What BC Hydro pays for insulation in Prince George
BC Hydro pays by the R-value you add, times the area. We re-read the program page on October 2, 2026. The rebate is for homes heated mainly by electricity. If you heat with gas, FortisBC pays the same formula to its own gas customers.
Attic
Up to $900. Flat or sloped ceilings, at least R12 added.
Wall cavities, sheathing, basement or crawlspace
Up to $1,200 for each of the three. Walls need at least R12 in the cavity or R3.8 as sheathing, basements R10.
Floors and headers
Up to $1,000, for exposed floors and basement headers. At least R20 added.
More than one upgrade
BC Hydro adds a bonus when you finish more than one eligible upgrade. Its page does not give a formula, so ask when you apply.
Lower incomes
Income-qualified BC Hydro customers can apply for the Energy Conservation Assistance Program.
Why an old Prince George attic hits the cap
A 1,200 square foot attic at R-12 brought to R-50 adds R-38. The formula gives 0.02 x 38 x 1,200 = $912, so the $900 cap applies. Add 900 square feet of wall cavity at R-12 and the wall line pays 0.09 x 12 x 900 = $972. That is $1,872 from our arithmetic on the published rules, before any bonus. Treat it as an estimate: the program prices from your invoice.
Almost two in three households live in an older home
The 2021 Census counted 31,795 households in Prince George. Of those, 19,610 (62%) live in homes built before 1981, and 10,470 are owner-occupied single-detached houses from that era. No other BC city we cover has that high a share except Victoria. These are houses built before today's attic and wall standards, which is why the rebate formula pays by R-value added: an old attic has a lot of R-value to add.
The same census shows 6.5% of Prince George households reporting that their home needs major repairs, well above Surrey (3.8%) or Kelowna (3.9%). If your attic has moisture stains, pest damage or old vermiculite, fix that first. The program will not pay if rodent tunnels or an infestation remain in the new insulation.
Winter is long and the cold is real
The average January low from 2015 to 2024 was -9.7°C, and the coldest day on record in that period reached -42.4°C. Only Fort St. John among our BC cities has a colder January. On days like that, a furnace or baseboard heater runs without a break, so heat that leaks through the ceiling shows up on the bill. BC Hydro says insulation upgrades can save at least 10% of a home's energy cost.
If the old insulation comes out first
Some Prince George jobs start by pulling out wet or pest-damaged material. BC Hydro then assumes a starting R-value based on the age of your home and pays on the difference between that and the new total. Ask your contractor to write both numbers on the invoice, since the invoice is the only document the application needs.
Rules to check before you book
- The contractor must belong to the Home Performance Contractor Network.
- Eligible products are batt, loose fill, board and spray foam, installed to the program's best-practice guide.
- Work that is needed to meet building code for an addition or new build does not qualify.
- Apply within six months of the invoice date.
We did not find insulation companies for Prince George in our Google review data, so there is no ranked list on this page. Use BC Hydro's contractor search, which lists current network members.
How to claim in Prince George
- Check that your home is mainly heated with electricity, is at least 12 months old, and that the BC Hydro account is in your name.
- Pick an HPCN contractor from BC Hydro's list and ask for the existing R-value, the new R-value and the square feet in writing.
- After the work, get an invoice that matches BC Hydro's sample insulation invoice.
- Apply online within six months of the invoice date.
- If your household income is lower, check the free upgrade program first.
Common questions
Do I need an energy assessment before insulating in Prince George?
BC Hydro's insulation page does not require one. It asks for the invoice and that the contractor is in the Home Performance Contractor Network.
What if the attic already has some insulation?
The rebate counts only what you add. If old material was removed because of pests or mould, BC Hydro assumes a starting R-value from the age of your home.
Does the $5,500 mean I get $5,500?
No. It is the sum of the caps for each area. Most homes reach one or two of them, so check your own numbers with the formula.
Can I claim if I rent my Prince George home?
The BC Hydro account holder applies, and anyone else needs the account holder's signed consent form. If you rent, talk to your landlord before any work starts.
My home heats with gas. Can I still apply?
BC Hydro's rebate is for electrically heated homes. FortisBC lists the same formula for its gas customers, so apply there.
What to do next
If a window or heating system also needs work, see window rebates and heat pump rebates in Prince George. The insulation guide compares other provinces.
By Sam Menard. Sources, last read October 2, 2026: BC Hydro insulation rebates, BC Hydro Home Renovation Rebate Program, BC Hydro qualified contractors, Statistics Canada 2021 Census, table 98-10-0233-01. All Prince George rebates → Every BC Hydro rebate →