You’ve done your part, and you’ve made the switch from a gas vehicle to an electric one. You’ve claimed all the EV rebates available to you. Great! But now you have to plug in your new vehicle, and you might be wondering, are there any rebates available for EV chargers?
Yes, there are. The BC Go Electric EV Charger Rebate Program is administered by Fortis BC and BC Hydro, and the program is being offered on behalf of the Ministry. BC’s Go Electric EV Charger Rebate Program offers people who have recently purchased electric vehicle rebates when they purchase and install a new electric charging station in their homes, offices, or condo buildings. The Clean BC Go Electric rebate is part of BC’s Clean BC plan to make it more affordable and accessible to go green.
Under the program, there are several Electric EV rebates available. The available rebates are for:
- Single-family home EV charging equipment and installation
- Workplace EV charging equipment and installation
- Multi-unit residential building EV charging equipment and installation
The rebates range from $350 to $14,000 depending on the building and amount of charging stations, so you can take advantage of reimbursements to help you offset the costs of your new electric vehicle charging stations.
In this article, we will discuss the three EV Rebates available (for single-family homes, multi-unit residential buildings, and workplaces), the eligible costs you can claim, and how to apply so you can claim your rebate with confidence. Eligible single-family homeowners, apartment and condo building owners, and workplace owners can all take advantage of electric charging station rebates. So read on to learn more about this exciting rebate opportunity and learn exactly how you can capitalize on and collect your EV Charger Rebate.
Let’s start with single-family homes.
EV Charger Rebates for Single-Family Homes
Most electric charging happens at home, so the Go Electric EV Charger Rebate offers rebates for the cost of purchasing and installing an EV charger for people who live in a single-family home. If you own your own home, or you are a resident of a single-family home, and you want to install an electric charger, you can receive up to 50% of the costs of purchasing and installing a new electric charger. It’s important to note, though, that this rebate has a cap of $350, and it is only available while funding lasts. So if you are purchasing and installing an EV charger, apply as soon as you can.
The program is only offering rebates for costs incurred on or after September 26th, 2019.
I Live in a Townhouse or a Duplex. Can I Still Receive this Rebate?
Yes. As long as your townhouse or duplex has EITHER a private garage or dedicated parking, then you can receive the BC EV Charger Rebate. The house must also be located in BC, the house must have been constructed at least six months before the charger is installed, and the house must have a dedicated parking space. *New builds are NOT eligible for the rebate.
What Are the Eligibility Requirements for Single-Family Home EV Rebates?
When it comes to the EV charger rebate, there are essentially THREE different categories of eligibility: eligible cost, eligible installations, and eligible chargers. To receive the rebate, you must meet eligibility requirements from ALL three categories, so let’s break each one down in better detail.
Eligible Costs Included in the EV Charger Rebate
It’s not just the cost of the charger that you can claim; you can also claim labor and construction costs for the installation of your charger, any related permit costs, and costs associated with the electrical design needed for the charging station.
It’s important to note that the charger MUST be installed by a licensed electrician and that it is your responsibility to ensure that you have all the required permits before the installation. When you are having your charger installed, keep all your receipts! This includes the receipt from the purchase of the charger, receipts for the labor and/or construction involved, and receipts for the cost of any permits. Remember, you can claim up to $350, so keep every receipt so you can claim the maximum amount available to you.
What Costs Are Ineligible?
Some costs are NOT covered under the Go Electric EV Charger Rebate. Any costs involving the installation of non-EV charging infrastructure, costs for installing an electrical outlet only, any painting costs, and any taxes paid are not eligible.
Eligible Installation Costs for the EV Charger Rebate
For your EV charger to be eligible, there are only two installation requirements.
- The charger must be wall-mounted at the address that you provided on your application for the rebate.
- You must have an electrical permit for the charger. Either Technical Safety BC or your municipality will issue your permit, depending on where you live in BC. The permit is integral to making sure that the electrical work is done safely and that it complies with the Electrical Codes and Standards in BC.
Eligible Chargers
Like the costs involved in installing the charger, the charger itself must also meet a few eligibility requirements. The charger must be new; it cannot be used or refurbished, and it must be purchased by you and not leased. The charger must be a Level 2 charger, with a 208 volts or 240 volts, and it must feature an SAE J1772 standard plug. The charger must also have cUL, ULC, ETL, CSA, or cQPS certification, and it must be approved for sale in Canada.
Homeowners must also agree to a possible site visit. This site visit is to make sure that the requirements have been completed.
How Do I Apply for My Single-Family Home Go Electric EV Charger Rebate?
When you apply for the program, you need a few things on hand to submit. What you need depends on whether you had the charger professionally installed or whether you installed it yourself. But in both cases, you cannot apply to the program until the charger has been purchased and installed. So you have to buy the charger, install it, AND THEN apply it to the program.
