Interested in reducing your energy use at home? BC Hydro and FortisBC offer incentives so you can improve your home’s efficiency at a lower cost.
BC Hydro
• You can find the most up to date rebates on BC Hydro’s residential savings and rebates page.
• Join Team Power Smart and challenge yourself to reduce your household energy use by 10% to earn a $50 reward!
• Live in an income-qualifying household? Take a look here to see if you qualify for free energy-saving products and advice to improve your home’s energy efficiency.
FortisBC
• You can find the most up to date rebates on FortisBC’s rebates and savings page.
Low cost tips for reducing your energy use
1) Program your thermostat to lower the temperature when you’re out and asleep.
2) Set your dishwasher to eco mode. Air dry dishes instead of using the heat dry setting on the dishwasher to reduce electricity costs.
3) Use power bars for home electronics. When equipment is not in use, turn off the power bar to reduce standby power. This can save up to 10% of your home’s energy use.
4) Use blinds and curtains to block the sun from overheating your home in the summer.
5) Limit your use of space heaters to reduce costs. Although they are great for heating small spaces, they can cost up to $30/month if used for 6 hours each day.
6) Check weather-stripping around doors and windows for drafts, and replace if necessary.
7) Reduce your water heater temperature setting.
8) Annually maintain your furnace so it’s performing at its greatest efficiency.
9) Use cold water when doing your laundry. This will reduce the amount of water that requires heating, saving you money.
10) Use task lighting (table lamps, under counter lights, etc.) instead of ceiling lights.
Additional low cost tips and Do-It-Yourself videos can be found at BC Hydro and FortisBC.
Additional information can be found at LiveSmart BC and the East Kootenay Energy Hub.
Information on Electric Vehicles, available rebates, and charging stations can be found at: CEV for BC, emotive BC, and Plug Share.