain a second energy assessment.
18 months — To be eligible for LiveSmart BC you must receive an ecoENERGY assessment from a certified energy advisor before August 16, 2009, and before you begin home improvement work. You have 18 months from the date of the first energy assessment, or until March 31, 2011, whichever comes first, to make some or all of your incentive-qualifying renovations and complete your second energy assessment.
Two grant programs — Your second certified home energy assessment verifies your improvements and completes your application for both Canada ecoENERGY grants and LiveSmart BC rebates. Your Home Energy Advisor will do the necessary paperwork for both your Canada ecoENERGY grants and BC rebates.
BC Rebates List — Shows combined tax-free grant amounts available to eligible homeowners from the governments of British Columbia and Canada. Click here

Home Renovation Tax Credit — BC

In addition to tax-free grants and rebates for energy-saving home improvements, you can also get a 2009 income tax credit for your BC home improvement expenses. That’s right — BC homeowners can claim 15 per cent of their home improvement expenses, including the cost of energy-saving renovations, on their 2009 income tax return. This amounts to a Canadian tax credit of up to $1,350 for British Columbia homeowners.

You claim the Canada Home Renovation Tax Credit (HRTC) when you file your 2009 income tax return. The home renovation tax credit is separate from your tax-free grants and rebates, and you can claim it for many home improvements, including energy renovations like a new furnace, insulation or windows.
(Click here for more HRTC details).

Home Renovation Tax Credit — Budget 2009 includes a 15 per-cent non-refundable tax credit for home renovations in Canada. Click here for details
Up to $1,350 — The Home Renovation Tax Credit may be claimed for the 2009 taxation year on the portion of eligible BC home improvement expenditures exceeding $1,000, but less than $10,000. Get up to $1,350 in tax relief.
Act now — Canada’s Home Renovation Tax Credit applies for home improvement work performed, or goods acquired, for your BC home after January 27, 2009 and before February 1, 2010. British Columbians may claim this federal credit (including expenditures made in January 2010) in their 2009 income tax returns.
Combine tax credit, grants and rebates — Canada’s Home Renovation Tax Credit is in addition to the federal government’s support for Canadians to make energy-saving improvements to their homes. Canadian grants paid through the ecoENERGY Retrofit program will not reduce the value of claims for home improvement expenditures made under the Home Renovation Tax Credit. Provincial rebates paid to eligible BC homeowners through the BC government’s LiveSmart BC program will not reduce the value of claims made under the Canadian government’s Home Renovation Tax Credit.

Your advisor can help

By choosing a HomePerformance Energy Advisor to do your BC home energy audit, you’ll receive information on LiveSmart BC home energy renovation grants, and other energy improvement rebates available in British Columbia.

Enjoy all the benefits

Do it right

Each British Columbia home has its own specific energy-savings needs, and yours is no different. The right renovations add up to big savings. By following the expert advice of a certified BC energy advisor, you’ll make the energy renovations or "retrofits" that are right for your BC home — and help improve your energy costs and the BC environment.

Three easy steps

Call for a BC home energy audit ... 1-877-732-9888
Choose the right renovations for you
Save energy and money

Energy renovations help ...

Save energy — Your BC home won’t need as much energy to stay comfortable.
Save money — Less energy used = lower energy costs for you.
Grants + Rebates — Qualify for tax-free Livesmart BC rebates for home energy renovation, sent directly to you.

And that’s not all. Here are more benefits ...

Greater comfort – Your home will be warmer in BC winters, cooler in BC summers.
Better health – You’ll eliminate indoor health concerns like chills and drafts, and keep your home free of airborne pollutants and pollen.
Increased home value – By making energy renovations, you’ll increase the resale value of your BC home. An official Canada EnerGuide label proves you’ve done the work.
Simpler home maintenance – No more scrubbing moldy windowsills! Keep airborne dust and dirt outside where it belongs.

When you improve your home in British Columbia, you also make a difference to the rest of the world. You’ll help address important global issues like ...

Climate change – Energy renovations help reduce your BC home’s greenhouse gas emissions, while protecting you from the effects of climate change and extreme weather.
Energy security – By reducing your BC home’s energy use, you’ll be less deeply affected by energy price fluctuations and supply interruptions.

And there’s even more. Click here to learn how BC homeowners like you are saving thousands of dollars and tonnes of greenhouse gases every year, by making the right energy-saving home renovations. British Columbia homeowners can make a difference.

Get started today!

Learn more about Renovation Rebates in BC ...

Home Renovation

Window - replacement
Door - ENERGY STAR
Attic, roof - insulation
Exterior wall - insulation
Basement - insulation
Crawl space - insulation
Air sealing - air tightness, blower door test
HRV - heat recovery ventilator

Equipment

Furnace - high efficiency
Hot water heater - tankless, high efficiency
Air conditioner - central, window replacement
Heat pump - air source
Geothermal - heat pump
Boiler - gas, oil
Solar - hot water system
Toilet - efficient low flush

To qualify you need a home energy assessment before your renovations. For more information on tax-free government grants in British Columbia or to book a BC home energy assessment call 1-877-732-9888.