Get Paid to Upgrade: A Business Guide to BC Hydro Energy-Saving Incentives

How much can an upgrade pay back?

BC Hydro’s own example shows the effect. A lighting project that costs $10,000 and saves 40,000 kWh a year (about $3,600 off your electricity bill) pays for itself in under two years with the incentive, compared to three years without it. That is an estimate, and your results will depend on your site.

Your incentive is calculated from three things:

• Your hours of operation
• How much energy the project saves
• The cost of the project

Projects with a longer payback period receive a larger incentive, and your estimated amount is shown once the project details are entered. BC Hydro has reported that incentives average about 25% of project cost, based on past projects, and it increased funding rates in July 2025.

What the incentives cover

Business Energy Saving Incentives (BESI) are for commercial customers and small industrial sites. They cover:

• LED lighting upgrades
• Add-on upgrades for refrigeration
• Add-on upgrades for HVAC

BESI is designed for simple, one-for-one replacements, such as swapping 500 incandescent bulbs for 500 LEDs, or replacing older fixtures with LED fixtures or retrofit kits. Complex redesign projects don’t fit this program, and only products listed in BC Hydro’s approved catalogue qualify.

Self-Serve Incentive Program (SIP) is for larger facilities that need custom lighting or compressed air improvements. The average incentive is about 25% of the project cost, and some projects receive more than 50%.

New construction lighting is also eligible, so it is worth planning before the design is finalized.

BC Hydro also has rebates for workplace and multi-unit EV chargers and for solar and battery storage under 100 kW. Each has its own rules and contractor requirements, so contact us and we will point you to the right program.

Limited-time bonus

At the time of writing, BC Hydro is offering a 30% bonus incentive on BESI projects submitted before February 11, 2027, if the project is completed by March 14, 2028. Incentives for LED reflector lamp replacements end April 1, 2027. Dates and rates can change, so we confirm current terms during your assessment.

How the process works

1. Choose an Alliance contractor. Alliance members know the program rules and can plan the upgrade with you.
2. Decide what to upgrade. We assess your existing lighting and equipment and choose the best opportunities.
3. Apply for approval. The application is submitted online and approved before you purchase or remove anything.
4. Install and declare. Once approved, we install the equipment and submit the project declaration.
5. Submit invoices. Invoices and supporting documents are due within 10 business days after the declaration.
6. Receive your incentive.

You only register once. After that, you can create multiple applications and include multiple sites in one application.

The mistake that costs businesses the most

Do not buy or remove equipment before BC Hydro approves your application. Products purchased before the approval date are disqualified, and your business would carry the full cost.

Invoices must match BC Hydro’s requirements

Incentives are paid only against invoices that include:

• Invoice number and date
• The project address
• Your incentive application number
• The Alliance distributor’s name and ID
• The Alliance installer’s name and ID (ours is ATA Technical Group, ID 9431)
• Quantity, model number, and a detailed description of each product (model numbers must appear in BC Hydro’s approved catalogue)
• Project management fees as a separate line item, since they are not an eligible cost
• GST as a separate line item
• The total project cost, including materials, labour, and permits

If the invoice includes products unrelated to the project, they must be clearly separated from the products you declared. We help make sure your paperwork meets these requirements so nothing delays your payment.