B.C.’s Energy Minister has announced more than $4 million in rebates in the hopes of making it easier for people to install electric vehicle (EV) charging stations at home and at work.

“Up to $350 rebate for single family home,” said Michelle Mungall. “Multi-use residential and commercial buildings can apply for up to a $2,000 rebate, and workplaces can get multiple stations with a cap of $14,000 per applicant for charging stations.”

She says there are currently 1,700 charging stations in the province, and she expects the number of charges in the province to increase in the near future.

“How do we make sure that going electric is more affordable in our province? How do we make sure that we have the infrastructure to charge up your vehicle?” Mungall added. “That’s what we are announcing, is a way to help British Columbians make that switch more affordable by making charging stations in their home or in the workplace more affordable.”

Figures from the province estimates that a charging station in a single family home can cost between $700 and $2,000, while for a multi-user multi-residential or commercial building it can cost between $2,000 and $12,000.

“Petro Canada as an example in Nanaimo has started installing an EV charging station at their gas station. So you can bypass the gas pumps and go straight to the EV charging station,” said Mungall. “We are going to see that as more and more people go electric.”

The province also says starting today, Sept. 26, BC Hydro customers can also apply for a limited-time matching rebate of up to $350 to install EV chargers at home.

Mungall says to qualify for these rebates, the chargers need to be installed by the end of March 2020.