Program & Application FAQs by Category

The Heat Pump Group Purchase Rebate (GPR) is a rebate offer that rewards groups of homeowners working together to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by switching from an oil, natural gas, or propane heating system to an air source heat pump.

The Group Purchase Rebate is additional to the individual air-source heat pump rebate of up to $6,000 available from CleanBC and any local government top-ups that may be available. To learn more about the Group Purchase Rebate Program, visit www.betterhomesbc.ca/rebates/GPR.

Participants are encouraged to spread the word about their heat pump purchase group, as the larger each group becomes, the larger the rebate will be. The Group Purchase Rebate ranges from $200 per home, for a group of two homes up to a maximum of $500 for a group of twenty to thirty homes.

• Registration Form that includes some basic pre-screening such as ensuring only eligible home types register and optional heat pump information to confirm system eligibility.
• Registration Confirmation email containing a participation guide, graphic support for communications, FAQs, participation requirement reminders, etc.
• A rebate page on the Better Homes website.
• Energy Coaches trained to answer general GPR questions.
• Emails from the GPR admin regarding reminders of GPR Code expiry dates and notices when a GPR Code has expired.

If your GPR Code has expired before you apply for your heat pump rebate, you have two options:

1. Join a different, existing group by registering with a GPR Code you’ve received from someone else.
2. Start a brand new group by requesting a new GPR Code through the registration form and spread the word.

• Every single participant must register whether they are starting a new group or joining an existing group.
• If you have seeded a group, all of the people who want to use your Code must also make sure to join your group by registering with the Group Purchase Rebate Program.
• Group members that do not register with the Group Purchase Rebate Program will not be assessed for the rebate.
• All members of a group must be from the same electricity utility service area.  Groups cannot have members from both electricity service areas.  If you are unsure of which electricity service are you are in, check your electricity bill.
  • Electricity service areas:
    • BC Hydro Territory (including New Westminster) or
    • FortisBC Territory (including Grand Forks, Summerland, Penticton, Nelson)

• Groups are defined by applications with the same GPR Code.
• All group members must register, install a heat pump, and apply for their rebate before the Code expires. Applications with an expired GPR Code will not count towards the size of the group.
• The rebate is calculated based on the number of group members that have completed eligible heat pump upgrades and have successfully applied for a CleanBC heat pump rebate. Ineligible applications will not count towards the size of the group.
• The rebate is calculated after the GPR Code expires, to ensure all group members have an opportunity to submit their heat pump rebate application.

• 90 days from the date of issue. The date of issue is the date the unique Code was requested when starting a new group.
• Reminder emails are sent out to group members ahead of the expiration date.
• All GPR Codes contain the expiry date for clarity and can be read under this format GPRXXXX-EXPDD/MM/YYYY.

A participant can only have 1 active GPR Code at a time. If you fail to use an active Code before it expires and you wish to access the offer, you must wait for the first Code to expire before you join a different group or start a new group.

• The current group size will be included in the Registration Confirmation and Reminder emails.
• Participants can call the GPR Administration to ask about the current size of their group at 1-844-877-9790 (ask for the GPR Admin) or email gpradmin@betterhomesbc.ca.
• When a group hits 30 confirmed registrations, an email is sent to all members of the group indicating the group has potentially grown to its maximum size (and thus the maximum rebate).

The ineligible heat pump would not be counted towards the group size in determining the rebate amount.

The Group Purchase Rebate Program requires participating homes be eligible home types under the Terms and Conditions of the CleanBC Better Homes and Home Renovation Rebate Program. The following types of premises are not eligible for the Program:

• Multi-unit residential buildings such as condominiums, high-rises and apartment buildings;
• Stacked townhomes;
• Vacation homes or premises that are not year-round primary residences;
• Garages, workshops, and outbuildings; and
• Upgrades installed in a newly constructed building or a new addition to an existing building.

Include the active GPR Code (format GPRXXXX-EXPDD/MM/YYYY) in the “Promotional Code” field of the form when submitting an application for your heat pump rebate via the BC Hydro Online Application Form.