Guide

DC Electrification Rebates: Documentation & Geotagging Guide

Unsure what kind of documentation is required to qualify for enhanced gas-to-electric rebates? Utilize this guide and work with your contractor to help keep track of the documentation you need when electrifying your home. This guide addresses the following topics:

• Electrification Rebate Documentation Checklist
• Geotagging 101
• How to Document Your Electrification Project

Electrification Rebate Checklist

Before you apply for your rebate or start gathering your documentation, share this checklist with your contractor because they can apply on your behalf. Through our Online Rebate Center, you and your contractor can provide everything needed to qualify for your enhanced electrification rebate. Please note that all images submitted must be geotagged with installation location.

Geotagging 101

Geotagging simply applies the location data of where the photo was captured to the image file. All images submitted as gas-to-electric rebate documentation must be geotagged with installation location. To use this feature, you must enable your phone or tablet prior to taking the photos, but not all smartphones and tablets are able to do this. Please see this helpful guide or use the information below to understand how to set this up on your smartphone. 

Why are we asking for this?

As we have increased our rebate amounts to help remove barriers for DC residents to electrify their homes, we must ensure that the documentation is accurate, and we must ensure these upgrades are happening within qualified District households. Without this process, we could receive photos of equipment from another home, AI generated images, and other invalid forms of media. We guarantee that all the data you submit is secure and being used with the upmost sensitivity. 

Android: Turn on Location & Camera Precise Location

You'll find Location in your Android’s Settings:

1. Tap Settings > Location or Location and Security.
2. Move the Use Location slider to on. Location is now on.
3. Scroll down to and tap App location permissions > Camera (sometimes your camera app can be listed under Recent access if it has been recently used).
4. Set it to Allow only while using the app and move the Use precise location slider to on.

Then follow the steps below when using the camera app with the help of these screenshots:

1. Launch the Camera app on your phone and go to camera settings. You can navigate there from a “gear” or “cog” that can be in the upper or lower left or right of the screen.
2. Once in camera settings, you may have to tap more settings to get to the full list.
3. Scroll to either Location tags or Save location and move the slider to on.
4. You’re all ready to take geotagged photos.

iPhone: Turn on Location Services & Camera Precise Location

You'll find Location Services in your iPhone's Settings:

1. Tap Settings > Privacy & Security.
2. Tap Location Services.
3. Move the Location Services slider to on/green. Location Services are now on. Apps that need them can start accessing your location right away.
4. Scroll down to and tap on the Camera app and set it to While Using the App and move the Precise Location slider to on/green.
5. You’re all ready to take geotagged photos.

How to Document Your Electrification Project

As mentioned above in the Electrification Rebate Checklist, there are three methods you or your contractor can use to qualify for the enhanced fuel switch rebates. Check below for more information on each method and examples of documentation.

What types of photos are we looking for to indicate a fuel switch?

Applicable to methods 1 and 3 as well as heavy-up and circuit add-on documentation. 

Per each gas appliance and each piece of gas/oil HVAC equipment being replaced with new electric equipment, we need a minimum of three photos, which are listed below. 

1. Geotagged photos that show the gas/fuel line attached to the previous HVAC equipment.

Pro tip: submit more photos than you need and many gas lines are yellow while many heating oil lines are orange.

• 

  Furnace examples:

  Yellow gas line is attached, and furnace is visible.

• 

  Boiler examples:

  Orange fuel line is attached (left and bottom right images). Boiler is visible.

• 

  Gas water heater example:

  Gas line is attached, and water heater is visible. Note that some of the gas lines are not yellow.

2. Geotagged photos that show the previous gas appliances.

• 

  Stove example:

  Gas stove in home before replacement.

• 

  Dryer example:

  Gas dryer in home before replacement.

3. Geotagged photos of newly installed electric equipment.

• 

  Ductless heat pump example:

  Newly installed ductless heat pump compressor and air handler.

• 

  Ducted heat pump example:

  Newly installed ducted heat pump compressor and air handler.

• 

  Heat pump water heater example:

  Newly installed heat pump water heater.

• 

  Electric/induction stove example:

  Newly installed electric/induction stove.

• 

  Electric/heat pump dryer example:

  Newly installed electric/heat pump clothes dryer.

4. Geotagged photos of capped gas lines.

5. Geotagged photos new electric panel or new circuits

• 

  Heavy up example:

  Old panel before upgrade (left) and newly upgraded electric panel with visible amperage (right).

• 

  Additional circuits example:

  Newly added circuits to electric panel.

What if I did not take photos of my gas equipment before it was replaced? Will I still be able to get a rebate for my electrification project?

Yes, we will still be able to process your rebate application! You may provide the following:

1. If you fully electrified your home (i.e. took out all existing gas equipment), you can provide with two Washington Gas bills:
   1. First bill would be dated prior to electrification project, showing usage in home.
   2. Second bill would be dated after electrification project, showing $0 of usage.

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