The Residential BE Rebate Program provides rebates to Burbank Water and Power (BWP) residential customers to offset some of the costs of purchasing and installing qualified BE equipment and replacing gas appliances. The program also provides a rebate for electric panel upgrades.

The City of Burbank and BWP are committed to reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and pollutants. Fossil-fuel appliances, such as fossil gas furnaces, contribute significantly to GHG emissions. Using high-efficiency electric devices instead helps reduce carbon emissions and improve air quality. The program supports home electrification in the city by offsetting some of the costs of purchasing and installing electric equipment to replace gas appliances. Visit Switchison.org to learn about the benefits of electrification.

The State of California requires all publicly owned electric utilities, including BWP, to establish public benefit charge funds on your electric bill for programs that benefit the public, such as energy efficiency programs. BWP uses some of the funds collected for the Residential BE Rebate Program.

To apply for a rebate, download and complete the application available here and submit it with all required documents via U.S. mail (Burbank Water and Power, P.O. Box 631, Burbank, CA 91503-0631) or in person at BWP’s office (164 W. Magnolia Blvd., Burbank, CA 91502).

Applications must be submitted no later than six months following the issuance date of “finalized” permits by the City of Burbank for the installation of the equipment (or six months from the purchase date if a permit is not required).

Before applying, you need to take “before photos” of the existing gas equipment, install the new electric equipment, and pass inspection when required. Your application must be submitted no later than six months following the issuance date of “finalized” permits by the City of Burbank for the installation (or six months from the purchase date if a permit is not required).

The following rebate amounts are available as follows:

The program is designed to alleviate some of the financial burden of installing new electric equipment.  
The rebate amount you may receive is based on the total cost of the equipment and eligible installation costs, minus any other financial incentives or rebates from third parties for the purchase and installation of the equipment (the “Net Cost”). 
The rebate amount is limited to your Net Cost if your Net Cost is less than the applicable maximum rebate amount. 

The Panel Upgrade Incentive is for residential customers who need to upgrade their electric panel when installing new qualifying BE equipment. When you add new electric device to your residence, your energy need will increase and could be higher than the current rating of your electric panel. Your licensed electrician will determine if you need an upgrade.  

You need to report to BWP all third-party financial incentives received or expected to be received in connection with the purchase and installation of qualifying BE equipment. BWP may monitor publicly available information. Failure to report these incentives may result in forfeiting rebates and require repayment of any previously paid rebates.
Third-party financial incentives may offset some of the costs of installing BE equipment. BWP’s program is designed to alleviate some of the remaining costs, only.

A payment assignment allows applicants to designate someone other than the BWP customer to receive the rebate payment. For instance, you may decide to designate the contractor installing the equipment as a beneficiary. Please note that you can only assign the rebate payment to a single party.

Applications (rebate reservation or rebate payment requests) are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis and processed in the order received. Funds are limited, and rebates are not guaranteed. BWP may waitlist applications if funding is anticipated to become insufficient. BWP may also suspend Program enrollment and stop accepting applications until additional funding is available.

After submitting your application and all required documents, BWP will review your submission and determine if your application meets the program requirements.  If your rebate is approved, it may take up to 8 weeks for you to receive the rebate payment.

Yes, BWP may inspect your new equipment before payment of the rebate. 

All BWP residential customers, including tenants and residents of single and multi-family residences, are eligible for the program. If you are a renter or live in an apartment, your landlord’s approval is required. The applicant must be the BWP account holder or an authorized representative.  

Eligible residences must take electric service from BWP on a residential rate schedule, including single-family residences and units of multi-family residences. 

Unfortunately, the rebates are only available for replacement of gas appliances. If your new home does not have existing gas appliances, it is not eligible for rebates under the program.

Individual units of multi-family residences are eligible. However, if you are a renter or live in an apartment, your landlord’s approval is required. The applicant must be the BWP account holder or an authorized representative. 

A multi-family residence is an apartment building, duplex, court group, or any other group of residential units located upon a single premises where each residential unit provides the same accommodation as a single-family residence. Hotels, guest or resort ranches, tourist camps, motels, auto courts and trailer courts, consisting primarily of guest rooms and/or transient accommodations, are not classed as multi-family accommodations.

• Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC): Central heat pump HVAC, mini-split heat pump
• Water: Heat pump water heater
• Laundry: Heat pump clothes dryer
• Cooking: Electric range with induction cooktop, electric range with electric cooktop, electric resistance wall oven

BE equipment must be purchased new and unused, and be certified and listed by a nationally recognized testing laboratory (NRTL) as identified by the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration (e.g., Underwriters Laboratories or UL), or the Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI). An up-to-date list of NRTLs is available here. The AHRI Directory is here.

Qualifying BE equipment must be permanently installed by a licensed electrical contractor to the eligible premises.  The equipment must be powered through electric service provided to eligible customers by BWP.

Please make sure that your installation complies with all codes and regulations, including obtaining permits with a “finaled” status from the City of Burbank (after passing inspection). You must also have all relevant authorizations, including the property owner and/or homeowner associations, as applicable.

Rebates are available for the replacement of all gas appliances currently used at the residence.

Heat pumps offer an energy-efficient alternative to furnaces, air conditioners, and clothes dryers for all climates. Like your refrigerator, heat pumps use electricity to transfer heat from a cool space to a warm space, making the cool space cooler and the warm space warmer. During the heating season, heat pumps move heat from the cool outdoors into your warm house.  During the cooling season, heat pumps move heat from your house into the outdoors. Because they transfer heat rather than generate heat, heat pumps can efficiently provide comfortable temperatures for your home.  For more information, please see energy.gov/energysaver/heat-pump-systems.

No. Installation/labor costs are not eligible for a rebate. Rebates are only available for equipment and panel upgrade invoiced by an electrician or appropriate contractor with an active license from the state of California.  Hardware costs such as the BE equipment may be invoiced by the licensed electrician or a retail business.

The Switch is On has created a Contractor Directory of companies that can perform electrification projects. This list is provided for convenience only and is not associated with the City of Burbank.