Renovating your kitchen or installing new hardwood flooring will definitely make your home look nicer, but if yousa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½™re planning on staying in your home long term, a dollar return on the investment is unlikely. But thatsa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½™s not the case with energy-efficiency upgrades and improvements!

Investing in a or increasing your are major upgrades, but not only will they reduce your homesa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½™s energy costs year-after-year, you may also be eligible for rebates through FortisBCsa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½™s Home Renovation Rebate Program* and CleanBC Home Efficiency Rebates. And if you make two or more eligible energy-efficiency upgrades within 18 months of each other, yousa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½™ll also be eligible for their $300 two-upgrade bonus. Thatsa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½™s on top of your rebates!

Heresa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½™s how it works. Letsa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½™s say this Christmas you replace your old furnace with a rebate-eligible new high-efficiency ENERGY STAR® model and FortisBC gives you a $1,000 rebate. Then next spring you have your attic insulated and get a $500 rebate from FortisBC. Because yousa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½™ve made two eligible upgrades within 18 months of each other, yousa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½™re eligible for the . All you have to do is check the bonus check box when you apply for your second rebate. So not only are you getting $1,500 in rebates and ongoing savings on your homesa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½™s heating (and possibly cooling with improved insulation) bills for years to come, yousa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½™re also getting an extra $300 just doing two upgrades.

Another option is to replace both your space and water-heating systems at the same time with a . Even though itsa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½™s one system, it counts as two upgrades so yousa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½™d still be eligible for the $300 bonussa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½”and you donsa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½™t have to wait until you make your next upgrade to receive the bonus.

FortisBC is committed to helping customers reduce their energy bills and greenhouse gas emissions and improve the comfort of their homes. Thatsa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½™s why they only provide rebates on the most efficient products and equipment and also require them to be installed to quality standards. A furnace may claim itsa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½™s 99 per cent efficient, but if itsa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½™s not installed properly, it may not work as efficiently as it was designed to. The same goes for insulation. If itsa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½™s installed improperly, your home wonsa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½™t hold in the heat as well, and poorly installed insulation could also create mold and safety hazards.

To support a quality installation, FortisBC requires that furnaces be installed with a two-pipe direct vent system by a licensed gas contractorsa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½”you can find one through their sa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½“ and that insulation be installed by a licensed contractor. They even have a list of you can use.

Now, thatsa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½™s energy at work.

*Conditions apply. Not all upgrades are eligible for the $300 two-upgrade bonus. Full program terms and conditions are available at fortisbc.com/homerebates. This program may be changed or cancelled at any time.