Cut Your Power Bill in Kelowna: Free and Cheap Ideas

By Sam Menard · Updated September 26, 2026

Kelowna is in the Okanagan, with hot summers and cold, grey inversion winters. That shapes where your energy goes: heating in winter, and cooling in summer. Kelowna is FortisBC country for both electricity and gas. That means BC Hydro's rebates and Peak Saver do not apply here. FortisBC runs its own heat pump, insulation and window rebates instead.

Canada’s new heat pump rebate is worth up to $10,000. Get an email the day it opens

Applications are not open yet. Ottawa says they open in early 2027, and that you can add this rebate on top of provincial ones.

Up to $10,000

if your household earns below the median income

$2,000

for other homeowners who qualify

Stack it with the British Columbia rebate open today

• British ColumbiaUp to $4,000

Ottawa says you can combine them. Each program has its own rules. Amounts are the most you can get.

Applications open early 2027

Join the launch alert

• Launch-day email, with what to do first
• Who qualifies for the $10,000, once Ottawa says
• A short hello now, so you know it worked

EmailNotify me when it opens

Only emails about this rebate. No spam, no sales calls. Unsubscribe anytime.

Read everything we know so far Official page: canada.ca

Free: do these this week

• Turn the heat down when you're asleep or out. Lower heat means less energy used.
• Use your blinds. Open south-facing ones on sunny winter days; close them at night.
• Wash in cold water and run full loads. Heating water is most of a washer's energy.
• Close doors and turn off baseboards in rooms you don't use.
• Clean or change filters on your furnace or heat pump so it doesn't work harder than it needs to.

Cheap: a few dollars each

• Weatherstripping around doors and windows.
• Foam gaskets behind outlet covers on outside walls.
• Pipe insulation on the first few feet of hot water pipe.
• LED bulbs in the lights you use most.

To find drafts, hold your hand near window and door frames on a windy day.

Thermostats and programs in Kelowna

FortisBC gives up to $150 for a connected thermostat, but only if you have an electric central system (furnace, boiler or heat pump). FortisBC also runs a Power Hours program that rewards using less power at peak times. BC Hydro's Peak Saver and free thermostats are for BC Hydro customers only.

Bigger upgrades, when you're ready

• Insulation: FortisBC pays by area and R-value added, up to $900 for an attic and $1,200 for walls or basement.
• Heat pump: up to $4,000 from FortisBC if you replace electric heat.
• Heat pump water heater: $1,000 from FortisBC when replacing an electric tank.
• Income-qualified? ECAP gives a free home energy evaluation and free upgrades.

What's different in Kelowna

• FortisBC is the electric utility in Kelowna, so BC Hydro programs (including Peak Saver and BC Hydro's heat pump rebate) are not available. Use FortisBC's matching programs.

My tip for Kelowna: Because the utility is FortisBC, apply through FortisBC's rebate portal, not BC Hydro's. Your contractor should know the FortisBC rules, including the cold-climate listing needed for the whole-home rebate.

Questions people ask

What is the cheapest way to cut my heating bill?

Turning the heat down at night and when you're out costs nothing. Sealing drafts costs a few dollars. After that, insulation usually gives the most back.

Do Ecobee or Nest thermostats get a BC Hydro rebate?

No. BC Hydro's free thermostats and Peak Saver thermostat rewards are for line-voltage baseboard thermostats like Mysa and Sinopé.

Can Kelowna homeowners use BC Hydro rebates?

No. Kelowna's electricity comes from FortisBC, and FortisBC customers are not eligible for BC Hydro programs. FortisBC offers its own heat pump rebate (up to $4,000) and an income-qualified version (up to $12,000).

Sources, checked September 26, 2026: FortisBC connected thermostat rebate · FortisBC insulation rebates · FortisBC heat pump rebate · ECAP: free home energy evaluation and upgrades.