New Home Program – terms and conditions

1. Property requirements. The building must: (ii) in the City of Vancouver, or in any municipality that has
a. be a newly constructed residential dwelling (less than twelve months mandated BC Step Code - Step 3 or higher, the builder portion
old) located in FortisBC’s natural gas, propane or electric service of the energy advisor support rebate is available until December
territories, or the service territories of Nelson, Penticton, 31, 2023.
Summerland, and Grand Forks and served by natural gas or propane (iii) only available for projects where FortisBC energy provides the
by FortisBC, or electricity by FortisBC or the named municipalities, as primary energy source for space heating and domestic water
the case may be; heating, as defined under section 2c (iv).
b. be built by a licensed residential builder; f. Appliance/product rebates.
c. be a detached house (including house with secondary suite), attached (i) must be listed/meet the qualifications at
house (including semi-detached house, duplex or triplex, townhouse, fortisbc.com/newhome.
row house, attached house with secondary suite) or laneway home; (ii) clothes washer, refrigerator and electric model clothes dryer
d. not contain any non-residential units; rebates are only available to FortisBC electric customers and
e. be no more than three (3) storeys in building height; and municipal electric customers of Nelson, Penticton, Summerland
f. be on a permanent foundation. and Grand Forks.
(iii) water heater and combination heat and hot water rebates
2. Rebates cannot be combined with Home Performance (Step Code)
a. General. Standard New Home Program rebates are listed on rebates.
fortisbc.com/newhome. (iv) drain water heat recovery rebates are only available for
(i) Number of available rebates may be limited. properties where a FortisBC energy source is supplying
(ii) Rebates cannot be combined with other FortisBC offers or domestic hot water.
promotions. (v) connected thermostat rebates are only available for properties
(iii) Only one Applicant per residential address. where a FortisBC energy source is supplying space heating.
(iv) The Applicant must apply no later than 6 months after the (vi) water heater and combination heat and hot water rebates are
"Completion Date" for the building. For the purposes of these not available for projects located in the City of Vancouver.
terms and conditions, "Completion Date" is defined as: (1) if (vii) natural gas fireplaces must be used for heating interior spaces;
permits are required, the date of the occupancy permit; or (2) if outdoor fireplace installations are not eligible for a rebate.
permits are not required, the date of the final inspection; or (3) if 3. Deliverables for BC Step Code Rebates. In addition to any information
neither permits nor inspections are required, the date as
requested by FortisBC to verify eligibility and compliance with program
determined by a FortisBC employee.
terms and conditions, the Applicant, with the assistance of the energy
(v) For gas rebates, each dwelling must receive gas under Rate 1.
advisor, will submit the following to FortisBC no later than 6 months after
(vi) For electricity rebates, each dwelling must receive electricity
the Completion Date (as defined in section 2a (iv)) for the building:
under Residential Rate.
a. information requested in the online application form;
b. Indigenous Applicants
b. Applicant Declaration;
(i) To be eligible for the New Home Program rebates for
c. BC Step Code Steps 2-5 rebates, copy of as-built BC Energy
Indigenous Applicants offer(s), the Applicant must be a First
Compliance Report, if submitted by a professional engineer it must be
Nation Indian Band under the Indian Act and the residential
signed and sealed;
housing must be primarily for low-income households.
d. EnerGuide* N Report and Label for service organization energy
(ii) The New Home Program rebates for Indigenous Applicants
advisors or signed and sealed energy model summary for
offer(s) will be provided to the Indigenous Applicant after the
professional engineers; and
acceptance of the application by FortisBC and to be established
e. for properties using natural gas with an electric heat pump or
by FortisBC from time to time.
baseboards in FortisBC natural gas only territory, to verify primary
(iii) All other New Home Program terms and conditions will apply to
heat source under section 2c (iv) provide: (i) energy modelling report
Indigenous Applicants.
demonstrating the Furnace/Boiler Annual Energy Consumption
c. BC Step Code rebates. exceeds SHSL x 0.70 / AFUE; and (ii) Energy Step Code Compliance
(i) Building permits, where applicable, must be issued after March Calculator output demonstrating the step achieved with natural gas as
29, 2018. the primary SHSL.
