Energy Incentive Pilot Program

The City of Prince George is offering two pilot incentive programs to encourage energy efficiency in existing and new homes. Program details for each are in the following sections. For more details, please contact City staff at 250-561-7793.

Home Energy Labeling Pilot Project

New Home Energy Efficient REBATE Pilot

Home Energy Labeling Pilot Project -A Pilot for Home Sellers and Buyers-

The City of Prince George in partnership with the BC Northern Real Estate Board, the Canadian Home Builders Association and local energy advisor groups is piloting a home energy assessment incentive program. The program provides a $75.00 REBATE to home sellers for participating in a home energy audit. In addition to the home energy audit home sellers are required to work with their local Real Estate agent to post the audit outcomes on Multiple-Listing Service MLS®. By posting the EnerGuide Rating on MLS® it provides information to the new home owner on the energy efficiency of the home, therefore increasing home marketability.

Who is running the program?

The home energy labeling project is a joint project led by the City of Prince George in conjunction with the BC Northern Real Estate Board, the Canadian Home Builders Association and Hometech Energy Solutions. The pilot project is being funded through the Fraser Basin Council’s Community Action on Energy and Emissions (CAEE) Gold grant program which the City received in March 2009.

What is an energy label?

The program uses an EnerGuide for Houses Rating system, similar to what you see when purchasing a new appliance.

How does the program work?

When the homeowner decides to sell their home, they request a home energy assessment to be conducted by a Natural Resources Canada Certified Energy Advisor. A list of participating service organizations providing assessments is available below. The energy assessment takes into account the heating and hot-water systems, insulation levels, windows, doors and includes a test to determine overall air leakage. Computer modeling is performed by the Certified Energy Advisor to produce a report summarizing the home’s energy efficiency and initial EnerGuide for Houses Rating (EGH).After receiving advice from the Certified Energy Advisor on options to improve energy efficiency and the financial incentives available to do so, the homeowner has a number of choices.

How long will the audit take?

An auditor will visit your home within 3 days of your request and have the completed report to you within 2 days.

What do I do after my home is audited?

Once you have completed a home energy audit by a certified auditor you must provide a copy of the energy assessment to your REALTOR®. Your REALTOR® will then post the energy rating outcome on MLS®. MLS® If you have a high EnerGuide rating then you can proceed with posting it on MLS® and get your REBATE. If your rating is low you have two options: a) You provide the energy assessment report to your REALTOR® to post on MLS® therefore allowing the option of the homeowner to do the upgrades or; b) You can undertake the upgrades yourself and receive cash incentives from provincial and federal REBATE programs. After the upgrades are completed, have a second audit and provide the updated information to the REALTOR® to post on MLS®. Both options qualify for the REBATE plus either option you choose will result in increased home marketability.
You must provide a copy of your energy assessment to your REALTOR
and post it on MLS® to ensure your $75.00 REBATE.

Who are the Certified Energy Advisors in Prince George?

Hometech Energy 250-596-4545
Diversified Inspections 250-961-0030
The House Whisperers (250) 961-6596

How much does the energy assessment cost?

Normally, the cost of a home evaluation is approximately $150 per visit. Sellers participating in the Home Energy Labeling Pilot Project are eligible for a REBATE of $75, if they post their home’s energy rating on MLS®. This discount is only available for sellers within the City of Prince George who agree to post their home’s energy rating on their MLS® listing and share their LiveSmart BC assessment with new home buyers via their REALTOR®. Sellers wishing to do the upgrades prior to selling their home will require a second energy evaluation in order to qualify for the Provincial and Federal grants.

Is this program mandatory?

No, the program is strictly voluntary, with a limited number of REBATEs available. The Pilot is designed to evaluate whether or not the disclosure of the energy ratings of homes will improve marketability. This Pilot is will be a learning experience for those involved such as the City of Prince George, the BC Northern Real Estate Board and other partners. We welcome any feedback you have on the program so we can continually improve the Pilot.

Benefits for Home Sellers and Buyers

By displaying a higher than average EnerGuide for Houses rating at the time of sale it has the potential to increase home value which in turn may result in a faster selling time at a higher value.

If your home has a low EnerGuide for Houses rating and you, as a home seller, prefer not to upgrade, you still will benefit from posting the EGH rating on MLS®, as the home buyer will now be eligible to apply for cash incentives through the federal ecoENERGY Retrofit program when doing home energy upgrades. There is also the Home Renovation Tax Credit available.

If upgrades are made to a home, the new owner will have peace of mind that their new home will save them money in energy costs and renovations.

However, if new owners undertake the upgrades they will have the full EGH rating report already done that will show the cost/savings benefits for different upgrade options.

Other home incentives you can benefit from:

Home Renovation Tax Credit – for home improvements made between January 27th 2009 and February 1st, 2009.
Solar BC – a solar hot water incentive program.
PST Exemption – many energy efficient products are exempt from PST, making energy efficiency upgrades even more affordable.
LiveSmart BC – Provincial incentives for home energy upgrades.
EcoENERGY – Federal incentives for home energy upgrades.

New Home Energy Efficiency REBATE Pilot

The City of Prince George, through grant funding from the Community Action on Energy & Emissions (CAEE) program, is providing a REBATE to cover a portion of the extra costs associated with building a Built Green™ (http://www.builtgreencanada.ca/) energy efficient home. Funding is limited so there are a limited number of REBATEs available with the pilot program (estimates of between 4 and 7 homes depending on the target EnerGuide rating).

Program Requirements:

To qualify for this special REBATE, your new home must be built within the City of Prince George and with a certified Built Green™ builder.
This REBATE is available to new home building customers. Homes built for the speculative market are not eligible. The REBATE cheque is provided directly to the eligible new home customer.
As a new home customer, you should work with your Built Green™ home builder and a local certified Energy Advisor to determine what level of energy efficiency (e.g. EnerGuide rating of 80, 81 or 82) you want to achieve. The Energy Advisor and builder will be able to determine the various energy efficiency upgrades you can do, what their energy savings and pay-back period would be and how the REBATE factors into the costs and savings.
Once you and your builder have decided your energy efficiency target and you want to participate in the REBATE Pilot, you must reserve your REBATE amount by filling out and signing this Pilot Project Participation Form with your builder, and attach a copy of your building permit and a copy of your Plan Evaluation report from your Energy Advisor and provide these to the City of Prince George. The forms are available from the City of Prince George. The number of REBATES are limited and they are on a first come first serve basis.
Once your new home is completed you will need to conduct a home energy efficiency assessment with your certified Energy Advisor. The assessment report will verify your EnerGuide rating.
Once the steps above have been completed, provide to the City of Prince George: 1) a copy of the paid receipt from your Energy Advisor, and: 2) a copy of your home energy assessment report completed by your Energy Advisor. The City of Prince George will mail your REBATE cheque.

REBATE Values:

$3,500 for EnerGuide 80 rating
$5,000 for EnerGuide 81 rating
$7,500 for EnerGuide 82 rating

What are the Benefits to building a Built Green™ Home?

Provide greater energy efficiency and reduce pollution
Provide healthier indoor air
Reduce water usage
Preserve natural resources
Improve durability and reduce maintenance

Although it initially costs more to build an energy efficient home, you will have lower utility bills which will end up saving you money in the long term!

More Information on Green Homes and Residential Construction:

For more details, please contact City staff at 250-561-7793