BC Hydro and FortisBC are the two largest utilities providing services to B.C. residents, and are regulated by the B.C. Utilities Commission (BCUC). Although BC Hydro and FortisBC are the main public utilities in B.C., there are five B.C. municipalities that have their own utilities and sell electricity directly to their customers.

The building envelope is the physical barrier separating your home’s interior from the outside. It includes the roof, walls, foundation, windows, and doors. When your building envelope functions well, it allows you to control heat, air, moisture, and light in your home. It is critical for energy efficiency, comfort and durability.

Thermal Resistance Value (R-value) is an imperial system measure of a material’s resistance to heat flow by conduction. The higher the resistance value, the slower the rate of heat transfer through the material. Insulation materials are measured in R-Value. To convert an R-Value to an RSI Value (metric system), divide the R-value by 5.678.

U-factor is a measure of how easily heat flows through a building element, like a window, wall, roof or door. Metric U-factor is measured in watts per square meter per Kelvin (W/ m2·K). U-factor can be expressed in metric units (W/m2·K) or imperial inch-pound units (Btu/h·ft2·F). To convert imperial U-factor to metric, multiply the imperial…

Heating Seasonal Performance Factor (HSPF) measures the heating efficiency of an air source heat pump. A unit’s HSPF is the total heat output divided by the electricity consumed over a heating season. A higher HSPF means the unit is more energy efficient. HSPF2 is the updated standard, introduced in 2023.

Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER) measures the cooling efficiency of an air conditioner or air source heat pump. A unit’s SEER is the cooling output divided by the total electricity consumed over a cooling season. A higher SEER rating means the unit is more energy efficient. SEER2 is the updated standard, introduced in 2023.

A heat load calculation ensures the heat pump is sized appropriately for the home’s heating load. Required for: dual fuel ducted heat pump rebates (a copy of the load calculation is required for your dual fuel rebate) Recommended for: all heat pump installations Contractors or Energy Advisors can perform the heat load calculation using: Eligible…

Apartment, condo or stacked townhouse building (6 storeys or less) Includes market rental, strata condominium and equity co-op buildings. Also includes residential units in mixed-use buildings with one or more rental or strata condominium residential suites. Must have shared common area lighting and heating, and shared hallways or elevator. Stacked or partially stacked townhome Townhome…

Single-family home Also known as a detached dwelling. This is a standalone house, not attached to any other buildings. Secondary suite in a single-family home A secondary suite in a detached dwelling with its own natural gas and/or electricity meter. Duplex, triplex or 4-5 unit multiplex A building with 2-5 residential units that share one…