saving energy earns new home rebates

powerlines
FortisBC’s customer newsletter
saving energy earns new home rebates
what’s inside?
• new home rebates
• switch to solar and save
• construction project updates
• join the laundry revolution
• eBills and HST
summer energy
saving tips
From hanging laundry to closing
blinds, here’s how customers
told us they’ll get creative saving
electricity this summer.
Cheryl Trenker earned a $1700 rebate while building her new home.
When you build a new home you’ll make
dozens of decisions about things like
paint color, flooring and even the handles
for your closet doors. For a home that is
comfortable, environmentally friendly
and saves you money, you will also want
to consider including energy efficient
features. Luckily, these energy efficient
choices are easier and more affordable
with FortisBC’s New Home Program.
Cheryl Trenker and Chauncey Wagner
of Kelowna and the Stainer family in
Castlegar share some of the energy wise
decisions they made to take advantage of
the program and receive financial rebates.
The Stainer family built their new
home for the long term by not only
incorporating quality finishing, but also
a number of energy efficient features.
“We were really looking for the money
savings over time,” said Brian Stainer who
built his own walk-out rancher with help
from his father.
The Stainers received a rebate of about
$2600 for a home that is now energy
efficient right down to the Insulated
use your PowerSense
www.fortisbc.com
Concrete Forms (ICFs) used to build the
first floor. The house has ENERGY STAR®
Low-E windows throughout, with abovecode windows used on south-facing walls.
Lighting throughout the home is energy
efficient and makes maximum use of
natural light including sky lights.
“The most efficient feature we installed was
the geothermal system that we’ll use for
heating and cooling the house,” said Stainer.
Cheryl Trenker and Chauncey Wagner
also built their Kelowna home with the
environment in mind. After viewing a
show home with geothermal heating,
they decided to install a similar system.
“The temperature stays the same year
round,” Trenker explained. “The furnace
is also quiet and less noticeable.”
Along with other energy-saving features
like Low-E windows and efficient lighting,
their choices earned them a $1,700 rebate
from FortisBC and lowered their monthly
electrical bills.
“The process was simple,” said Trenker. “I
filled out a form with details of the energy
The first thing I do is use my outside
BBQ for anything that I can grill, this
saves electricity by not using the
stove or oven... and also prevents
heating up the house and using more
power to keep it cool... big savings! — D. Giammarino
Our windows are not all energy
efficient new ones, though we are
replacing them one by one as we
can afford it. Three down - six to go. — L. Johnson
I have hung bamboo blinds on the
outside of my east and west facing
windows to cut the sun’s heat before
it hits the glass, cutting down on the
use of my air (conditioner).
— S. Ellis
efficient upgrades and sent it to FortisBC.
Within a couple of weeks, I had a cheque.”
FortisBC’s New Home Program helps
homeowners, developers and builders
incorporate energy efficient features into
a new home. Residents must check with
a FortisBC representative before building
to qualify.
For more information on FortisBC’s PowerSense program, visit www.fortisbc.com or
call FortisBC PowerSense at 1-866-4FORTIS
(1-866-436-7847).
switch to
solar and save
After heating and cooling, your hot water
tank consumes the largest amount of
energy in your home. If you are looking
to replace your hot water tank, a solar hot
water system may be a good alternative.
FortisBC recently worked with SolarBC and
Habitat for Humanity to showcase solar
hot water heating in a home for Kelowna’s
Harnett family of six. They’ve seen savings
of about $100 a month while still providing
the hot water their large family needs.
Homeowners looking to replace their old
hot water systems with an energy-saving
solar hot water system, or install one in
their new home, can take advantage of
current incentive programs to help reduce
the cost to purchase and install the new
system. FortisBC rebates — $2,000 for a
new home or $300 for an electric retrofit
system. This can be combined with rebates
from the federal government and SolarBC
to reduce installation costs.
If you are looking to replace
your hot water tank, a solar
hot water system may be a
good alternative.
Paula Sittler and her father, Gary Ruley, built their business with energy savings in mind.
bright future
for Deadwood Junction
coffee shop lights up Greenwood with top quality LED spotlights
When Paula Sittler retrofitted the
historical building that houses her
coffee shop in charming downtown
Greenwood, she put extra effort
into sourcing and installing above
code energy efficient lights and
fixtures. By using LED spotlights
throughout, she creates a warm,
LightRecycle
inviting atmosphere at a fraction of
the energy costs of older, traditional
lighting choices. Her efforts netted
her a rebate of $160, and will reduce
her electricity bill by at least $250
per year — that’s equivalent to a
morning latte on your way to work,
all year round.
Wondering what to do with
your burnt-out energy efficient
fluorescent lights? Starting July 1,
there’s a new program called
LightRecycle which keeps them
out of the landfill and makes sure
they are safely recycled.
Product Care Association will
manage the program, allowing
residents across BC to return used
compact fluorescent lights and
fluorescent tubes to a LightRecycle
drop-off location free of charge.