(ii) property must be evaluated by an energy advisor certified by an
NRCan licensed service organization or a professional engineer 4. Deliverables for appliance/product rebates.
that have written agreements with FortisBC to provide energy a. copies of legible, itemized invoices/proofs of payment showing
advisor services for the New Home Program (the “Program”). purchase and installation date, make, model and serial number and
(iii) Applicant and property must meet BC Step Code requirements. other relevant information;
(iv) only available for projects where a FortisBC energy source b. if not on invoice, proof of installation satisfactory to FortisBC.
provides the primary heat for space heating and domestic water 5. Deliverables for Design Offer.
heating. “Primary heat source” means the system supplies at a. information requested in the online application form;
least 70% of the space heating system load (SHSL) for the b. Building Envelope Design
property. (i) Envelope plans/assembly details
(v) for BC Step Code – Step 5 rebate, pre-approval by FortisBC is (ii) Effective insulation (RSI) calculations for each assembly used in
required. the home
(vi) rebate amount is based on the Step Code level achieved under (iii) Details of areas with significant thermal bridges and how to
condition (iii). address them
d. Design Offer (iv) Airtightness details demonstrating a continuous air barrier
(i) the project must be at the early design stage (prior to permit c. Mechanical Systems Design
application), if a permit is required. (i) Room-by-room heating and cooling load calculations compliant
(ii) design assistance is only provided to optimize building with CSA-F280
envelope, mechanical systems and/or Integrated Design (ii) Mechanical design plans including detailed equipment schedule
Process (IDP); (iii) Start-up report that includes manufacturer requirements and
(iii) design assistance must enhance the overall energy efficiency of best practices from TECA or HRAI industry associations
the home, (provided by mechanical system designer)
(iv) the project requires a FortisBC energy source as the primary d. IDP (Integrated Design Process)
space and domestic water heating, as defined under section A report, which summarizes the following:
2b (iv). (i) Project overview (project location, housing type, number of units,
e. Energy advisor support rebate. construction timelines)
(i) an online application form must be submitted for the energy (ii) Attendees of visioning and charrette workshops
advisor to receive the energy advisor rebate. (iii) Visioning session and charette notes
(iv) Observations of performance benchmarking activities
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 (v) Modelling and design optimization results
(vi) Proposed solutions
(vii) Lessons learned, key strategies and knowledge derived from 15. Use and disclosure of information. The Applicant acknowledges,
the process of performing envelope and mechanical design, consents and agrees FortisBC may:
and/or IDP. a. contact the Applicant to administer, verify compliance with, and
(viii) If building to Step 3, the report will also include a summary of evaluate the program, and to conduct surveys;
the steps required to reach Step 4 or 5. b. collect and use information (including personal information as
6. Form of payment. FortisBC will issue payment by cheque, in name of, defined in the Personal Information Protection Act), whether: (i)
and mailed to, the Applicant to the mailing address. FortisBC is under no provided by the Applicant or its contractors, representatives or
obligation to re-issue a cheque returned as undeliverable or to replace a agents (including energy advisors, engineers, engineering firms and
stale-dated cheque. service organizations); (ii) obtained during site visits (including
photographs) (iii) contained in, or forming part of, any documents
7. Taxes. The Applicant is responsible for any applicable tax on rebates. submitted as part of the program; or (iv) generated by FortisBC as
8. Compliance. The Applicant is responsible for meeting all program part of the Applicant’s participation in the program; and disclose the
requirements and ensuring appliances/products are installed and information to employees, affiliates, contractors, representatives,
operated in accordance with all applicable laws, orders, ordinances, agents and funding and program partners (including Natural
standards, codes and other rules, licenses and permits of all lawful Resources Canada (NRCan)), to verify eligibility, process, manage,
authorities, and in accordance with manufacturer’s specifications, administer, audit, evaluate and report on the program and the
requirements of Technical Safety BC and, if applicable, the gas authority rebates, to monitor and assess compliance with these terms and
having jurisdiction. conditions and to develop other energy conservation programs;
c. retrieve bill and energy consumption data for a period of two years
9. Conditions of payment. Payment is subject to: (i) the Applicant, the after the Completion Date to evaluate the program, consumption
property and the appliances/products meeting the eligibility requirements behavior and energy savings realized, and to collect, use and
and the program terms and conditions; (ii) FortisBC’s receipt, review and disclose such data pursuant to (b) above; and
approval of all deliverables; (iii) satisfactory site visits; and (iv) availability d. use the collected information on an anonymized basis to create and
of funds, which may change at any time without notice. Processing of publish case studies and to promote the program at open houses,
applications may take up to 90 days upon receipt of required information trade shows and other public venues.
