What BC Hydro pays for insulation in Vancouver
The City of Vancouver is covered for insulation. It is only the Tier 2 window and door rebate that excludes the city. We re-read BC Hydro's page on October 2, 2026. The insulation rebate is for electrically heated homes, and FortisBC pays the same formula to its gas customers.
Attic
Capped at $900, with at least R12 added.
Walls, sheathing, basement
Capped at $1,200 for each of wall cavity, wall sheathing and basement or crawlspace.
Exposed floors and headers
Capped at $1,000, at least R20 added.
Multi-upgrade bonus
For finishing more than one eligible upgrade.
Income-qualified
Free evaluation and upgrades through the Energy Conservation Assistance Program.
A typical Vancouver special
Take a 1,100 square foot attic at R-22 brought to R-50, which adds R-28. The rebate is 0.02 x 28 x 1,100 = $616. Fill 800 square feet of exterior wall cavity with R-12 and you add 0.09 x 12 x 800 = $864. Total $1,480 from our reading of the formula, with the bonus on top if you also do another eligible upgrade.
A big old stock, and most of it is not eligible
The 2021 Census counted 305,335 households in Vancouver. About 131,330 of them (43%) live in homes built before 1981. That sounds like a huge opportunity, but 62% of Vancouver households live in apartments and 55% rent. Only 18,275 households own a single-detached house from before 1981. Those are the people this rebate was written for.
If you rent, ask the landlord. If you own a condo or townhome in a strata, the Home Renovation Rebate does not cover you, but BC Hydro's Condo and Apartment Rebate Program might. With 62% of Vancouver households in apartments, check that program before you assume nothing exists for you.
The climate is gentle, so go for the leaky spots
Vancouver's average January low from 2015 to 2024 was 1.7°C, and the coldest day was -14.1°C. Winters are damp more than cold, so the gains come from stopping drafts and wet cold air from creeping through walls and floors. Ask the contractor which part of your house leaks the most heat. In many older houses that is the exposed floor above a crawlspace or garage and the attic hatch, not just the attic itself.
Heritage and character houses
Older Vancouver homes often have plaster walls, closed-in attics and floors over a crawlspace. The program pays for each area separately, up to its own cap, and each needs a minimum R-value added. Where a wall cannot be opened up, blown-in cavity insulation can be the practical option. Ask your contractor for a written plan for each area before work starts.
Old insulation that is removed for pests or mould is handled by assuming a starting R-value based on the age of the home, so the rebate pays on the new R-value you actually add.
Windows are the exception
Vancouver is the one city where BC Hydro's Tier 2 window and door rebate does not apply. That is a window rule only. Insulation, heat pump and water heater rebates still do. If you are planning windows and insulation together, read our Vancouver window page first.
Top-rated installers in Vancouver
These are the top-rated Vancouver insulation companies in our Google review data, ranked by rating weighted by number of reviews. Nobody pays to be listed.
How to claim in Vancouver
- Check you own a house, row home or duplex heated mainly with electricity.
- Get quotes from Home Performance Contractor Network members that list the R-value and area for each space.
- Keep the final invoice. It is the only document BC Hydro asks for.
- Apply online within six months.
- Ask about the bonus if you will also replace a water heater or add a heat pump.
Common questions
Do I qualify for a Vancouver insulation rebate if I rent?
The BC Hydro account holder applies, and anyone else needs the account holder's signed consent form. If you rent, talk to your landlord first.
Does the Vancouver window exclusion affect insulation?
No. Only the Tier 2 window and door rebate leaves out the City of Vancouver. Insulation is covered.
I own a strata unit. What are my options?
The Home Renovation Rebate does not cover condos or apartments. BC Hydro runs a separate Condo and Apartment Rebate Program.
Is gas-heated housing eligible?
BC Hydro's rebate is for electrically heated homes. FortisBC lists the same formula for its gas customers.
How big can an insulation rebate get?
The caps add up to $5,500 across all areas, but most homes only reach one or two. The formula uses R-value added and square feet.
What to do next
Read Vancouver window rebates to see why windows differ here, and heat pump rebates for the other large upgrade.
By Sam Menard. Sources, last read October 2, 2026: BC Hydro insulation rebates, BC Hydro window and door rebates, BC Hydro Home Renovation Rebate Program, Statistics Canada 2021 Census, table 98-10-0233-01. All Vancouver rebates → Every BC Hydro rebate →