Manage your home’s electrical load
When installing a Level 2 electric vehicle (EV) charger at your home, you’ll need to ensure that the electrical service can accommodate the new electrical load. In some cases, homes may not have much electrical capacity remaining, and the electricity to power the EV charger might overload a branch circuit, panel, or electrical service.
Good news: in many of these cases, there are EV power management devices that can manage the electrical load from EV chargers, helping you avoid the cost of an electrical service upgrade. Learn more below about how these devices work.
Rebate offer
We’re providing a rebate of $200 for eligible single-family home customers who need to install an EV power management device to avoid electrical service upgrades when installing a Level 2 EV charger at home.
This device – and the rebate – makes it easier for more customers to access efficient EV charging at home.
Eligibility
To be eligible for the EV power management device rebate, you’ll need to:
- Be a BC Hydro customer residing in a detached home, row home, duplex or mobile home.
- Install an eligible EV power management device.
- Install an eligible Level 2 EV charger.
- Have an approved electrical permit (your electrician will manage this).
- Install the power management device and the charger on or after December 1, 2023. Rebates are not available for retroactive installs.
Visit the EV charger rebate program for single-family homes to review full eligibility criteria.
Eligible devices
See our list of rebate-eligible EV power management devices.
If you have an EV power management device you’d like us to assess, please email the make and model to alliance@bchydro.com.
How to apply
There’s no separate application for this rebate. After you’ve had an eligible EV charger and EV power management device installed, simply submit your application for B.C.’s charger rebate program.
If approved, we’ll automatically add the eligible value to your rebate payment.
How these devices work
EV power management devices generally work in one of two ways:
| TYPE | HOW THEY WORK |
|---|---|
| Branch circuit sharing | Sharing a circuit with another device such as clothes dryer, and automatically switching off the flow of electricity to the EV charger when the dryer turns on. |
| Feeder monitoring | Monitoring your whole home’s current power usage and automatically turning power to the EV charger off as needed to maintain a maximum capacity level. |
When are they needed
Often, an EV power management device and/or service upgrade isn’t required to install a Level 2 EV charger.
To determine if a device is necessary – or the right option for you to avoid a service upgrade – a qualified electrician will start by assessing the electrical capacity available for EV charging at your home.
It’s best if the electrician reviews the last 12 months of your electricity meter data to determine how much spare capacity is available.
- Log in to MyHydro to view and download the last 12 months of your consumption history at hourly intervals.
- Share it with your electrician so they can provide guidance on whether an EV power management device is needed.
Where to buy
You can buy an eligible EV power management device directly from the manufacturer’s website, from other retailers such as Amazon, or in some cases, directly from your electrical contractor.