The Harnett family saves about $100 per month with solar
hot water.
To find the drop-off nearest you,
simply visit www.lightrecycle.ca
or call the BC Recycling Hotline
at 1-800-667-4321.
reinforcement
project
respects
environment
Construction on the FortisBC Okanagan
Transmission Reinforcement project is
underway in the South Okanagan and
will be complete by 2011. The project
includes upgrading existing transmission
lines, adding nearly 40 km of new
transmission line along existing right
of way between Oliver and Penticton,
as well as building a new substation in
Oliver and modifying several others.
helicopters help build
electrical lines
With tall poles and tricky terrain,
helicopters help out where other vehicles
can’t. Three types of helicopters are
being used on the project for activities
including planning, placing poles,
stringing line and delivering heavy
equipment and crews to hard-to-reach
locations.
Helicopters make the project easier,
safer and can reduce the environmental
footprint left by other treaded vehicles.
Helicopters can fly over during the
project planning phase and can deliver
material and equipment to areas
with steep slopes or where there are
no existing roads – making sure the
environment is not disturbed by the
introduction of vehicles or new roads.
Helicopter delivers new pole to remote site on the OTR project.
brush for butterflies
In the past, brush was often removed
when land was cleared for new
construction. Now, a plant native to the
South Okanagan is being recognized
for its critical role in the area’s unique,
semi-desert ecosystem.
Antelope brush is an important food
plant for the Behr’s Hairstreak butterfly
larvae, a species at risk. It is just one of
the plant species crews are protecting
from disturbance wherever possible or
planning to replace to meet the goal of
no net loss of habitat from the project.
During the planning process for
the project, FortisBC consulted
with environmental organizations,
government agencies and First
Nations to identify and address unique
environmental issues. This resulted
Behr’s Hairstreak butterfly.
in a comprehensive environmental
management plan and a number
of initiatives including reducing
the footprint of the project and
coordinating construction activities
around California Big Horn Sheep
lambing season.
For more information, visit http://www.
fortisbc.com/community/otrprojects.
html.
cables go underground at Mission Creek
36” diameter casing under Mission Creek.
Construction of the new Benvoulin
substation in south central Kelowna
started in late 2009 to meet growing
customer demand and increase
electrical reliability in the area. The
project includes a recently completed
underground creek crossing to connect
the new station to existing distribution
lines. This method was chosen to
balance technical, environmental
and social factors and avoid the need
for additional overhead wires next to
the Casorso bridge on Mission Creek.
Crews installed 140 metres of
horizontal, steel tube under Mission
Creek to encase the new lines. FortisBC
will start pulling cables through in
September and the substation will
be energized late this fall.
use your PowerSense
all about bills
how does the new HST apply to my power bill?
The new 12 per cent Harmonized
Sales Tax or HST came into effect on
July 1, 2010.
dwelling. This credit will appear on
the same bill, and is not applicable to
service and administration charges.
FortisBC must apply HST to utility
bills, but will also apply a seven per
cent credit for electricity purchased
for residential use in a residential
Similar changes will occur for
customers billed by the municipal
utilities of Grand Forks, Penticton,
Kelowna, Summerland or Nelson Hydro.
when the
wind blows
Weather-stripping and caulking
around doors and windows will rid
your house of drafts and prevent
leaking of heated or cooled air.
eBill service — clutter free and good for the environment
Does the paper pile up on your
counters at home? Save yourself the
clutter and get an environmentallyfriendly eBill — less paper, less waste.
FortisBC can send you an electronic
version of your electricity bill by
email instead of a paper bill in the
mail. This fast and easy way to access
join the
laundry
revolution
Save with ENERGY STAR® appliances.
Rebates available for a limited time for Tier
3 ENERGY STAR laundry sets — $100 off a
set, $50 off washers only. Details in stores,
at www.fortisbc.com or call 1-866-4FORTIS
(1-866-436-7847).
use your PowerSense
www.fortisbc.com
your electricity bill gives you the
flexibility to view and pay your bill
from virtually anywhere.
Signing up for eBill service is easy.
Visit www.fortisbc.com anytime
online or call us at 1-866-436-7847
from Monday to Friday, 7:00 am to
7:00 pm.
What else will you do to save energy
when the wind starts to blow this
fall? Let us know and you could
win one of ten energy saving kits.
Comments must be received prior
to September 30, 2010.
Email:
[email protected]
Or mail:
FortisBC PowerSense
Suite 100, 1975 Springfield Rd
Kelowna, BC V1Y 7V7
for more information,
call FortisBC toll-free:
1-866-4FORTIS
(1-866-436-7847)
FortisBC Inc. is a Canadian owned electric
utility operating in the southern interior
of British Columbia. PowerSense is an
energy efficiency initiative and registered
trademark of FortisBC brought to you in
cooperation with the electrical utilities
of Grand Forks, Kelowna, Penticton,
Summerland and Nelson Hydro.
PL082010-D