Mixed Use Properties

What is a mixed use property?

A mixed use property is a property that is assessed as partially residential taxable along with other classes of property (i.e. “commercial taxable”, “resource farm”).

Properties that have a current property assessment that indicates a combination of “residential taxable” with “resource taxable”, “resource forest” or “resource exempt” are considered a “residential use property” and are eligible to receive the rebate at the point of sale.

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Does a mixed use property qualify for Your Energy Rebate?

The fuel used to heat the residential portion of mixed use property is eligible for the rebate. The purchaser is required to apply for the rebate.

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Commercial Electricity Customers

If you are charged commercial service rates for your electricity, you will be able to 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 will be eligible for the rebate for billings issued on or after October 1, 2009.

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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
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 will be expanded to all residential usage. All electricity consumed for residential purposes on or after October 1, 2009, will be eligible for the 8% rebate. If you are being billed at the domestic service rate, the rebate will be automatically deducted from your bill. The base charge will also be eligible for the rebate.

Until September 30, 2009, the base charge is not eligible for the rebate and only electricity that exceeds a threshold of 27.4 kilowatt hours per day times the number of days before October 1st, 2009 on the bill is eligible for the rebate. If you are billed at the domestic service rate, you will receive your rebate from your electricity supplier at the time of billing.

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How do I know if I qualify?

You are eligible to apply as a 'mixed-use' property for Your Energy Rebate if:

• You pay for the home energy costs; and
• Your property includes other classes of property along with a portion classified as "residential taxable" based on the current property assessment issued under the Assessment Act.

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Will my rebate be automatically removed from my home portion of energy costs?

No, as an owner of a 'mixed-use' property, your rebate will not be automatically deducted from your home heating oil, firewood, or natural gas bills.

It may be rebated on your electricity bills. For example, if the power company is charging you the domestic service rate, you will receive the rebate automatically off your power bill.

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What if my commercial space is in a separate building?

There may be extenuating circumstances that allow a portion of the commercial property to be omitted from the calculation. Each situation will be evaluated on a case by case basis.

Possible cases

Separate commercial building that is shut down for part of the year and not heated while shut down.

In this case, if the consumer provides additional documentation verifying the situation with their application, only the residential square footage actually being heated with the fuel shall be used to calculate the portion of the bill that is eligible for the rebate.

The additional documentation to be provided by the consumer must include the following information:

• Dates of operation of the commercial activity on the property;
• The commercial property is a separate building from the building containing residential space;
• Type of energy (if any) used to heat the commercial building when in operation;
• Square footage of the commercial building; and,
• Square footage heated by the fuel the rebate is being claimed for.

If the commercial building has no heat at all and the consumer has sent supporting documentation with their application, the space for the commercial building may be excluded from the calculation of the rebate.

If the commercial building is heated by the same energy type as the building containing the residential space, the total property space and total energy bill must be used for dates when the commercial activity occurred.

Separate commercial building with a separate fuel source for heating for commercial building vs building containing residential space.

If the consumer feels it is more beneficial for them to do so, they may send in additional documentation verifying that the separate commercial building is heated by a different energy type than the building containing the residential space.

If the consumer sends in the additional documentation, the energy bill along with the square footage for the commercial property may be excluded from the rebate calculation. To calculate the rebate, the consumer is entitled to only the space usage in the building containing the residential property and the energy bill for it. To put it in plain terms: if you want to exclude the commercial space, you have to exclude the commercial energy bill as well.

The additional documentation to be provided by the consumer must include all of the following information:

• The commercial property is a separate building from the building containing the residential space;
• Type of energy used to heat the commercial building;
• Type of energy used to heat the building containing the residential space
• Square footage of the commercial building;
• Square footage of the building containing the residential space.
• Energy bill for commercial building; and,
• Energy bill for the building containing the residential space.

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What if my property is assessed as a mixed use property but the only building I heat is my residence?

A consumer with a mixed use property has to submit a mixed use application form the first time that they apply for a rebate. The mixed use application form was revised to include instructions on how to fill it out if you only buy fuel for residential use.

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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 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 [- 154.75 kb]