Short answer: Start with free habits (thermostat set-backs, cold-water laundry, blinds), then seal drafts for a few dollars. If you have baseboard heat, BC Hydro is giving out up to five free Mysa or Sinopé thermostats from October 2026. Kelowna and Penticton are on FortisBC, which has its own programs.
Free: do these this week
- Turn the heat down when you're asleep or out. Lower heat means less energy used.
- Use your blinds. Open south-facing ones on sunny winter days; close them at night.
- Wash in cold water and run full loads. Heating water is most of a washer's energy.
- Close doors and turn off baseboards in rooms you don't use.
- Clean or change filters on your furnace or heat pump so it doesn't work harder than it needs to.
Cheap: a few dollars each
- Weatherstripping around doors and windows.
- Foam gaskets behind outlet covers on outside walls.
- Pipe insulation on the first few feet of hot water pipe.
- LED bulbs in the lights you use most.
To find drafts, hold your hand near window and door frames on a windy day.
Free smart thermostats and Peak Saver
If your home has electric baseboards and you're a BC Hydro customer, you can get up to five free Mysa or Sinopé line-voltage thermostats starting in October 2026. They come pre-enrolled in Peak Saver, which pays a $50 reward each winter ($100 if income-qualified). Peak Saver events run November to March, last up to four hours, and you can opt out. Ecobee and Nest do not qualify, because they don't control baseboards.
Bigger upgrades, when you're ready
- Insulation: BC Hydro pays by area and R-value added, up to $900 for an attic and $1,200 for walls or basement (for electrically heated homes).
- Heat pump: up to $4,000 from BC Hydro if you replace electric heat.
- Heat pump water heater: up to $1,000 from BC Hydro when replacing an electric tank.
- Income-qualified? ECAP gives a free home energy evaluation and free upgrades.
Your city
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Questions people ask
What is the cheapest way to cut my heating bill?
Turning the heat down at night and when you're out costs nothing. Sealing drafts costs a few dollars. After that, insulation usually gives the most back.
Do Ecobee or Nest thermostats get a BC Hydro rebate?
No. BC Hydro's free thermostats and Peak Saver thermostat rewards are for line-voltage baseboard thermostats like Mysa and Sinopé.
See your city's rebates
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See your city's rebates →Sources, checked September 26, 2026: B.C. government: free smart thermostats (2026) · BC Hydro insulation rebates · BC Hydro heat pump rebates · BC Hydro heat pump water heater rebate · ECAP: free home energy evaluation and upgrades.