What each program pays
Each card links to the facts we checked. BC Hydro's offers need a BC Hydro residential account. FortisBC's offers are for FortisBC electricity customers and for City of Penticton electricity customers.
BC Hydro free thermostats
Mysa or Sinopé models made for electric baseboards. BC Hydro values the set at $600. They ship free and you join Peak Saver when you check out.
Peak Saver winter reward
Paid once per household as a bill credit after the winter season. If you skip more than half of the events, you may lose that season's reward.
Already own a Mysa or Sinopé?
Enroll a baseboard thermostat you bought yourself. The $100 bonus is not paid on the free thermostats.
FortisBC, electric central heat
For a connected thermostat on an electric furnace, electric boiler or heat pump, put in by a licensed contractor. One per home. Not for baseboards.
FortisBC, in the store
Instant rebate on up to five baseboard thermostats for FortisBC electricity customers, or up to $100 on one ENERGY STAR thermostat. Ends October 31, 2026.
Which offer fits your home
Baseboards and a BC Hydro bill: order the free thermostats. Baseboards and a FortisBC bill: use FortisBC's in-store rebate before October 31. Electric furnace or heat pump and a FortisBC bill: up to $150 through your contractor. Electric furnace or heat pump and a BC Hydro bill: no thermostat rebate right now. Gas furnace: we found no thermostat rebate from either utility.
Who sends the power bill in each city
Sixteen of the cities we cover are BC Hydro electricity areas. Most of Kelowna gets its power from FortisBC. Penticton runs its own electric utility, and FortisBC's pages list City of Penticton customers as eligible for its thermostat and appliance rebates. Check the name on your bill if you live near a city edge.
| City | Electricity | Thermostat offer |
|---|---|---|
| Abbotsford | BC Hydro | Free baseboard thermostats |
| Burnaby | BC Hydro | Free baseboard thermostats |
| Chilliwack | BC Hydro | Free baseboard thermostats |
| Coquitlam | BC Hydro | Free baseboard thermostats |
| Fort St. John | BC Hydro | Free baseboard thermostats |
| Kamloops | BC Hydro | Free baseboard thermostats |
| Kelowna | FortisBC | FortisBC thermostat rebates |
| Langley | BC Hydro | Free baseboard thermostats |
| Maple Ridge | BC Hydro | Free baseboard thermostats |
| Nanaimo | BC Hydro | Free baseboard thermostats |
| Penticton | City of Penticton (FortisBC programs) | FortisBC thermostat rebates |
| Prince George | BC Hydro | Free baseboard thermostats |
| Richmond | BC Hydro | Free baseboard thermostats |
| Squamish | BC Hydro | Free baseboard thermostats |
| Surrey | BC Hydro | Free baseboard thermostats |
| Vancouver | BC Hydro | Free baseboard thermostats |
| Vernon | BC Hydro | Free baseboard thermostats |
| Victoria | BC Hydro | Free baseboard thermostats |
How the free order works
Sign in to MyHydro, then order from Mysa or Sinopé through BC Hydro's page. The two brands fit different wiring. BC Hydro says Sinopé works with two-wire setups and Mysa works with four-wire setups (two pairs). Each brand has a compatibility checker, so run it before you order. You can get up to five thermostats, which covers most homes room by room. They must go in at the address on the BC Hydro account you used.
The offer is only for homes heated by electric baseboards. BC Hydro's own answer to "I have a heat pump" is no. Renters can order with the landlord's permission.
Putting it on the wall
A baseboard thermostat runs on line voltage, not the low voltage a furnace thermostat uses. BC Hydro calls a hardwired thermostat regulated electrical work and tells you to check with Technical Safety BC about permits before you start. Mysa and Sinopé post install videos. If you are not sure about the wiring, hire a licensed electrician. A good time is when an electrician is already coming for another job.
What a winter peak event is like
Peak Saver events happen when the grid is busiest, mostly on cold winter days. BC Hydro may turn an enrolled thermostat down by one to three degrees for up to four hours, then it goes back to your normal schedule. You can cancel any event from the app. The reward is per household, not per thermostat, so five thermostats still earn $50 a winter.
Why ecobee and Nest are not on the list
Peak Saver accepts Mysa and Sinopé baseboard models only. Thermostats like ecobee and Nest control a furnace, boiler or heat pump through low-voltage wires, and they do not work with baseboards. If your BC Hydro home has an electric furnace or a heat pump, there is no BC Hydro thermostat rebate today. The bigger money for those homes is the heat pump rebate on our BC heat pump page. FortisBC electricity customers with central electric heat can claim up to $150 when a licensed contractor installs an eligible connected thermostat with the heating system or during a service visit. Self-installs do not count.
Condos and apartments
BC Hydro's eligibility list for the free thermostats asks for a residential account and baseboard heat. It does not exclude condos, and many condos and apartments are heated by baseboards. FortisBC's $150 rebate is different. It lists houses, duplexes, triplexes, row homes, townhouses and mobile homes on a permanent foundation, so an apartment does not qualify.
How to get yours
- Look at your power bill. It will say BC Hydro, FortisBC or City of Penticton.
- Look at your heaters. Baseboards on the wall, or vents from a central system?
- BC Hydro and baseboards: sign in to MyHydro, open BC Hydro's free thermostat page, run the Mysa or Sinopé wiring checker, and order up to five.
- Install them yourself only if you are allowed and comfortable. Otherwise book a licensed electrician.
- Leave them enrolled all winter. The $50 shows up as a bill credit after the season.
- FortisBC with an electric furnace or heat pump: ask your contractor to install an eligible thermostat with your heating service, then apply within six months of the invoice.
More for British Columbia homes
- British Columbia home rebates: every program in one place
- BC Hydro free smart thermostats: the offer in detail
- BC Hydro Peak Saver: rewards for every device type
- Mysa, ecobee, Nest and Honeywell compared: which thermostat suits which heating system
- FortisBC rebates: everything FortisBC pays for
- BC appliance rebates: washers, dryers and fridges
Common questions
I rent. Can I still order the free thermostats?
Yes. BC Hydro says renters can order once the landlord gives permission. The account at the address must be a BC Hydro residential account, and the home must be heated by baseboards.
My home has a heat pump and some baseboards. Do I qualify?
BC Hydro's answer to heat pump owners is no. The free offer is only for homes heated with electric baseboards.
Do I get the $100 Peak Saver bonus on the free thermostats?
No. The $100 enrollment bonus is only for a Mysa or Sinopé you bought yourself. Free thermostats still earn the $50 winter reward.
Can I get money back on an ecobee or Nest?
Not from BC Hydro. If FortisBC or the City of Penticton supplies your electricity and you have an electric furnace or heat pump, FortisBC pays up to $150 for an eligible connected thermostat installed by a licensed contractor.
Is there a rebate for a thermostat on a gas furnace?
We did not find one. BC Hydro's offers are for baseboards, and FortisBC's connected thermostat rebate is for electric heating systems only.
By Sam Menard. Sources, last read October 11, 2026: BC Hydro: Get your free smart thermostats, BC Hydro: Enroll your smart home devices in Peak Saver, FortisBC connected thermostat rebates, FortisBC instant rebates, City of Penticton electric utility, FortisBC: Kelowna electricity.