Terms of Service

1. Service Description

Kootenay Energy (“we,” “us,” or “our”) is a free educational and contractor-matching service for BC home retrofit rebates. We help homeowners understand their options across heat pumps, insulation, FireSmart, and radon mitigation, then route them to vetted local contractors who do the actual work and submit the rebate paperwork. Our services include:

• Educational content covering BC rebate programs (CleanBC ESP, CleanBC HRR, HomeSave Central Kootenays, FortisBC, BC Hydro, municipal and federal programs).
• A free rebate calculator that estimates eligibility and stacking math based on the information you provide.
• Lead routing — forwarding your contact details and project notes to one or more vetted local contractors who match your project type and region.
• Optional follow-up support answering questions about the rebate landscape after we connect you with a contractor.

What we do not do. We are not a contractor and do not install, sell, or service equipment. We do not act as your authorized representative on government rebate portals. We do not submit rebate applications on your behalf. We do not prepare or sign rebate paperwork. We do not charge homeowners for any of our services. We are not a government agency, utility, or consultancy — there are no paid consultations.

The contractor you ultimately hire is the Registered Contractor of record for any rebate program. They submit the rebate paperwork the way they always have, and the rebate either comes off your invoice or is paid to you directly by the program administrator, depending on the program.

2. How We Make Money

You pay us nothing. Our revenue comes from contractor partners who pay a referral fee only when a lead we send them converts into a signed contract. You are free to ignore the contractors we suggest and hire someone else — we do not lock leads, hold deposits, or charge cancellation fees.

Because the contractor pays the referral fee out of their normal business margin, this arrangement does not increase your project cost. Contractors set their own pricing.

3. Information Sharing & Authorization

By using our services, you authorize us to:

• Share your name, contact information, address, and project notes with one or more vetted contractor partners whose service area and specialty match your project.
• Communicate with you by email or phone about your project and about the BC rebate landscape generally.
• Use anonymized, aggregated data from your calculator inputs to improve the accuracy of our eligibility engine.

We do not submit your information to any government rebate portal and do not act as your authorized representative on those portals. Once a contractor takes on your project, any rebate-portal submission is handled by them under their own contractor account, with your direct consent given to them.

4. Rebate Amounts & Program Availability

• Rebate programs are operated by government and utility bodies and may change, be suspended, or end at any time without notice.
• Eligibility requirements are set by program administrators and are subject to change.
• Program funding is limited and operates on a first-come, first-served basis. Availability is not guaranteed.
• ESP eligibility codes expire 6 months from issuance. Projects must be completed within 12 months of code issuance. Your contractor manages these deadlines on your file.
• We update our content and calculator when we become aware of program changes, but you should confirm current program details with the administering body or your contractor before making decisions.

5. Homeowner Responsibilities

When you use our service, you agree to:

• Provide accurate information: Information you enter into the calculator or share with us should be truthful and reasonably accurate. Your contractor will verify the details that matter for the rebate paperwork — but inaccurate information at the lead stage wastes everyone's time.
• Make your own decisions: You decide whether to proceed with an upgrade, which contractor to hire, and which quote to accept. We provide education and introductions, not recommendations of one contractor over another within our partner network.
• Engage directly with your contractor: The installation contract, payment, scheduling, warranty, and rebate submission are all between you and the contractor you hire. We are not a party to that contract.
• Pay contractors directly: Payment for any equipment, installation, or service is between you and the contractor. We do not collect or hold any money from you.

6. Limitation of Liability

Our service is provided free of charge on an “as-is” basis. To the maximum extent permitted by law:

• We are not liable for the final rebate amount approved or denied by any government or utility rebate program. Rebate amounts and eligibility outcomes are determined solely by program administrators.
• We are not liable for changes to rebate programs, including changes to eligibility criteria, rebate amounts, deadlines, or program availability.
• We are not liable for the quality, timeliness, pricing, conduct, or outcome of any contractor's work, including their handling of rebate paperwork. While we vet contractors before adding them to our network, the installation and rebate submission relationship is entirely between you and your contractor.
• We are not liable for delays caused by government processing times, contractor scheduling, equipment supply, or circumstances beyond our reasonable control.
• Because we do not charge homeowners, our total aggregate liability to you for any claim arising from your use of our service is limited to one hundred Canadian dollars (CAD $100).

7. Our Commitments to You

We commit to:

• Provide accurate, current information about BC rebate programs to the best of our knowledge, and update it when programs change.
• Only forward your details to contractors we have vetted for credential currency (HPCN, FireSmart, C-NRPP, or other relevant certifications) and clean rebate-paperwork track-record.
• Use your personal information only for the purposes described in our Privacy Policy.
• Never sell your data, never lock your lead to a single contractor, and never charge you for our service.

8. Withdrawing Your Lead

You can ask us to stop sharing your information with contractors at any time by emailing hello@kootenayenergy.ca. If a contractor has already received your details, we will let them know you’ve withdrawn — though once a contractor has your contact information, future communication between you and that contractor is up to the two of you.

9. Governing Law

These Terms of Service are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of British Columbia, Canada. Any disputes arising from these terms or our services shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of British Columbia.

10. Changes to These Terms

We may update these Terms of Service from time to time. The “Last updated” date at the top of this page reflects the most recent revision. Material changes affecting users with active leads in our system will be communicated by email.

11. Contact Us

Questions about these terms? Get in touch: