Sidney, BC.; On January 25, 2021, Sidney Council resolved to commit up to $50,000 as a municipal partner in the CleanBC Better Homes rebate program and instructed staff to move forward with becoming a program partner. The funds will be used in 2021 to top-up rebates provided through the program for home renovations for Sidney residents.

The CleanBC program is funded by the Province of British Columbia and the Government of Canada under the Low Carbon Economy Leadership Fund and is administered by BC Hydro, FortisBC and BC Housing. The basic program provides rebates up to $4,300 per home and offers an opportunity for municipal governments to top-up the rebates providing further incentives for homeowners to reduce energy use and greenhouse gas emissions (GHG).

Mayor Cliff McNeil-Smith states, “Council was eager to participate in this program as it is in line with the goals of our Strategic Plan and the Town’s Climate Action Plan. We are excited about providing this incentive and encouraging Sidney residents to take advantage of the opportunity to move to electric, a more climate-friendly fuel type. This is an effective way to reduce the GHGs emitted by homes in our community while also providing short-term and long-term savings to homeowners.”

Once the agreement is in place, the Town’s rebate top-up will be on a first-come, first-served basis, until the $50,000 allotted for the program is spent. The available Top-ups are as follows and are in addition to the up to $4,300 in rebates offered by the CleanBC Program:

Municipal top-ups for Sidney residents will be retroactive to January 1, 2021. The Town anticipates that the agreement will be in place and available on the CleanBC within the coming weeks. For more information about the program requirements and to apply for rebates, see the CleanBC website https://betterhomesbc.ca or the Town of Sidney website at www.sidney.ca.