Nechako

You might acquire a depreciable property such as a building, furniture, or equipment to use in your business or professional activities.

You cannot deduct the cost of the property when you calculate your net business or professional income for the year.

However, since these properties wear out or become obsolete over time, you can deduct their cost over a period of several years. The deduction for this is called capital cost allowance (CCA)

For more information please see the Claiming Capital Cost Allowance (CCA) webpage.

BC Hydro and FortisBC have teamed up to help provide you with a $75 rebate for purchasing an ENERGY STAR washing machine. In addition to that, you could save money on your energy bills, because ENERGY STAR models use less mechanical energy and less water.

To learn about the application process and find out more information, please go to either the FortisBC ENERGY STAR Clothes Washer Rebate webpage, or the BC Hydro Power Smart Appliance Rebate Program webpage.

LiveSmart BC offers grants for energy efficiency upgrades for heating, hot water, insulation, windows and doors, ventilation, and draft proofing for your home.

For more details, see the LiveSmart BC Efficiency Incentive Grant Chart.

If you've recently purchased-or are planning to purchase-an energy efficient product or service for your home, you could qualify for the RBC Energy Saver Loan.

This innovative and "green" financing solution can help you create a more energy efficient home faster while saving on your borrowing costs.

This program is no longer in effect.

Through Canada’s Economic Action Plan, the Government of Canada announced $1 billion for social housing renovation and retrofit. Of the $1 billion, $850 million is being delivered by provinces and territories on a cost-matched basis for existing federally assisted social housing projects which they administer on behalf of the partnership. The remaining $150 million is being delivered by CMHC for existing federally assisted off-reserve housing which it directly administers. Eligible repairs include general improvements, energy efficiency upgrades or conversions, and modifications in support of persons with disabilities.

As of February 1, 2010, CMHC is accepting applications from eligible project sponsors for the remaining $75 million funding for year two. Sponsor groups can apply online or through the mail. Eligible repairs include general improvements, energy-efficiency upgrades or conversions, and modifications in support of persons with disabilities.

Over time, building systems do not operate as optimally as they could and will use more energy than they should in order to satisfy occupant comfort and lighting requirements. The term "retrocommissioning" is used to identify activities that attempt to reduce energy use through the identification and implemention of low-cost operational and maintenance changes.

As challenging as it is to retrocommission a building successfully, it is even more challenging to ensure that the benefits persist. That's where BC Hydro's new, time-limited Continuous Optimization Program can help.

The program assists commercial building owners in retrocommissioning their buildings, then helps maintain and continually improve the level of efficiency in their building operations. Because this is a new program, we're looking for customers with a commitment to building operations and energy management to help us pilot the proposed approach.

Implementation Funding is designed to allow customers to meet internal hurdle rates, such as payback periods and return on investment. Through the Power Smart Partner Program, you could receive funding for up to 60% of the incremental cost of lighting, mechanical, HVAC and other energy efficiency projects. The funding level is also based on a tiered approach, meaning projects that were previously too costly may now be eligible for richer incentives.

BC Hydro’s Energy Study program helps Power Smart Partners conduct studies within their commercial organizations. The program can investigate any energy-using system, such as lighting, mechanical or information technology, within a facility.

This program provides three important services:

1. Co-funding with the potential for 100% funding of the energy study.
2. A list of pre-qualified consultants capable of performing detailed commercial energy studies. (Note: To qualify for funding, the consultant must be a registered member of the Power Smart Alliance.)
3. Access to Power Smart’s technical and energy management resources throughout the energy study process.