Exchange rebates for old wood stoves

KELOWNA - Here’s how you can save some money now and reduce harmful air pollution. Thousands of dollars in rebates are still being offered for replacing your old wood burning appliance. And you can save money every year from lower heating costs.

The Woodstove Exchange Program offers $250 rebates for residents of the Regional District of Central Okanagan.

They’re eligible for the rebate when they recycle their non-EPA certified woodstove when purchasing a new cleaner technology electric, pellet, gas or wood stove or insert from seven participating retailers in the Central Okanagan. 

These businesses will take care of recycling your old stove and provide all the necessary documents for the rebates.

Since 2001, the exchange program across has helped more than 680 Central Okanagan residents replace their old smoky wood stove for a cleaner technology product.  Based on B.C. Environment estimates, that’s kept about 44 tonnes of particulate matter from entering our airshed each year.

Since 1998, only wood burning appliances (included without limitation stoves, fireplaces inserts) that meet the CAN/CSA B415.1 or the EPA emission standards could be granted a permit to be installed within the Regional District of Central Okanagan. These devices use about one-third less wood and create 90% less smoke. That’s something that benefits everyone.

Smoke from residential wood burning produces particulate matter that affects the health of our residents and contributes to poor local air quality. Those particulates are small enough to get into our lungs leading to respiratory diseases such as asthma, bronchitis and emphysema and to various forms of heart disease.

This rebate program is made possible through a grant from the B.C. government in partnership with the B.C. Lung Association.