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Aug 23

Natural Gas Equipment Rebates Are Ending December 2023

By Furnace, Heating, HVAC, Plumbing
FortisBC rebates

On June 30, 2023, the B.C. Government changed regulations that will discontinue FortisBC’s ability to offer rebates and incentives for gas equipment below 100% efficiency. This includes rebates to replace gas equipment like furnaces, boilers, water heaters and fireplaces.

Homeowners can still apply for rebates on eligible equipment, but it must be installed by December 31, 2023.

If you’ve been considering upgrading your aging equipment, you can claim up to $1150 in rebates on a new furnace and $1000 when switching to a tankless on demand hot water system.

Furnace replacement rebates kelowna

Furnace Upgrade Benefits:

Read more on how to qualify for furnace rebates.

Navien on demand hot water rebates kelowna

On Demand Tankless Hot Water Benefits:

  • Never run out of hot water
  • Save on energy bills
  • Save space in your home
  • Free up electrical capacity
  • $1000 FortisBC rebate

 

Learn more about the benefits of tankless on demand hot water.

Interested in upgrading while the rebates still apply? Contact us for a free quote. Installs must be in place by Dec. 31, 2023 to qualify.

Want to take advantage of additional savings? Install a furnace and air conditioner at the same time. Learn more about the benefits of installing both at the same time.

Dec 05

Switch From Oil or Propane to Natural Gas & Receive Up to $2,300 in Rebates

By Furnace, Heating, HVAC

Until March 31, 2023 get an additional $1000 rebate from Fortis BC.

Switch from oil or propane to a gas furnace

Reduce your operating costs and heating efficiency by making the switch to natural gas. Upgrade your home’s primary heating system  to an eligible high-efficiency natural gas furnace (95% AFUE or higher) and claim up to $2,300 in rebates. Here’s how you can claim the offer:

  • Apply for the rebate code by March 31, 2023
  • Have your new furnace installed by June 30, 2023
  • Apply to Fortis BC for the rebate within 90 days of the invoice date (no later than Sept. 30, 2023)

Get the full program details here

How much efficiency can you gain with a new furnace?
Most furnaces installed before 1990 are lower-efficiency models that average between 60 and 70 percent efficiency. Our high-efficiency gas furnaces range from 95 to 99 percent efficiency and come with warranties of up to 10 years. So if your furnace is nearing the end of its lifespan, an upgrade may be well worth the initial investment. Learn more about our furnace installations.

How does the cost of oil & propane compare to natural gas?
Visit the FortisBC website for a cost comparison of the average home in BC’s southern interior.

Interested in learning more about a furnace replacement? We’re a member of the FortisBC Trade Ally Network and can help you along the way. Contact us for a free estimate or click here to learn more about our furnace installations.

Have a section of your home not heated by your central air or interested in switching to a gas water heater? Ask us about additional rebates you may qualify for.

Sep 27

The Benefits of Combining a Heat Pump with a Furnace

By Air Conditioning, Furnace, Heating, HVAC

Are you considering the heating and air conditioning benefits of a heat pump for your home? We’re introducing a new offering that can seamlessly connect a variable speed heat pump to an existing gas or electric central air (ducted) furnace also referred to as a dual fuel system. It offers the convenience of being controlled through a single programmable thermostat to automatically switch between equipment for major efficiency gains.

Conventional heat pumps will turn off at -5C ambient outdoor air and switch to your back-up source of heat such as your gas or electric furnace.  Using a variable speed heat pump, typically used in mini split applications, our heat pumps operate down to -20C before switching to back-up heat.  This is especially attractive when you have an electric back up, because electricity is typically a higher cost to run than natural gas.  These heat pumps qualify for the HPCN (Home Performance Contractor Network) program.  The flexibility with these options are endless, and one of our experienced sales technicians can aid you in deciding which one is best for your home.

What are the benefits of choosing a dual fuel heating & cooling system?

Improved Cooling Efficiency
By seamlessly combining the efficiency of a heat pump with the powerful air movement of a forced-air furnace, the cool air can be distributed with very low energy costs.

Need a little assistance understanding the technical side of heat pumps? Here are a few frequently asked questions.

What is a Heat Pump?
Contrary to what their name suggests, heat pumps are dual purpose. They work to draw heat inside the home in the winter (even in very cold weather) and release heat outside the home in the summer working as an air conditioner alternative. Instead of burning fuel like a conventional furnace, they move thermal energy between the inside of the home and the outside of the home through refrigerant lines.

Do Heat Pumps Work Well in the Okanagan Climate?
Although heat pumps have been around for over 100 years, they usually weren’t used in colder, northern climates because heating efficiency was lost in cold weather. In recent decades, the technology has greatly improved making them an increasingly popular choice. Modern heat pumps can extract heat out of the air even at minus 20 Celsius, however, they operate less efficiently than traditional furnaces at lower extreme temperatures.

Why Choose a Heat Pump for Your Home?
Heat pumps are very energy efficient because they move heat energy rather than create it. This can help them achieve efficiencies of up to 300% under optimal conditions (3x the energy they consume). Modern environmental standards on new buildings in addition to low operating costs have made them a popular choice for homeowners.

Interested in learning more? Contact us for a free quote and see if a dual fuel system is right for your home.

