BC Strata EV Ready Plan Rebate Estimator

1. Step 1

   Find your administrator

   The strata's electricity bill decides who handles the file. BC Hydro and City of New Westminster accounts go to BC Hydro. FortisBC, City of Penticton, City of Grand Forks, Nelson Hydro and District of Summerland accounts go to FortisBC. The amounts and rules are the same on both sides; the application route differs. Another utility: ask, and we confirm the route with the administrator.

2. Step 2

   Pre-approval, before the plan is commissioned

   Mandatory since July 15, 2026; only costs after the pre-approval date are eligible. BC Hydro route: BC Hydro's online forms, identified by the strata's account and meter numbers. FortisBC route: an email to [email protected] with the strata's legal name and address, the authorized representative's name, title and contact details, a copy of the accepted plan quote and the signed consent forms, identified by the FortisBC account number. This is also the moment a municipal top-up is secured where one exists (see step 5).

3. Step 3

   The EV Ready Plan is prepared

   The plan maps a route to at least one EV Ready stall per residential unit on the building's existing electrical service: the stall and conduit strategy, the charging-management evaluation, and a phased roadmap with cost estimates. Taking the plan rebate does not commit the strata to building anything; the later stages are optional.

4. Step 4

   Final application within nine months of pre-approval

   BC Hydro route: the final application through the online forms; the rebate is paid directly to the strata corporation. FortisBC route: an email with the EV Ready Plan, the EV Ready Plan workbook, the paid invoice broken down by activity and a mailing address, because the rebate arrives as a cheque; FortisBC replies within 90 days. Up to 75% of the eligible plan cost, to $3,000, once per building; taxes and administrative costs are not eligible.

5. Step 5

   Municipal top-ups, where they exist

   Funded by the municipality, first come first served while funds last, and only for buildings inside the boundary. Kamloops, Saanich and Squamish: added automatically by BC Hydro, no separate application. Kelowna: considered automatically with the FortisBC application; the funding is reserved when the pre-approval email is sent. Nanaimo: the City's own program with a separate application to the City; confirm it is still open. Whistler: fully allocated. Elsewhere, none found as of September 2026, which is not proof that none exists.

6. Later stages

   Infrastructure and chargers, when the strata is ready

   EV Ready infrastructure rebate: for implementing the approved plan, up to 50% of eligible electrical infrastructure costs, to $600 a stall and $120,000 a project; it requires the full EV Ready Plan (an Electrical Planning Report alone does not unlock it), and the construction is carried out by licensed electrical contractors. Charger rebates, two streams: a building that has completed its EV Ready Plan and infrastructure claims the EV Ready charger rebate, up to 50% of eligible costs to $1,400 a charger and $14,000 a building; a strata installing chargers without that claims the standalone charger rebate, up to 50% to $2,000 a charger and $14,000 a building, with an EV Ready Plan, an Electrical Planning Report or a CleanBC Opportunity Assessment on file first. Both need pre-approval before any equipment is purchased, both go through the same administrator, and the municipal top-ups listed above apply to these stages where the municipality offers them.

CF Electrical Services prepares the EV Ready Plan the program requires and handles the paperwork with the utility. The program pages are linked further down; the full walkthrough is in our EV Ready Plan rebate guide and the explainer on the July 2026 rebate changes.