Vancouver vs Boston: PowerScore Rebate Comparison
Vancouver is in British Columbia and Boston is in Massachusetts — two different regions with two different rebate systems, scored on one shared yardstick.
Best in class
Vancouver has the bigger open rebate for 5 of the 8 upgrades, and Boston for 3. Dollar amounts below are the most open programs pay, in US dollars (Canadian amounts converted at an approximate rate), so they can be compared across the border. Amounts are the most a program pays; the top figures are often for lower-income households.
Neither city is at the top of the country for any upgrade. The last column shows who is.
Where each city stands in the country
| Upgrade | Vancouver | Boston | Best in the country |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heat Pump | #41 (tied with 15 more) of 135 · $9,490 | #7 (tied with 12 more) of 135 · $16,000 | Whitehorse · $17,520 |
| Insulation | #46 (tied with 17 more) of 94 · $4,015 | No open rebate | Chicago · $20,000 |
| Solar | #2 (tied with 15 more) of 68 · $7,300 | No open rebate | Yellowknife · $14,600 |
| Battery Storage | #13 (tied with 40 more) of 68 · $3,650 | No open rebate | Riverside · $10,000 |
| Water Heater | #8 (tied with 17 more) of 108 · $2,555 | #49 (tied with 18 more) of 108 · $750 | Brookhaven · $7,000 |
| Smart Thermostat | No open rebate | #16 (tied with 19 more) of 84 · $100 | Naperville · $275 |
| EV Charger | #51 of 52 · $256 | #36 (tied with 10 more) of 52 · $700 | Bakersfield and 6 more · $5,000 |
| Windows & Doors | #8 of 78 · $4,015 | #61 (tied with 12 more) of 78 · $75 | Barre and 4 more · $9,500 |
Rank counts every city we score. See the national leaderboard.
Category-by-category PowerScore
| Category | Vancouver | Boston |
|---|---|---|
| 🔥 Heat Pump | 75.6 | 100.0 |
| 🧊 Insulation | 64.1 | 100.0 |
| ☀️ Solar | 100.0 | 3.8 |
| 🔋 Battery Storage | 72.5 | 3.8 |
| 🚿 Water Heater | 100.0 | 46.4 |
| 🌡️ Smart Thermostat | 0.0 | 68.8 |
| 🚗 EV Charger | 43.1 | 48.4 |
| 🪵 Windows & Doors | 100.0 | 29.9 |
| Overall PowerScore | 69.4 | 50.1 |
Frequently asked questions
Which city has the better overall PowerScore, Vancouver or Boston?
Vancouver has the higher overall PowerScore at 69.4/100, compared to Boston's 50.1/100. PowerScore is a 0-100 average of 8 rebate categories built from real published rebate amounts, program status, and how many programs stack.
Which city has better solar rebates, Vancouver or Boston?
Vancouver scores higher on solar, 100.0 vs 3.8 out of 100. Vancouver's strongest category overall is solar at 100.0, while Boston's strongest is heat pump at 100.0.
Is it fair to compare Vancouver and Boston directly?
Yes. Every city's PowerScore is measured against one shared yardstick in US dollars, so Vancouver (British Columbia) and Boston (Massachusetts) are on the same scale. Canadian amounts are converted at an approximate rate, and programs have different rules, so treat scores within a few points of each other as a tie.