New Home Construction Rebates - round home

Build a high-performance, more energy-efficient home and take advantage of significant savings with new home construction rebates in BC.

If you’re thinking of building a new energy-saving, high-performance home, there’s never been a better time. As players in the industry, as well as government, expand their consciousness and experience to include far more energy-efficiency and sustainability in construction, more resources are being made available to the homeowner.

For example, the BC Step Code program is a new provincial standard that recognizes new construction that goes above and beyond the efficiency requirements of the BC Building Code.

In the program, if you build a home that is more aggressively energy-efficient than the minimum BC Building Code requirements you can qualify for a home performance rebate ranging from $1,000 to $8,000. You also have the choice to choose from a variety of rebates such as high-efficiency natural gas water heaters and fireplaces. Homes in the FortisBC electricity service area might also be eligible for rebates on ENERGY STAR® appliance and heat pump water heaters.

Mandala Custom Homes designs and builds high-performance, energy-efficient homes and our standard practice with all projects is to provide the initial Energy Advisor review to help achieve a range of rebates, including the above.

Eligibility for New Home Construction Rebates

To qualify for new home construction rebates through the BC Step Code program, the home must be:

  1. new construction
  2. constructed in FortisBC’s natural gas or electricity service areas
  3. a maximum of four storeys high
  4. one of the following:
    • detached house (may include a secondary suite)
    • attached house (e.g. semi-detached, townhouses, duplexes, triplexes, row house or attached house with or without a secondary suite)
    • laneway home

Rebate details

Choose from either option A or B below. And for projects located in FortisBC’s electricity service area, additional ENERGY STAR appliance rebates are also available.

Option A

Build a home to BC Energy Step Code 2 or higher using natural gas space and water heating (or electricity space and water heating in FortisBC’s electricity service area) and qualify for:

  • home performance rebates ranging from $1,000 to $8,000
  • energy advisor evaluation rebates
  • natural gas fireplaces and dryers and drain water heat recovery rebates

See the BC Energy Step Code requirement in the community in which you’re building. Then view the home performance rebate.

Option B

Build a home to minimum code or BC Energy Step Code 1 and you can pick and choose from a variety of rebates, including:

  • high-efficiency water heater rebates
  • energy advisor evaluation rebates
  • natural gas fireplaces and dryers and drain water heat recovery rebates

Learn more HERE.

Electric appliance rebates

If your project is located in FortisBC’s electricity service area, additional rebates are also available on ENERGY STAR washers, electric dryers and fridges. Click HERE for details.

How to apply

For home performance rebates

  1. Before construction begins, contact your FortisBC natural gas energy solutions manager or electricity technical advisors to put you in touch with an energy advisor. We’ll also help you in the design and planning stage, and support you along the way to help you achieve the desired step code.
  2. Complete a pre-construction, mid-construction (if required) and completion consultation with your energy advisor.
  3. Your energy advisor has all the necessary tools and will submit the application on your behalf within six months of the issuance of the building occupancy permit.

For appliance and water heater rebates

  1. Select the applicable application(s):
  2. Be sure to include copies of paid purchase invoices, which include the purchase date and make and model numbers of appliances.
  3. Submit your application:
  4. If you qualify, your rebate will be mailed to you. Please allow up to 90 days to process.

Additional resources

Learn more about the benefits of building high-performance homes through BC Housing’s Local Energy Efficiency Partnership video series.

For advice on the energy-efficiency options best suited for your project or help with understanding the new BC Energy Step Code and completing your rebate application, contact a Program-Qualified Energy Advisor (PQEA) or email newhome@fortisbc.com.

Interested in learning how Mandala Custom Homes can help you take advantage of all the new home construction rebates possible?  Talk to us!