Kelowna Window - Government Grants - Kelowna Windows Rebates

High-efficiency windows
smash energy bills

With four active boys, Maria Senger had all but given up on the old windows in her 1974 Kelowna-area home.

“A golf ball went through one, and then a football. And a pine cone,” she says. “I just gave up replacing them — windows are so expensive.”

And with 20 old windows to fix, she knew that choosing energy-efficient replacement windows could cost a lot.

Kelowna home renovation - windows, furnace

Kelowna, BC - 1974
(before renovation)

New furnaceOld furnace

Air sealing renovation
(before and after)

Kelowna related:

Windows | Heat pump | Furnace
Toilet | Kelowna energy audit

But then the Kelowna-area homeowner heard about Canadian government grants and rebates that would help offset the cost of new windows and other energy-saving renovations and improvements. Senger decided to participate in the grant program to offset the costs of her new furnace and other renovations.

Home energy audit

Senger booked an appointment with a BC Home Energy Advisor, who conducted a detailed audit on Senger’s home, looking for places that it lost energy.

“It was great. He came and explained to me how everything worked. He was very pleasant,” says Senger. “He went through the house and he explained what I would need to make my house energy efficient.”

Thanks to her home energy audit, Senger discovered that by making energy-saving renovations and improvements to her home, including installing new high-efficiency windows, a new high-efficiency gas furnace, and doing air sealing to prevent drafts, she could earn thousands of dollars in Canadian government energy grant money.

Energy Star windows

After her initial home energy assessment, Senger installed a new high-efficiency gas furnace with a DC variable-speed motor, as well as new high-efficiency windows that are Energy Star-rated for the Kelowna climate zone.

It’s made an incredible difference, with the old windows, it was incredibly hot in the house [in summer]. This year we only had one small air conditioner upstairs.

Maria Senger, Kelowna BC

Kelowna window grants

“It’s made an incredible difference,” she says of the more efficient windows. “With the old windows, it was incredibly hot in the house [in summer]. This year we only had one small air conditioner upstairs.”

Besides the replacement windows, Senger invested in new Energy Star-rated doors, additional insulation, and air sealing to make sure no drafts could get in, and no warm air could leak out.

Renovations improve efficiency

The combination of energy-saving renovations and improvements means that Senger’s 40-year-old Kelowna-area home now uses much less fuel, and therefore costs less to operate. In the winter, Senger says she can keep the thermostat at 18 C, “not at 23 to 25, just to keep us comfortable.”

You could hit these windows with a soccer ball and they wouldn’t break.

Maria Senger, Kelowna BC

Kelowna home energy grants

Plus, by saving energy, she’s saving money on her gas and electricity bills while still staying warm. “Now it’s nice and comfy.”

Senger explains that her home is where all the kids on the block hang out, which is fine with her — especially since her boys can’t do the same kind of damage to the windows as they used to. That’s because the high-efficiency windows are remarkably strong. “You could hit these windows with a soccer ball and they wouldn’t break.”

More Renovations: Vancouver | BC | Canada

Government grants

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Windows
Click here for more on windows

Kelowna homeowners can choose from a shopping list of Interior & Northern LiveSmart BC rebates:

Insulation — ceiling + wall + foundation, up to $3,850
Furnaces — high-efficiency gas up to $700
Heat pumps — air-source heat pump which doubles as air conditioner up to $1,600
Water heaters — condensing gas $300
Water heaters — tankless/instantaneous gas, condensing-type $300
Boilers — high-efficiency gas $700
HRV — heat recovery ventilator up to $1,100
Solar — hot water system $500
Geothermal — ground- or water-source heat pumps which are energy-efficient heating and cooling systems up to $2,500
Air conditioning — up to $2,500
(Heat pumps for energy efficient heating & cooling)

Kelowna homeowners can also get ...

Attic or roof — insulation up to $750
Exterior wall — insulation up to $1,500
Basement — insulation up to $1,375
Crawl space — insulation up to $1,000
Air sealing — for your home up to $500
Windows & doors — up to $70 for each replacement unit
Toilets — for low-flow replacement unit
(local government. regional, city, municipality, energy utility)

And there’s more.

Take advantage of government rebates + grants up to $7,000 and more for home energy renovation in Kelowna BC:

LiveSmart BC rebates — Kelowna homeowners can get up to $7,000 and more in home energy grants through the BC government’s LiveSmart BC rebate program, which is in effect until March 31, 2013. Click here for more
Home Energy Audits — To qualify for Government of BC’s LiveSmart rebates, Kelowna homeowners must get a home energy audit before and after their home improvement work. The BC government’s LiveSmart BC program also subsidizes the cost of your first home energy audit. Click here for more
Other BC rebates — There are additional rebates for low-flow toilets, and even more grants, rebates and incentives from local BC governments and energy utilities.
Home Renovation Tax Credit — Many homeowners in Kelowna use “tax credit” to describe a grant program like LiveSmart BC rebates. The original Home Renovation Tax Credit (HRTC) expired in 2010. With today’s 2011 “tax credit” programs there’s no need to wait until you’ve filed your annual income tax return to receive a home renovation tax credit. Your tax-free grant money will be sent within 90 days of your follow-up energy audit. Click here for more

Enjoy all the benefits

Do it right

Each Kelowna 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 Kelowna home — and help improve your energy costs and the Kelowna BC environment.

Energy renovations help ...

Save energy — Your Kelowna 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 government grants 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 Kelowna winters, cooler in Kelowna 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 Kelowna 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 Kelowna, 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 Kelowna home’s greenhouse gas emissions, while protecting you from the effects of climate change and extreme weather.
Energy security – By reducing your Kelowna 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 Kelowna homeowners like you are saving thousands of dollars and tonnes of greenhouse gases every year, by making the right energy-saving home renovations. Kelowna BC homeowners can make a difference.