Landlords

Commercial Electricity Customers

If you are charged commercial service rates for your electricity, you may claim a rebate on your full residential power usage indicated on any bill issued on October 1, 2009 or later.

Usage thresholds still apply to commercial service rates billed on or after September 1, 2008 and before October 1, 2009. The threshold of 27.4 KWh per day applies to each residential unit and the common area to the residential units as a separate unit. The example below illustrates how this is to be calculated when applying for your rebate for power bills issued on or after September 1, 2008 and before October 1, 2009.

The demand charge is also eligible for the rebate for billings issued on or after October 1, 2009. Effective January 1, 2010, any energy efficiency program charges included on a commercial service rate customer's electricity bill may be included in the calculation of the rebate under the program.

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Sample Commercial Electricity Rebate Calculation (for bills issued September 1, 2008 or later and before October 1, 2009.)

Billing Date: September 5, 2008
(Floor space - 80% Residential)
(400 residential units)
Service July 31 to August 31, 2008

Rate Calculation
Rate Calculation
Total energy charges	$40,000
Less demand charge	$7,000
Charge for kWh used	$33,000	$33,000
Total kWh used	450,000 kWh
kWh rate (eligible energy charge ÷ total kWh used) $33,000.00 ÷ 450,000 kWh		$0.0733/kWh
Residential Portion Calculation
Residential Portion Calculation	450,000 kWh
% Eligible residential	80 %
Residential kWh used (450,000 x 80%)		360,000 kWh
Threshold calculation
# residential units plus 1 common area	401 units
Days in billing period	31 days
kWh threshold (401 units x 31 days x 27.4 kWh/day)		340,609 kWh
Eligible Energy Calculation
Residential kWh used	360,000 kWh
kWh threshold	340,609 kWh
kWh eligible for rebate (residential kWh minus threshold kWh) 360,000 kWh - 340,609 kW		19,391 kWh
Rebate Calculation
kWh eligible for rebate	19,391 kWh
kWh rate	$0.0733/kWh
Amount eligible for rebate (rate x kWh eligible for rebate) $0.0733/kWh x 19,391 kWh		$1421.36
Rebate percentage	8 %
Amount of rebate ($1,421.36 x 8%)		$113.71

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Residential Electricity Customer

Effective October 1, 2009, the electricity portion of the rebate was expanded to all residential usage. All electricity consumed for residential purposes on or after October 1, 2009, is eligible for the rebate. If you are being billed at the domestic service rate, the rebate will be automatically deducted from your bill. The base charge is also eligible for the rebate.

Until September 30, 2009, only electricity that exceeded a threshold of 27.4 kilowatt hours per day times the number of days before October 1, 2009 on the bill was eligible for the rebate. The base charge was not eligible for the rebate.

Effective January 1, 2010, energy efficiency program charges are eligible for the rebate.

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How do I apply?

Complete the application form in full.

Include all receipts for the home energy purchases.

Please ensure that your receipts indicate the following:

• Supplier's HST number
• Amount of HST paid 
• Date of the purchase
• Nature of the product (e.g. wood, wood pellets)

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How often can I apply?

You may submit one application each quarter (April, July, October, January).

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How do I know if I qualify?

You are eligible to apply as a landlord for Your Energy Rebate, if:

• Your property is defined as a "residential property" under Section 26 of the Assessment Act;
• Your property is 100% residential or is classified as a combination of "residential taxable" with "resource taxable", "resource forest" or "resource exempt" based on the current property assessment for the property listed under the Act;
• You pay the home energy costs for tenants and/or residential common areas such as stairwells, hallways, laundry room, storage and parking; and
• You are a landlord as defined in Section 2 of the Residential Tenancies Act.

For deliveries of heating oil, propane, natural gas and firewood delivered by a registered bulk vendor, the rebate may be automatically deducted from your bill. If your electricity is billed at a domestic service rate, you will receive your rebate on your bill.

For electricity billed at a commercial rate, the rebate will not be deducted from your bill and an application will be required with receipts. Other forms of home energy, such as cylinder propane, wood pellets or firewood delivered by a vendor not registered to provide an at source rebate, require an application form to be completed, with accompanying receipts.

If your property is a combination of residential and commercial; and

• You are a landlord as defined in Section 2 of the Residential Tenancies Act;
• Your property is defined as a "partly residential" under Section 26 of the Assessment Act; and
• You pay the home energy costs for tenants and/or residential common areas such as stairwells, hallways, laundry room, storage and parking.

All energy purchases will require an application form to be completed, with accompanying receipts.

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How long do I have to apply for my rebate?

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Where can I get an application form?

In Person

Access Nova Scotia

Email

yourenergyrebate@gov.ns.ca

Telephone

Halifax Region
(902) 424-5200

Toll-free in Nova Scotia
1-800-670-4357

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Downloadable Forms

• Landlord and/or Mixed Residential/Commercial/Resource Farm Application [ - 206.66 kb]