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Power Smart New Home Program
The Power Smart New Home Program encourages builders and developers to build energy-efficient homes. The program provides financial incentives and offers cooperative marketing to new residential home construction built to an EnerGuide 80 rating or higher.
For Single family detached houses in Prince George, as well as row houses, townhouses and duplexes that receive an EnerGuide 80 rating or higher, BC Hydro will provide an incentive of up to $1,500 per home for homes with building permits dated on or before September 15, 2011; the incentive increased to $2,000 for homes with building permits dating after then. As well, if an ENERGY STAR appliance package is installed, it's worth up to an additional $200 per home. The ENERGY STAR package includes the following ENERGY STAR products:
- refrigerator,
- dishwasher,
- front-loading clothes washer,
- minimum six compact fluorescent light bulbs, and
- bathroom ventilation fan.
Getting an EnerGuide rating
The EnerGuide rating for each home is calculated by a Certified Energy Advisor, using the energy modelling of building plans and the results of an air leakage test performed once the house has been built.
- Get started by contacting Power Smart. They will provide you with a list of Certified Energy Advisors (CEA) (you can also find the Energy Advisors here.
- The CEA will help you enrol with Natural Resources Canada (NRCan).
- The pre-construction evaluation is conducted by the CEA who will evaluate your house plans and provide any recommendations to improve the home’s EnerGuide rating.
- The post-construction verification is also conducted by the CEA, who conducts an air leakage test on each home.
- The CEA submits the final results to NRCan.
- Submit the Power Smart New Home Enrollment form and single home application form with the EnerGuide rating and file number for the home.
- NRCan issues a label for each home and Power Smart issues the incentive for your approved project.
Customers who purchase a Power Smart home (rated to EnerGuide 80 or higher) may also be eligible for a 10% refund on their mortgage loan insurance premium from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation's (CMHC) Green Home program.
Email BC Hydro for more information. |