Be Power Smart Earth Hour 2013
New online tool helps customers track energy use
VANCOUVER – BC Hydro encourages British Columbians to join millions of Canadians in support of Earth Hour 2013 by turning off their lights on Saturday, March 23 from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. Last year, B.C. lowered its overall energy consumption by 1.67 per cent during Earth Hour.
Earth Hour is an annual global event hosted by the World Wildlife Fund and supported by BC Hydro. The goal of this event is to encourage individuals to turn off unnecessary lights and electronics in an effort to conserve power.
This year, many BC Hydro account holders can track their energy use by logging onto MyHydro – their online account at www.bchydro.com/myhydro – to compare their electricity use on the Saturday prior to Earth Hour with their actual use during Earth Hour.
The new tools provide timely information on household electricity consumption, giving customers the ability to make informed decisions year-round. Customers can now see their hourly, daily or weekly electricity use, not just the total energy used in a two-month bill.
Quotes:
Rich Coleman, Minister of Energy, Mines and Natural Gas:
“Turning the lights off for Earth Hour signifies that British Columbians want to conserve energy. It also shows that we can use less electricity than we usually do. Conserving energy helps our environment and has the added benefit of saving money on electricity bills.”
Terry Lake, Minister of Environment:
“I encourage all British Columbians to power down for Earth Hour 2013 – you might even help your community achieve the highest reduction in energy use in the province. You’ll be joining hundreds of millions of other people around the world that will also be showing their concern for the planet throughout the day.”
Charles Reid, President and CEO, BC Hydro:
“Earth Hour participants send a powerful, visual message to their neighbours and communities. Our Power Smart goals complement events like Earth Hour, which get people thinking about how they can reduce energy waste for the other 8,759 hours of the year. This year, thanks to the timely information provided through MyHydro, our customers can compare their own personal electricity use.”
Facts:
- In 2012, British Columbians saved 121 megawatt hours of electricity and reduced the provincial electricity load by 1.67 per cent during Earth Hour – the equivalent of turning off about 9 million 12.5-watt LED light bulbs.
- Last year, Revelstoke had the highest reduction in energy use at 12.1 per cent.
- Earth Hour was observed last year by 6,525 cities, towns and municipalities in 150 countries and territories. A total of 511 Canadian cities participated.
- Earth Hour began in Sydney, Australia in 2007 and has grown to become a global phenomenon.
- About 1.1 million BC Hydro customers now have access to their energy use information through MyHydro – at bchydro.com/myhydro.
- The new electricity tracking tools allows customers to view detailed information about their electricity use up to the last 24 hours. The information can be broken down by the hour and allows customers to view their projected cost for energy, cost-to-date and their hourly, daily or weekly electricity use.
- BC Hydro provides tools, resources and incentives to help people conserve year-round through Power Smart. Visit www.bchydro.com/powersmart for more tips on how to be smart with your power.
- For more information on Earth Hour, please visit www.bchydro.com/earthhour.
About BC Hydro
BC Hydro has been providing clean, reliable power to British Columbians for more than 50 years while maintaining among the lowest rates in North America. BC Hydro is a provincial Crown corporation that serves 1.9 million customers and invests in the electrical system and in energy conservation to deliver a safe and reliable supply of electricity for today’s customers and for generations to come.
For more information please contact:
BC Hydro Media Relations
p. 604.928.6468
w. bchydro.com/media