and deliverables, subject to verification. FortisBC collects, uses and discloses personal information in accordance
10. Receipt/rejection of applications. FortisBC reserves the right, in its sole with the Personal Information Protection Act and its Privacy Policy (see
discretion, to reject applications which are late, incomplete, inaccurate or fortisbc.com/privacy).
illegible, do not meet program requirements, which do not include 16. Authority to collect information. The Applicant hereby consents to
required deliverables or which include an invoice not containing required FortisBC communicating with and collecting information about the
details. FortisBC is not responsible for lost, delayed, damaged or Applicant related to the property and the Applicant’s participation in the
incomplete applications. Applications and supporting documents program from NRCan or the Applicant’s energy advisor(s) or the service
submitted electronically are at Applicant’s sole risk.
organizations they represent, and hereby authorizes them to disclose
11. Site visits. The Applicant will provide or ensure FortisBC is granted such information to FortisBC upon written request.
access to the property and the appliances/products upon request to verify
FortisBC Inc. and FortisBC Energy Inc.do business as FortisBC. The
compliance, eligibility and installation/operation of appliances/products.
companies are indirect wholly-owned subsidiaries of Fortis Inc. FortisBC uses
12. Binding decisions. Decisions of FortisBC, including without limitation the FortisBC name and logo under license from Fortis Inc.
Applicant, property and appliance/product eligibility and rebate amounts,
are final and binding and not subject to appeal. FortisBC may provide
reasons for its decisions but is under no obligation to do so.
13. Program changes. The program and its terms and conditions, including
dates and rebate amounts, are subject to change, or be terminated, at
FortisBC’s sole discretion at any time without notice. An application
received prior to such change or termination will be administered in
accordance with the terms and conditions as existed on the date of
issuance of the building permit for the dwelling, where permits are required.
14. Limitation of liability and indemnity. FortisBC, not being the
builder/developer, designer, manufacturer, provider or installer of the
appliances, products or equipment, makes no representation or warranty
whatsoever as to the safety or fitness of, the necessity for, the quality of
workmanship of, or the energy efficiency/savings of, any appliance,
product, equipment or service or skill of any contractor or energy advisor.
a. The Applicant and the energy advisor, jointly and severally, hereby
indemnify and save harmless FortisBC and its affiliates and their
respective directors, officers, agents, contractors and employees,
from all liability, damages, claims, demands, expenses and costs for
claims, costs for injury or death of any person (including from any
infectious disease outbreaks), damage to or destruction of property,
and all economic loss suffered by any person (collectively, "Losses")
arising from or occurring by reason of the Applicant's participation in
the program and/or the implementation of any program
recommendations, including the installation and/or use of
recommended products and improvements.
b. The Applicant and the energy advisor, jointly and severally,
irrevocably waive any and all claims against, and irrevocably release
and agree not to sue, FortisBC, and any of their respective directors,
officers, agents, contractors or representatives, and employees for
and against all Losses arising from the Applicant's participation in the
program and/or the implementation of any program
recommendations, including the installation and/or use of
recommended products and improvements.
c. This section will survive termination of this program.

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