If your charger was installed by a licensed electrician, then you will need to provide the following documents with your application:
- A receipt for the purchase of the charging station. The receipt must include the dealer/website/retailer name, the address and phone number of the dealer/retailer’s name, the date you purchased the charging station, the price of the charging station, and the product make and model.
- An itemized receipt or a paid invoice for the installation of the charging station.
- A copy of the signed contract for the EV charger contractor installation form for single-family homes. The form must be signed and completed by the electrical contractor.
If you installed the EV Charger yourself, then you will need to provide these documents with your application:
- A receipt for the purchase of the charging station. The receipt must include the dealer/website/retailer name, the address and phone number of the dealer/retailer’s name, the date you purchased the charging station, the price of the charging station, and the product make and model.
- A receipt or paid invoice for the cost of the electrical inspection.
- Certification of inspection. The certification of inspection must be issued by the appropriate authority, like Technical Safety BC, for example.
Make sure you have ALL the supporting documents when you submit your application. Incomplete applications (those missing documentation) will NOT receive the rebate, and you will have to resubmit your application. And, since there is a cap on the number of rebates, if your application is incomplete, you risk not receiving the rebate should they cancel the program before you resubmit. So do your due diligence and make sure you have everything listed above!
Multi-Unit Residential Buildings Charger Rebates
The Go Electric EV Charger MURB Rebate is also being offered for the purchase and installation of multi-unit residential buildings (MURBs). This rebate differs a little from the single-family home rebate because applicants must apply BEFORE the charging stations are purchased and installed to reserve a rebate. But like the single-family home EV charger rebate, the MURB rebate will only be issued AFTER the work is complete.
Who Can Apply for the MURB EV Charger Rebate?
To be eligible, applicants for this rebate must live in or have oversight of an eligible MB. This includes people like the owner/owners of the building, the managers of the building, or building representatives, like a strata council. The building has to be located in BC, and it cannot be a new build; only buildings constructed before August 31st, 2020, are eligible.
What Are the Eligible Costs Under the MURB EV Charger Rebate?
There are actually quite a few costs that are eligible under the MURB EV Charger Rebate. The cost for purchasing the charging station, the labor and construction involved in installing the charging station, the cost for electric permits (and other related permits if needed), costs for electrical design for the charging stations, costs for EV parking signage, and costs of the network connection fees (to a max of two years) are all included in this rebate.
Costs that are NOT eligible for this rebate are any costs associated with the installation of non-EV charging infrastructure, any costs incurred for administration (like copy fees, documentation fees, communication fees between property management and residents), any costs for painting, and taxes paid, and the costs for any charging infrastructure that was already required under building codes or regulations.
Read more: EV REBATES: Canada Electric Car Rebate 2022
How Much Money Can I Receive for the MURB EV Charger Rebate?
Eligible applicants can receive:
- A maximum of $2000 per station (or up to 50%) of the costs for purchase and installation of a Level 2 charging station.
- A maximum of $4000 (or up to 50%) of the costs for the purchase and installation of dual-port charging stations.
- A maximum of $14 000 in rebates for multiple applications for one complex.
Applicants can submit applications for different sites, but there is a maximum of four suites per applicant.
What EV Are Chargers Eligible for?
To receive the rebate, EV Chargers MUST be purchased (and not leased), they must be a Level 2 charger, they must be a permanent installation, they must be approved for use and sale in Canada, they must have a cUL, ULC, ETL, CSA, or cQPS certification, they must feature an SAE J17772 standard plug, and they must be networked. ‘Networked’ means that the Level 2 charger is connected to a central system, and it must stay networked for a minimum of 2 years.
***It is important to note that the charging stations MUST be installed by a licensed electrical contractor to be eligible for the rebate.
How Do I Apply for the MURB EV Charger Rebate?
There are essentially three parts to the application process for the MURB EV Charger Rebate. You will need to apply for pre-approval, you will need to purchase and install the equipment, and then you will need to submit the final documentation.
After pre-approval, you will only have four months to complete the application (which includes purchasing and installing the charging station), so it’s best to be organized right from the start.
The Pre-Approval:
The first step is to apply for pre-approval. To apply for pre-approval, you will need:
- Proof that you are approved to install the charging station. This approval must come from the person/entity that has jurisdiction over the building.
- An EV charger contractor consultation form
- A quote for the work that needs to be done. The quote has to be from a licensed electrician or electrical contractor, and the quote has to be itemized.
Once you submit your pre-approval application, you will receive notice of your pre-approval within 30 days. From there, you have FOUR MONTHS to get everything else done. If you do not complete everything else within four months, you will not receive the rebate.
