Conserve Energy Dollars
By MICHAEL JESSEN

Utilities are known for selling energy, but utilities know that the easiest energy to sell is conserved energy. Rather than spending millions building new electrical generating facilities, utilities like FortisBC encourage their customers to use less. That “less” becomes an inexpensive source of new sellable power.

October is the month to conserve energy dollars and curb your winter expenditures on lighting and heating. FortisBC and a number of area retailers are ready to help reduce your energy bill. Special events and promotions are ongoing throughout the southern Interior, including a three-week radio contest in the Central and South Okanagan and the Kootenays. Throughout the month, the FortisBC PowerSense team will also be available to provide advice and answer questions at local community events across the southern Interior.

“October is a great time of year to focus on energy efficiency, making homes more comfortable and saving money,” says Keith Veerman, FortisBC’s manager of energy efficiency.  “Turning down the heat, insulating and using less hot water can make a big difference in energy consumption.”

“Heating and cooling costs can account for up to half of your energy bill,” adds Veerman.  “As we approach the winter heating season, it’s a great time to increase your home’s energy efficiency and help manage energy costs.”

Since its inception 19 years ago, FortisBC’s PowerSense program has helped southern Interior customers save more than 300 million kilowatt hours of electricity, enough energy to power more than 24,000 homes each year, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 50,000 tonnes each year. The average family in BC will spend up to $1,700 on their home’s energy bill this year. Customers can reduce their costs between 10 and 50 percent by using a few energy-saving tips and solutions, as well as making some long-term improvements in their homes. Simply by adjusting your thermostat, you can save two percent on your heating bill for every 1 degree Centigrade it is lowered. A programmable thermostat allows you to automatically drop the temperature at night or when you are away. In addition, heat only the rooms you use. Close vents or turn off the heaters in rooms you aren’t using.

Don’t forget to let the sunshine in. Keeps blinds or drapes of sun-exposed windows open in the daytime to help naturally heat your home and closed at night to conserve heat. By sealing gaps around doors and windows, the foundation sill, and places where pipes pass through the exterior walls, you can save up to 10 percent on your home’s heating costs.

Keeping your home illuminated eats up between 15 and 20 percent of your monthly energy bill. Replace all incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs that use 75 percent less energy and last up to 10 times longer. You can also receive up to a $5 rebate per bulb from FortisBC PowerSense.

A longer-term investment that will pay energy dividends is the installation of an air source heat pump (ASHP). An ASHP can provide your home with heat in the winter and air conditioning in the summer. Heat pumps use electricity efficiently and can save you up to 40 percent on your heating and cooling costs.

If your home has single-pane windows, it’s a candidate for new energy efficient ENERGY STAR windows. These new windows will not only save energy, they will improve your home’s comfort level and increase its resale value.

For more energy saving tips, visit www.fortisbc.com.

FortisBC will be holding a number of community events to provide conservation and energy efficiency advice. The FortisBC PowerSense team will set up information booths at a number of Home Hardware stores this month throughout the Central and South Okanagan and the Kootenays. Check with your local store for times or call PowerSense at 1-866-436-7847.

Also this month, Home Hardware stores have special prices on weatherstrip and insulation products. Every time you buy a 2-pack of Blue Planet energy saving bulbs at Canadian Tire, the store will donate $2 toward planting a tree.

When economists begin bandying around the recession word, the best advice is to hunker down in one’s home and seek shelter from the storm.

But if your own home isn’t up to the task and starts to drain needless money from your wallet, then it’s time to get some power sense.
Don’t forget that a little conservation can make a big difference.

BC Hydro estimates if every home in the province reduced their energy consumption by just 7.6 percent over the four winter months, enough energy could be saved to power 44,500 households.