Incentive programs from Canadian EV charger companies are sharing Clean Fuel Regulation credits with homeowners and small businesses

Carbon credits are generally associated with big business trying to offset their greenhouse gas emissions. A growing number of EV charger companies in Canada, however, are rewarding homeowners and small businesses with government-paid carbon credits just for plugging in their electric vehicles.

In Canada, carbon credits fall under the Clean Fuel Regulations, which are designed to incentivize fuel suppliers to adopt cleaner technologies. Each credit represents a reduction of one tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent, and exists within a regulated market where suppliers can buy or sell them to meet annual targets established by the federal government. 

As fuel suppliers, some EV charging network operators accumulate credits as their customers charge. They then sell these credits to fossil fuel companies that need to offset their own emissions. Revenue generated from these sales is then shared with participating customers. 

Here is a rundown of the Canadian EV charging companies offering carbon credit rebates.

Grizzl-E Club

United Chargers, the manufacturer of Grizzl-E electric vehicle chargers, began its Grizzl-E Club points system in July last year. At the time, it offered a free Grizzl-E home charger (with refundable deposit), paired with the Grizzl-E phone app, and a return of 2 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh) used to charge. 

Last month, the company raised that cash-back reward to as much as 10 cents per kWh, based on cumulative energy use, along with a lifetime warranty on the charger.  

SWTCH Home Charging Program

In December last year, SWTCH announced its Home Charging Program aimed at single-family residence home charging. There are two options available, each offering different carbon credit earnings. 

The first option offers a free home Level 2 charger (with $300 deposit, refundable after 1,500 kWh of usage), earning 3 cents per kWh charged. The second option involves the $499 outright purchase of a charger, but the homeowner earns 5 cents per kWh charged. Users must use the SWTCH app and network. 

ChargeLab Rewards

Participants in this program require an eligible Level 2 Open Charge Point Protocol (OCPP) home charger that can connect to ChargeLab’s mobile app. Homeowners get $25 just for connecting to the app, followed by a further 3 cents per kWh of charging, paid out quarterly. 

Pion Power GreenMiles

A Pion Power Flex AC or Flex AC Elite charger is required for this program, along with the Pion Power mobile app. This is a points-based service, awarding one point, equivalent to 10 cents, per each kWh of charging. Twenty points ($2) are awarded on signup, referrals earn 200 points ($20) for each party, and each 1,000 points ($100) accumulated earns an extra 200 points, an incentive that ends March 31.

Hypercharge Carbon Credit Program

Focusing on businesses and multi-family buildings rather than single-family dwellings, Hypercharge’s program takes advantage of British Columbia’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard, a separate, provincially administered credit-based emissions reduction system. Hypercharge trades its cumulative credits on the B.C. market, but does not give set payout numbers to customers — returns are scaled based on charging volume, with revenue shared on a percentage basis. The program is only available to B.C. customers.