Do the Work
The second step is to purchase the charging station/stations and have them installed. During this step, save all your receipts because you will need them for the final step.
Submit the Final Documents
Once everything has been installed, it’s time to submit the final documents and complete the application. To complete the application, you will need:
- A receipt for the purchase of the charging station. The receipt must include the dealer/website/retailer name, the address and phone number of the dealer, the purchase date, the price of the charging station, and the product make and model.
- An itemized receipt or paid invoice for ALL the (eligible) labor and construction
- The EV Charger MURB contractor installation form
- Itemized receipts or paid invoices for any other eligible costs that were incurred
You can expect to receive your rebate within 90 days, as long as your application is complete and passes the final review. Make sure that you submit all the required documents. If your application is deemed incomplete, or if it is submitted more than FOUR months after your pre-approval date, you will not receive your rebate.
EV Charging Station Rebates for Workplaces
Workplaces are the second most common place to charge electric vehicles, next to home, so the Go Electric EV Charging Rebate is offering rebates for workplaces that opt to purchase and install charging stations. These rebates are meant to help offset the financial costs incurred by installing these valuable charging stations.
The EV Charging Station Rebates for workplaces are available to any BC registered companies, managers, building owners, or representatives who either live in or oversee an eligible workplace or workplace building. The workplace can be either owned or leased.
What Workplaces Are Eligible for the EV Charging Station Rebate?
Eligible workplaces must be located in BC, they must have a minimum of 5 employees that work mostly at the workplace, the workplace must have been constructed before August 31st, 2020, and the workplace must have dedicated parking for its employees during working hours.
New builds are NOT eligible, nor are charging stations for fleet vehicles. The charging stations must be for employee use only. Also, Provincial government buildings and Crown Corporation buildings are also INELIGIBLE.
How Much Money Can I Receive for the Workplace EV Charging Station Rebate?
Eligible workplaces can receive:
- $14 000 (maximum of up to 50%) for the purchase and installation of workplace charging stations, with a $2000 maximum PER charging station.
What Costs Are Eligible for the Workplace EV Charging Stations Rebate?
There is a variety of costs included in this rebate. Eligible costs for this rebate are:
- The cost of purchasing the charging station/stations
- The labor and construction costs associated with the installation of the charging stations
- The cost of site assessments of the building’s requirements
- The costs incurred to install EV charging infrastructure
- The costs for electric permits (and other applicable permits where needed)
- The costs for parking design and/or electrical design needed to accommodate the charging stations
- The costs for EV parking signage
- The costs for network connection fees, to a maximum of two years
Costs that are NOT considered eligible are costs for the installation of any non-EV charging infrastructure, any painting costs and taxes paid, administration costs, and the costs for any infrastructure that is already required under building codes and regulations.
The EV Charging Equipment Requirements is the same for all three EV Charging Station rebates (single-family home, MURB, and workplace.) To receive the rebate, EV Chargers MUST be purchased (and not leased), they must be a Level 2 charger, they must be a permanent installation, they must be approved for use and sale in Canada, they must have a cUL, ULC, ETL, CSA, or cQPS certification, they must feature an SAE J17772 standard plug, and they must be networked. ‘Networked’ means that the Level 2 charger is connected to a central system, and they must stay networked for a minimum of 2 years.
***The only difference is that both the MURB charging stations and the workplace charging stations MUST be installed by a licensed electrical contractor to receive the rebate, whereas the single-family home charging stations can be self-installed.
How Do I Apply for the Workplace EV Charging Station Rebate?
The process is similar to the process for the MURB charging station rebate. It is a three-step process. Applicants must apply BEFORE the work is started and obtain a pre-approval. From there, the work must be completed within four months of the pre-approval, and the final documentation must be submitted. You can see the above section for an overview of the process, but there are TWO important things to keep in mind.
- Ensure that you have and keep all the required receipts, paid invoices, and contracts. You will need to submit these during the final application. If you do not submit all the required documents, your application will not be considered complete, and you will not receive your rebate.
- Ensure that you follow the process. Apply for your pre-approval first, then complete the work, then submit the final documents (within FOUR months of your pre-approval).
Purchasing an electric vehicle is a cost-effective and environmentally conscious step towards creating a brighter, cleaner future in British Columbia. Luckily, there are rebates that can help you offset the cost of going electric. Whether you are a single-family homeowner, a condo owner, or a workplace owner, you can take advantage of The Clean BC Go Electric Rebates when you purchase and install a new electric charging station.
Just make sure that your charger is eligible, that you keep receipts for all eligible costs, and that you submit your application within the required time frame. These rebates will end when the allocated money is gone – so don’t wait! Apply for your EV Charger Rebate as soon as you can.
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