Nov 30

How to Claim FortisBC’s Furnace Rebates Up To $1,150

By Furnace, Heating, HVAC
FortisBC Furnace Rebates

Is your furnace nearing the end of its lifespan? At a certain point, maintenance on an older furnace will actually become more costly than upgrading to a newer model.

Beyond the maintenance factor, there are some huge energy-saving advantages to upgrading to a newer high-efficiency gas furnace. Most furnaces installed before 1990 are lower-efficiency models that average between 60 and 70 percent. New furnaces range from 95 to 99 percent efficiency. If you’ve been considering adding air conditioning, your old furnace may also not be effective enough at distributing air. We’ve written about this in more detail here.

Wondering if you qualify for the rebate?

Here’s a list of eligibility requirements we’ve simplified for homeowners in the Kelowna area:

1. You must have an existing FortisBC account.
If you are making the switch from electric, wood, propane, or oil, the rebate unfortunately won’t apply.

2. The home must be a year-round primary residence on a permanent foundation.

3. Upgrades must be installed by a licensed heating contractor.

4. The new furnace must be your primary heating source.

5. The existing natural gas furnace must be at least 10 years old.

6. Warranty replacements or emergency replacements aren’t eligible.
In order to claim your rebate, your furnace has to still be operational. So it’s important not to wait too long until your furnace completely stops working.

7. Rebate applications must be submitted within 6 months of the invoice date and the model number of the furnace must be on the eligible list.
All new natural gas furnaces we install are eligible. We can advise you of the efficiency ratings and rebates available for each.

The full detailed requirements are available on the FortisBC website.

How much will a new furnace qualify for?

There are two potential rebates for upgrading your furnace. More basic high-efficiency furnaces offering efficiency from 95-96.9 will qualify for a rebate of $800. More advanced models offering efficiency of 97-99% will qualify for the maximum rebate of $1000. We install Honeywell WIFI connected thermostats with all of our new furnaces, which makes you eligible for an additional $150.

Interested in learning more about a furnace replacement? We’re a member of the FortisBC Trade Ally Network and can help you along the way. Contact us for a free estimate or click here to learn more about our furnace installations.

Interested in financing? Find out financing details and prequalify here in 5 minutes.

Jan 28

How Mini Splits Can Offer Major Savings on Energy Usage

By Air Conditioning, Heating, HVAC, mini split, Plumbing

Ductless mini split systems have been popular in more moderate climates for decades. In recent years, advances in technology have made them an excellent heating and cooling solution in colder northern climates like the Okanagan. They offer significant savings on costly baseboard heating and function as a dual purpose air conditioner in the summer.

If your home doesn’t have central air ducts, has smaller ones that are inadequate for modern furnaces, or even if you have a more modern ventilated system that produces hot and cold zones, mini splits can be an excellent solution to keeping your home comfortable. Here are a few of the top reasons we recommend considering them.

 

What is a Ductless Mini Split System?

A mini split system functions both as a heat pump in the winter and an air conditioner in the summer. This consists of one or more wall-mounted indoor units and a heat pump located outside your home. The two are connected by small refrigerant lines, making installation locations much more flexible.

mini split heat pump and ac


What Are The Benefits of Mini Splits?

A Solution to Hot and Cold Zones in the Home

Even new homes with brand new duct distribution systems can have issues maintaining a balanced delivery of air throughout the home. When the summer sun bears down, it’s common to have hot spots in top floor, westward facing rooms. In the Okanagan, the hottest parts of the day are between 2-6pm and those rooms with full exposure aren’t going to be as nice as the dark basement or eastern facing rooms. The best solution is to add a mini split heat pump AC unit to help make those spaces more tolerable for living and sleeping. The reality is, those hot spots are also cold spots in the winter, so you’re covered with the heat pump during winter months and stay cozy throughout the year.

Energy Savings Over Baseboard Heating

If you’ve been running baseboard heating through the winter, you know how electrical bills can rack up. The addition of ductwork requires a major renovation, so central air isn’t an option for most homes without it. The flexibility of installation makes a mini split system our recommended solution. A single interior head unit can often displace 4-6 baseboards in a main living area, each at approximately 1000 watts. While the savings will vary depending on the home size and layout, the heating costs are often cut by 20%-50%. In ranchers or single-level homes with open plans, a single indoor head unit can adequately heat and cool the entire space.

Mini Splits Are Dual Purpose with Air Conditioning

One other drawback when your home isn’t equipped with ductwork is air conditioning in the hot Okanagan summer. For years the only option was to hang an AC unit out of your window. Similar to baseboard heating, a mini split is much more efficient than a window unit. These systems will also increase home security because an open window isn’t required.

Improved Air Quality and Quality of Heat

A mini split system provides air circulation that improves indoor comfort in a few ways. First, because of the airflow, the filtration system inside will remove dust and allergens from the air throughout the year. The other advantage of air circulation is that it will provide more consistent temperatures throughout the home as opposed to warm and cool spots created by baseboards.

Create Climate Controlled Zones

In a home with multiple mini split heads, each one can be zone controlled for that particular space. This can offer further energy savings if units are switched off in infrequently used areas.

Energy Efficiency Rebates

While mini splits will require an upfront investment, there are incentives beyond the savings on energy bills. FortisBC offers energy savings rebates of $1,200 on a single head installation and $2000 on an installation that uses two or more units.

Interested in discussing a mini split system in your home? Contact us for a free estimate.

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