Your Energy Rebate Bulk Vendors

If you deliver bulk fuel oil, firewood, propane or sell electricity or natural gas in Nova Scotia, there are some things you need to know.

Program changes announced in the April 29, 2008 Budget

The electricity portion of the Your Energy Rebate Program is being refocused on electricity used for heating. As a result, effective September 1, 2008 for residential customers being charged a domestic service rate, only electricity used on or after September 1, 2008 that exceeds a threshold of 27.4 kilowatt hours per day times the number of days on the bill on or after September 1, 2008 will be eligible for the rebate. The base charge will no longer be eligible as of May 15, 2008.

The current rebate on domestic service rates for residential customers will be temporarily suspended as of May 15, 2008. Any rebate credits earned prior to May 15, 2008 will be credited.

For more details about the rebate on domestic service rates for electricity, go to the “What’s New” page.

Who are bulk vendors?
They are suppliers of natural gas, electricity, home heating oil, home delivery of propane, or home delivery of firewood.

As a HST registered vendor, do I have to provide the energy rebate?
Bulk Vendors who are HST registered are required to provide the at source 8% provincial rebate for eligible home energy.

How do I get reimbursed for providing the rebate?
To receive reimbursement for the amount of rebates provided, a bulk vendor must register with Service Nova Scotia and Municipal Relations to be set up on the reimbursement program.

How do I register for the Your Energy Rebate program ?

There are several ways for Bulk Vendors to register:

• Visit any Access Nova Scotia centre

• E-mail yourenergyrebate@gov.ns.ca

• Call 1-888-928-8080

• Download the registration application package

As a bulk vendor, how do I verify if a customer is eligible for the rebate?
As part of the program, vendors will be required to provide a rebate for all eligible customers. Customers fall into one of three categories:

• Customers who are eligible for the energy rebate at source
• Customers who are eligible for the rebate through the submission of an application form
• Customers who are not eligible for the rebate

Your role as a bulk vendor is providing rebates to those customers who are eligible at source for the rebate (i.e. customers identified in the first bullet above). Vendors will be required to confirm the eligibility of their customers.

To assist you to determine customer eligibility:
• We will provide you with access to an internet-based eligibility system for you to verify customer eligibility. To access the tool, click on Eligibility Tool and enter the username and password that we have provided.
• Customer eligibility can also be determined by calling the Your Energy Rebate bulk vendor line during regular business hours at 1-888-928-8080 (Monday to Friday 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.).

Notice : Eligilbilty Tool Updated
Bulk Vendors are advised there has been a change to the eligibility status of some properties as of Tuesday October 14, 2008. This change means some properties previously receiving the 8% rebate at point of sale are now be required to submit an application. This change ensures only properties with a 100% residential taxable status receive the rebate at the time of delivery.

On October 30, 2008 a list of the properties affected by the change in the eligibility status of mixed use properties was forwarded to all bulk vendors registered under the Your Energy Rebate Program. These properties were previously showing eligible in the eligibility tool. The list was provided by county and in numerical order based on civic address to assist in updating the eligibility status of these properties.

The date for compliance with the required eligibility status of these properties is November 14, 2008.

What do I provide to customers?
Once you have determined that a customer is eligible to receive the at-source rebate, you will be required to provide them with a receipt displaying the rebate as a separate line item. The receipt must read “Prov Rebate” and must also clearly indicate the 8% rebate and the dollar amount of the rebate.The receipt must also include your nine digit business number (BN/HST), for example BN 111111111.

What if a rebate is not provided to an eligible customer at time of sale?
If you neglected to provide a rebate to an eligible customer, do not provide a credit or payment to the customer. In this case the customer must submit an application for the rebate.

How do I get reimbursed?
Once customer eligibility has been determined and the rebate provided at the point of sale, vendors will be required to track the rebates issued.

You will be able to make a submission for reimbursement 4 times per calendar month.

You have 24 months to apply for reimbursement from the date of the sale for which you issued the rebate.

Your submission for reimbursement must include:
• Amount of energy sold by type of energy source
• Total sum of rebates provided
• Number of residential customers’ transactions where the rebate was provided

Please call 1-888-928-8080 if you have any questions.

When will I get reimbursed for the rebate?
You will be reimbursed within 21 days after receipt of a completed application. To ensure that you receive your reimbursement before you are required to submit your HST payments to the federal government, you are asked to submit a completed application form by the 5th of each month.

Does this rebate program affect your HST remittances to the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA)?
No, this program does not affect your HST remittances to the CRA.

How long do I have to keep my customer records?
You must keep your records for 72 months from the purchase date.

A customer called to say that they have received a letter from SNSMR stating that their energy rebate eligibility status has changed. What should I do?
Some customers have questioned their property’s eligibility status. Each of these situations is researched by SNSMR to determine if the eligibility status of the property does need to change. In some cases, the eligibility of a property will be changed. In these situations, customers will be provided a letter informing them of their eligibility status change and instructions for them to contact their bulk vendor and inform them of the change. Bulk Vendors should view or receive a copy of the letter and change their customer record to match the eligibility status stated in the letter.

Where can I get a reimbursement application?
There are several ways to get a reimbursement application form:
• Visit any Access Nova Scotia centre
• E-mail yourenergyrebate@gov.ns.ca
• Call 1-888-928-8080
• Download the Reimbursement Application Form
1. Bulk Vendor Reimbursement Application for Electricity
2. Bulk Vendor Reimbursement Application for for Oil, Natural Gas, Wood, Propane and Kerosene