Powell River homeowner questions green rebate restrictions

Powell River residents Paul Demers and Michele Shannon had all the energy-efficient features in mind for the major renovation of their 70-year-old home in the Sunshine Coast community.

None of the work, however, from new insulation to the installation of a heat recovery ventilation system, qualified for Clean B.C. rebate programs because, in one instance at least, they hadn’t used an approved contractor.

B.C. Hydro and Fortis B.C., which administer the programs aimed at improving energy efficiency, require that homeowners use contractors registered with the Home Performance Contractor Network (HPCN) or program-registered contractors to handle rebate-eligible installations.

Demers said B.C. Hydro rejected their application for a rebate on insulation replacement because their contractor wasn’t registered, even though there wasn’t a registered contractor in Powell River, which is also the case in other rural areas of the province.