Earn Up to $500 for Sharing Your Home Utility Data

Get rewarded while contributing to low-carbon building practices across B.C.

Read on to see if your home qualifies.

What is NearZero4?

NearZero4 is a province-wide initiative helping homeowners like you contribute to a low-carbon future in B.C. By securely sharing your home’s utility data, you’re helping to shape clean-energy building practices.

Led by ZEBx, part of the Zero Emissions Innovation Centre (ZEIC), NearZero4 collects real-world utility data from B.C. homes to understand how they actually perform, and if current regulations are on track to achieve climate targets of local and provincial governments.

While there are plenty of estimates about energy use and emissions in high-performance homes, real data is scarce. NearZero4 is working to change that.

This initiative will help:

Validate energy models and building performance claims
Inform future building regulations
Measure the emissions impact of technologies like gas-fired heat pumps

Join the effort to make homes across B.C. more energy-efficient and climate-friendly—starting with yours.

NearZero4 is funded by BC Hydro and the City of Vancouver.

Eligibility Criteria

All homes must be a Part 9 residential building located in B.C., and comply with one of the following categories:

Option 1: Newer Homes

Your home must:

Be newly built (from 2018 or later)

Meet one of the following energy performance standards:

- Step 4 or 5 of the BC Energy Step Code

- The Passive House standard

- CHBA’s Net Zero or Net Zero Ready certification

Eligible to receive $300 for providing one year of utility data.

Option 2: Older Homes

Your home must:

Have a dual-fuel heating system (e.g. a gas furnace and an electric heat pump), or a gas absorption heat pump

Have at least two years of utility data — including:

- One year before the system was installed

- One year after installation

These homes can qualify regardless of their energy efficiency rating.

Eligible to receive $500 for providing two years of utility data.

Additional Participation Guidelines

Each residential unit in duplexes, triplexes, and townhouses can apply and be compensated separately.
Secondary suites are not eligible for separate compensation. If your home includes suites, your utility bills must reflect usage for the entire home, including the suites.
If the utility bills are not addressed to the applicant, the applicant is responsible for securing consent to share them. All submitted data is kept anonymous.
By applying, participants acknowledge that the program administrator will make the final decision on compensation.

For further assistance with the application or questionnaires, contact: nearzero@zeic.ca with the subject line NearZero4.

See Data from Successful NearZero 4 Home Applicants

Check out the latest information we’ve collected on the real-world performance of high-performance homes, and homes with dual-fuel systems in B.C.