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Wood heating

Wood heating is no longer the most efficient way to heat your home, thanks to high-efficiency home heating systems. If you still heat your home with wood, be sure to follow Wood Burning Best Practices to help you use less wood, save money and prevent excessive smoke. This also ensures everyone in a community has better health outcomes. Avoid using indoor, open-hearth fireplaces and grandfathered uncertified wood appliances when air quality conditions are poor.

Community wood smoke reduction program

Since 2001, the RDCO has offered a Community Wood Smoke Reduction Program (CWSRP) in partnership with the BC Ministry of the Environment and BC Lung Foundation. This program encourages community members to reduce their contribution to air pollution by exchanging their old wood stove for an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) certified product.

This effort has seen more than 1,900 Central Okanagan residents exchange their old, non-EPA certified wood stoves for new appliances. Based on BC Ministry of Environment estimates, these efforts have prevented 175 tonnes of particulate matter from polluting the air in our region each year.

CWSRP incentives

Exchange type
from uncertified wood to:		 Central Okanagan communities Westbank First Nation members Bounty- no exchange needed

New electric insert

$400

$400

$300

EPA1 wood stove

$600

$1,200

Pellet stove

$1,000

$2,000

Heat pump2

$1,500

$3,000

OWB to EPA1 OWB

$600

  

OWB to Pellet Boiler

$1,000

  

OWB to Heat Pump

$1,500

  

1- To be eligible for a rebate, the new wood stoves and Outdoor Wood Boilers (OWB) should be emission certified and must meet the following emission limits and legislated setbacks:

  • Wood stoves - the emission limit is 2.0 g/h (crib wood) or 2.5g/h (cord wood)
  • OWB - the emission limits for EPA 2020 Residential Hydronic Heaters is, 0.10 lb/MMBtu heat output for each individual burn rate (crib wood) or 0.15 lb/MMBtu heat output for each individual burn rate (cord wood) and meet the legislated setbacks:
    • OWB must meet legislated setbacks to provincial regulations the OWB should be installed not less than 40 m from each parcel’s boundaries. If the boiler uses pelletized fuel then must be installed not less than 10 m from each of the parcel’s boundaries.

2- For uncertified wood stove to heat pump exchanges, an additional $300 incentive may be offered if the wood stove is removed and demolished.

CWSRP program details

Please note: effective January 1, 2023 exchanges from wood stoves to natural gas or propane-fired appliances will no longer be supported. This change aligns the program with the climate targets in the Clean BC Roadmap to 2030. Check for available rebates at Fortis BC or BC Hydro.

Options for exchanges include:

  • Electric heat pumps (also eligible for additional Clean BC incentives).
  • Emissions certified pellet stoves and fireplaces.
  • Emissions certified wood stoves.
  • Electric fireplace inserts.

Incentives for exchanges:

Incentives are available to residents living in the Central Okanagan.

  • The total rebate will never be more than the cost of the appliance.
  • Purchase invoice date must be in the same calendar year as application.
  • The incentive is per stove and limited to one stove per household.
  • The removed wood appliance must be demolished, disabled, or recycled to claim the incentive.

The CWSRP incentive can be provided with other incentives, providing all exchange program requirements are met. Be sure to check:

Why exchange your wood stove?

  • Old wood burning appliances burn inefficiently and create more air pollution than new appliances.
  • Helps reduce air pollutants in the home.
  • Helps people with asthma or with other respiratory issues breathe better.

How to participate in the CWSRP program:
1. Verify eligibility
See Government of BC's webpage Appliances eligible for exchange.
2. See emission certification criteria and legislated setbacks

According to Smoke Control Regulatory | Bylaw 773 and other local bylaws within the Central Okanagan, to install a wood-burning appliance, it must be EPA-certified 2020 or CAN/CSA B415.1 certified. 

  • EPA 2020:
    • Search: Room Heaters for wood stoves and pellet stoves.
    • Search: Central Heaters for forced-air furnaces and hydronic heaters (otherwise known as outdoor wood boilers).
  • CSA B415.1:
    • There is no online database for CAN/CSA B415.1 certified appliances. The user manual specifies the attained certification, which must be CSA B415.1 and no other CSA or UL numbers. For the CWSRP incentive, stringent emission limits apply.
  • Electric heat pumps:
    • Rebates are provided by BC's Home Renovation Rebate and Clean BC Better Homes program, see their eligible products list.

Emission limits reference:

  • Woodstoves- the emission limit is 2.0 g/h (crib wood) or 2.5g/h (cord wood).
  • Outdoor Wood Boilers (OWB) – the emission limit is 0.10 lb/mmbtu heat output for each individual burn rate (crib wood), 0.15 lb/mmBtu heat output for each individual burn rate (cord wood) and meet the legislated setbacks.
Confirm legislated setbacks (if applicable):
  • OWB should be installed not less than 40 m from each parcel’s boundaries.
  • If the boiler uses pelletized fuel then must be installed not less than 10 m from each parcel’s boundaries; check Province of BC regulations.
3. Get a building permit
 Wood appliances should be installed according to the manufacturer’s instructions, BC Building codes and permit requirements provided by your local government. Building permits are available at: 
4. Recycle your old woodstove

This is an essential step to get the rebate. Find a recycle depot for your old woodstove. You will need a receipt with your name and address.

