Tons of free air conditioning units are still up for grabs in BC

Thousands of free and portable air conditioning units are available to eligible BC residents, but if you were hoping to chill with one this weekend, you will be out of luck.

Due to a major funding boost to the Free Portable Air Conditioning program, more people can get their hands on the units this summer, but it will be a bit of a wait, and not everyone gets one.

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

Currently, BC Hydro says it will take about four weeks to install them, meaning the earliest you could have one in your home would be August.

“Following the program launch, BC Hydro has made important changes to ensure units can be installed faster, including a new self-serve installation option for eligible customers and securing more installers to meet demand. There has been good uptake of the self-install option – about 30 to 40 per cent are choosing this option depending on the month. The application process has also been streamlined and we are doing our best to get units out as quickly as possible,” BC Hydro spokesperson Susie Rieder said.

The BC government and BC Hydro program started last year, with only about 8,000 units available initially. However, with an additional $20 million provided, that number has increased to 28,000 units.

About 11,000 have been spoken for as of July 5, meaning you could still score one if you meet the criteria, which is primarily dependent on income.

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

Plus, if you are a homeowner, your home must be worth less than $1.2 million.

If you don’t qualify based on that, you might still have a chance.

If you get a recommendation letter from your regional health authority’s Home Care Program, you won’t need to include your income in the application.

Axel Bueckert/Shutterstock

Those who already have AC can’t apply.

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It’s important to note that the program is available year-round, and BC Hydro issued a reminder in the spring in hopes that those who need the units would get them by summer.

With temperatures set to hit 30°C in some areas, if you don’t have an AC unit, you might want to prepare that homemade freezer/fan setup instead.

With files from Amir Ali