BC invests $20M for free air conditioners ahead of hot weather

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Thanks to an additional boost in provincial funding, more BC residents will be able to receive free air conditioners.

As part of a weather-preparedness press conference, the BC government announced that over 6,000 air conditioners have already been provided to low-income people in need.

With this boost in funding, 19,000 more households will be eligible.

“In total, BC Hydro expects the program to provide more than 28,000 AC units throughout the province,” the BC Ministry of Health said in a statement.

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The program is meant to support residents of low-income and vulnerable backgrounds, like seniors, and, according to the BC Ministry of Health, “those most at risk of health impacts from extreme heat emergencies.”

Your household income before tax must be $39,700 or less if you’re an individual. For couples or two living in a household, it’s $49,500. The max income for a home of three is set at $60,800.

In comparison, the BC Renter’s Tax Credit offered $400 to folks making $60,000 or less.

A discussion about the program on Reddit last month revealed that some residents are concerned about the income threshold.

“Interesting how the ‘income qualification’ lists incomes well beneath what is required to even exist as something other than completely homeless in most parts of BC,” one user said on Reddit.

Someone else said, “The amount received for things like [employment insurance] and welfare support have barely changed in over a decade. The system is completely out of touch.”

If you do qualify, you might want to look into the program sooner than later, with hot weather just around the corner.

Are you among the BC residents who have qualified for one of the free air conditioners on offer? If not, can you afford to buy an AC unit yourself? Let us know in the comments.

You can also read more about how BC is helping residents prepare for the summer heat by clicking here.