To prepare the woodstove for recycling:

  • Remove the doors.
  • Bash in the flue collar.
  • Remove the firebrick from the appliance.
4. Gather required documents and details

You will need the following documents, with the full name and address of the applicant:

  • Invoice for the new certified appliance.
  • Receipt for recycling the old removed appliance. 
  • Building permit number. 
  • The make/brand and model of the old and the new appliances.
  • The emission limit of the new appliance (if wood or pellet) - Woodstoves (g/h) or Boilers (lb/mmBtu).
    • Find this info in the user manual of the new appliance.

Westbank First Nation members could receive an increased incentives if:

  • The installation address is within Westbank First Nation reserves #7, #8, #9, #10, #11, #12 - see our RDCO map.
  • A image or PDF of Status Card is included in the application.
5. Complete survey(s)

Every applicant must complete a short participant survey and include that file with your application. When you finish the survey click "Print or Get PDF of answers." Save file as [Applicant name].pdf. 

If new appliance uses wood or pellets as fuel applicants must complete BC Wood Smoke Education Course and include a file with your application. When you finish the course click "print results." Save file as [Applicant name].pdf.

6. Fill out online application

Complete the online Woodstove rebate application form. Provided all required information is complete in your application, you should receive a cheque to your mailing address in four to five weeks.

 

Resources on wood smoke

Myth - Wood smoke is not harmful

Fact

The negative health effects of wood smoke have been extensively documented in hundreds of scientific studies. Pollution generated by wood burning is associated with an array of health problems – from a runny nose and coughing, to bronchitis, asthma, emphysema, pneumonia, contributing to premature death.

Myth - “I can shut my windows and I'll be fine”

Fact

Smoke contains tiny particles that are carcinogenic. The fine particle pollutants from wood burning are so small that they infiltrate even the most well-insulated and weather-stripped homes. Studies show that particle pollution levels inside homes reach up to 70% of the outdoor pollution levels.

Myth – Pollution from wood burning is not significant enough to affect overall air quality

Fact

In the Central Okanagan, 30% of air pollution comes from residential wood burning appliances and another 8% from open burning - 38% is a significant amount of air pollution that we can reduce.

Myth – Wood is more cost effective than other fuels

Fact

Depending on your house's characteristics, there are other inexpensive options like natural gas. Fireplaces are inefficient; residents would have to burn more wood to heat their homes using a fireplace than using a wood appliance. If you must choose wood burning as your source of heating for your home, EPA-certified wood burning appliances heat more efficiently, using about 1/3 less wood and creating 90% less smoke.

Myth – Wood burning fireplaces are a safe way to heat homes

Fact

Wood burning appliances are safe only when used properly.

Wood heating best practices

Highly visible smoke from your chimney is a sign that you may be burning incorrectly. Learn more about:

Why the moisture content of wood is important

Burning wet wood is a waste of energy. When a live tree is cut, the moisture content can be greater than 50% (half of the weight is water). It is best practice to let freshly cut wood sit for at least 6 months to dry before burning it. Burning seasoned wood helps reduce air pollution, saves time and money.

In the Central Okanagan, the moisture content of the wood is required to be under 20%,preferably around 15%.Check with local hardware retailers for the availability of wood moisture metre measuring devices.

Wood heating troubleshooting:

The BC Lung Foundation and Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy outline health impacts in their brochure Wood Smoke and Your Health.

In the Central Okanagan, 30% of air pollution comes from residential wood burning. Wood smoke contains small particles (PM2.5) and chemicals that can be harmful to your health and the local air quality in your community. If you use wood for heating your home or other purposes, it is your responsibility to burn wisely. Poor air quality conditions happen when:

Scientific and medical research proves that wood smoke contains toxic chemicals that are harmful to human health:

  • Wood smoke contains small particles (particulate matter)and chemicals that can be harmful to your health, particularly for those with respiratory conditions.
  • Particulate matter (PM2.5) was classified as carcinogenic to humans in 2013. Research studies show a link between short and long-term exposure to PM2.5 and decreased cardiovascular health and morbidity. Studies have also drawn links to atherosclerosis, adverse birth outcomes and childhood respiratory disease.
  • Burning wet or moist wood is harmful to health since it produces more smoke.
  • Wood smoke can trigger asthma attacks, watery eyes, stuffy noses and chest tightness. Everyone may experience symptoms but children and seniors are especially vulnerable.
  • There is no threshold below which smoke has no health effects. This means it is important to minimize exposure and the amount of smoke produced.
  • Please consider your health and the health of fellow community members when you burn.

Government of BC:

Hearth, Patio & Barbeque Association:

Contact Us

Regional District of Central Okanagan
1450 KLO Road
Kelowna, BC, V1W 3Z4

Email us

Phone: 250-763-4918

Regional air quality coordinator

Send an email to regional air quality coordinator

Phone: 250-469-8408