BC Hydro Business Energy-Saving Incentives (BESI) Program
Compared with the 242 other application forms we have read
- The heaviest thing to produce is supplier quotes or cost evidence. 6 ask for that.
- Only 2 written answers, against a median of 5.
Can you win this grant?
Get your instant eligibility verdict plus a head start on the application. Free, no account needed.
We use this program’s real eligibility rules. 4 short questions follow.
Want your full match picture across 850+ programs? Take the 2-minute quiz →
Eligibility & Details
What this program funds and who can apply
Program Description
Provides BC Hydro commercial and small industrial customers with cash incentives averaging 40% of upfront costs for installing energy-efficient equipment including lighting, HVAC, refrigeration, and motors. Applications can be submitted any time; incentives are calculated based on annual electricity savings from eligible upgrades.
Eligibility Requirements
- Must be a BC Hydro commercial or small industrial customer (any business with a BC Hydro account in British Columbia)
- Primarily for commercial and small industrial sites using less than 500,000 kWh per year (the prescriptive BESI tier); larger sites are generally directed to the Custom Program or Self-Serve Incentive Program
- Applies to both retrofit of existing equipment and installation of new energy-efficient systems
- Equipment must be permanently installed at a BC Hydro-served location in British Columbia
- If a third-party contractor does the work, they must be a registered member of BC Hydro's Alliance of Energy Professionals — confirm their Alliance ID before accepting a quote. For any project involving lighting, the lighting products must be purchased from an approved Alliance distributor (a Distributor ID is mandatory)
Quick Assessment
Funding Details
- Amount
- Average 40% of upfront equipment costs (past-participant average; no published maximum). A 30% bonus applies to projects submitted by February 11, 2027.
- Type
- Grant
- Level
- Private
- Co-Funding
- Up to 40% of eligible costs
- Deadline
- Ongoing
Program Scorecard
Competition, effort, and approval at a glance
Very accessible — simple application
Low competition — good odds of approval
Simple — quick application
How to Win
Insider tips, common pitfalls, and what successful applicants look like
Insider TipApply and WAIT FOR BC HYDRO'S APPROVAL EMAIL before you buy anything — submitting an application is not enough; your project status must reach 'Application Accepted' before you purchase or install.
Rejection Pitfalls 5
- Facility is served by a different utility (FortisBC, municipal utility) rather than BC Hydro
Success Profile
Evaluation Criteria
How BC Hydro judges your application
What the reviewer scores, what gets applications rejected, and what to write.
Distilled from 6+ source documents, condensed into one brief. Sources as of 2026-09-04.
6 of the sources
- Business energy-saving incentives bchydro.com
- Business Energy Saving Incentives bchydro.com
- BESI Eligible configurations list bchydro.com
- Strategic Energy Management Hub — Customer User Guide app.bchydro.com
- e.Catalog bchydro.com
- Buy and upgrade equipment bchydro.com
Sign up free to save this programme and track your application in your workspace.
What BC Hydro favours
Ensure product is eligible for your planned retrofit◦
“Although you may find your desired product in e.Catalog, you must ensure that it is eligible for the specific configuration that you plan to retrofit. Otherwise, your incentive may be jeopardized.”
The form
Registration
- 1Registration — required informationshort answer
- 2Generate a PIN so your Alliance contractor can apply for youselection
Step 1: Contact information
- 1Step 1: Contact informationshort answer
Step 2: Installer and distributor
- 4Step 2: Installerselection
- 5Step 2: Distributorshort answer
- 6Step 2: Business Energy Advisorselection
Step 3: Facilities and configurations
- 7Step 3a: Add facilitiestable
- 8Step 3a: Select existing and new configurationsselection
- 9Step 3a: Configuration detail fieldstable
- 10Step 3b: Project financialstable
Step 4: Submit for pre-approval
- 4Step 4: Submit application for pre-approvalyes/no + written
Step 5: Declaration
- 12Step 5a: Declaration — installation detailstable
- 13Step 5b: Declaration — invoices and supporting documentstable
- 14Step 5: Request a deadline extensionselection
Lighting controls only
- 15eligibility to file oneyes/no + written
- 16declaration fieldstable
BC Hydro states no length limits for these answers.
Judged against
- 1
Is this retrofit and product eligible?
Show them Name the existing configuration and the exact replacement model, and confirm that model is listed in e.Catalog for that existing configuration.◦
- 2
How is the incentive actually worked out?
What to show, and the funder’s 1 criterion behind it in Premium
- 3
Will the site match the application?
What to show, and the funder’s 2 criteria behind it in Premium
- 4
Will the invoice match the declaration?
What to show them in Premium
3 questions the reviewer answers about you, in Premium.
Where applicants fail
“Once you submit your application, the list of eligible products for your selected configuration is locked-in.”
“Products that are added to e.Catalog after your application is submitted will not be eligible for your project.”
Premium · the rest of this brief
See all 9 rules that can reject you and every criterion you are judged on. Then we draft your application for you.
7 more rules that can reject you · 3 more criteria · 16 more prompts
Do you pass?
Each one can rule you out. Tick the ones you meet.
Your business
Uses under 500 MWh a year
This program is primarily available to commercial and small industrial sites that use less than 500 megawatt-hours (MWh) per year.
Commercial or small industrial site
Commercial and small industrial sites that use less than 500 megawatt-hours of electricity per year. Some exceptions apply.
Documents to attach
Ticks are kept on this device.
The money
30% bonus30% bonus on energy-saving projects
We're currently offering a 30% bonus incentive on all business energy-saving incentives projects submitted between June 3, 2025 and February 11, 2027. To be eligible, projects must be completed by March 14, 2028.
Past average 40%40% average for upfront costs
Funding rates vary depending on the equipment being upgraded, with past participants receiving an average of 40% for upfront costs.
What it pays for · 2
- Includes cost of the product, labour, permits, etc
- Internal labour costs
From application to money
- Engage an Alliance contractorEngage an Alliance contractor
- Submit for pre-approvalSubmit Steps 1-4 for pre-approval
- Wait for approval emailWait for approval email
- Possible site inspectionPossible pre-site inspection
- Declare in Step 5Declare in Step 5
- Incentive cheque mailedIncentive cheque mailed
In the funder’s words · 6
- Engage an Alliance contractor
- The technical selections are built around an Alliance member contractor, who can be handed a PIN to run the application on your behalf.
- Submit for pre-approval
- Register on the CEM Hub and submit Steps 1 to 4, including an Expected Completion Date, before any purchase or work.
- Wait for approval email
- Work and purchases may only begin after BC Hydro's approval email and an “Application Accepted” status — submitting is not enough.
- Possible site inspection
- A project may be randomly selected for a pre-site inspection, and the inspector's findings can adjust or terminate it.
- Declare in Step 5
- Update installed quantities and products and send the itemised contractor invoice to [email protected].
- Incentive cheque mailed
- The incentive is paid by cheque to the recipient named at Step 1 once the final documentation is reviewed and approved.
Quoted lines are word for word from the source documents; lines marked ◦ are our reading of them.
Everything you need to win BESI
Not a marketing summary. The actual checklist, intel, and stack strategy reviewers look for.
- 5 rejection pitfalls reviewers flag — so you catch them first
- 5-document checklist with what each reviewer is actually checking
- Your Application Game Plan — the print-ready PDF the preview below describes
- 8-step application timeline with prep hours per step
- Insider tip from program officers on what separates winners
- 3-program stacking strategy to combine with compatible funding
- Success profile + evaluation criteria — exactly what reviewers score on
Application Playbook
Step-by-step process, required documents, and expenses
Application Steps
Required Documents 5
Eligible Expenses 7
Ineligible Expenses 5
Intake Periods
Deadline Notes
Ineligible Organizations
- 7 more application steps
- 3 more required documents
- 7 eligible expenses
- 5 ineligible expenses
- Intake periods
- Deadline notes
- Ineligible organizations
Funding Stack Strategy
Compatible programs, clawback risk, and combined funding potential
Compatible Programs
Clawback Risk
None RiskHow BESI Compares
Side-by-side with similar programs
| Program | Amount | Difficulty | Payment | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BC Hydro Business Energy-Saving Incen... | Average 40% of upfront equipment costs | Easy | Reimbursement | Ongoing |
| Digital Technology Supercluster | Up to $5 million | Hard | Reimbursement | Open — Call for... |
| B.C. Employer Training Grant | Up to $10,000 per employee | Easy | Reimbursement | Ongoing |
| Interactive Digital Media Tax Credit | 25% of eligible BC | Moderate | Tax Credit Offset | Ongoing |
| PacifiCan (Pacific Economic Developme... | Varies | Hard | Reimbursement | Open: Regional Tariff... |
Related Programs
Other programs you might be eligible for
Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to the questions founders most often ask about BESI