Earth Hour: B.C. saves equivalent of turning off 1.4 million lights
Public encouraged to lower electricity usage year-round
VANCOUVER — British Columbians saved 65 megawatt hours of electricity and reduced the provincial electricity load by one percent during Earth Hour last night — the equivalent of turning off about 1.4 million lights.
Earth Hour encourages individuals to turn off unnecessary lights and electronics to demonstrate support for climate change reduction efforts. Earth Hour is an annual global event hosted by the WWF.
BC Hydro customers can view their energy use for Saturday evening by logging onto MyHydro — their online account at bchydro.com/myhydro. They can get an hourly breakdown of their electricity use.
BC Hydro provides tools, resources and incentives to help people conserve year-round. For more tips on how to be smart with your power, visit bchydro.com/powersmart. Since 2007, BC Hydro’s Power Smart programs have saved close to 4,300 gigawatt hours per year of electricity – enough to power 390,000 homes annually.
Earth Hour savings by year:
- 2014: 65 megawatt hours or 1 per cent reduction in overall provincial load
- 2013: 136 megawatt hours or 1.95 per cent reduction in overall provincial load
- 2012: 121 megawatt hours or 1.67 per cent reduction in overall provincial load
- 2011: 117 megawatt hours or 1.8 per cent reduction in overall provincial load
- 2010: 64.6 megawatt hours or 1.04 per cent reduction in overall provincial load
- 2009: 72.67 megawatt hours or 1.1 per cent reduction in overall provincial load
- 2008: 125 megawatt hours or 2 per cent reduction
B.C. city-by-city savings 2014
- Whistler 6.0%
- Esquimalt 5.8%
- Lytton 4.6%
- Lumby 4.0%
- Victoria 3.7%
- Oak Bay 3.3%
- One Hundred Mile House 3.3%
- Saanich 3.2%
- Sidney 3.2%
- North Vancouver City 3.0%
- Prince George 3.0%
- North Vancouver District 3.0%
- View Royal 3.0%
- Highlands 2.8%
- North Saanich 2.7%
- Coldstream 2.6%
- Ladysmith 2.5%
- Powell River 2.5%
- Sooke 2.4%
- Richmond 2.3%
- Port Coquitlam 2.3%
- Campbell River 2.2%
- Port Alberni 2.2%
- Metchosin 2.1%
- Colwood 2.1%
- Langford 2.1%
- Sayward 2.1%
- Enderby 2.1%
- Spallumcheen 2.1%
- Squamish 2.1%
- Vancouver 2.1%
- Sicamous 2.0%
- Bowen Island 2.0%
- Burnaby 1.9%
- Langley City 1.9%
- Port Moody 1.8%
- Coquitlam 1.8%
- Lake Country 1.7%
- Vernon 1.7%
- West Vancouver 1.7%
- Nanaimo 1.7%
- New Westminster 1.7%
- Parksville 1.7%
- Salmon Arm 1.7%
- Anmore 1.6%
- Belcarra 1.6%
- Mission 1.6%
- Delta 1.6%
- Fort Nelson 1.5%
- North Cowichan 1.5%
- Comox 1.5%
- Courtenay 1.5%
- Peachland 1.3%
- Summerland 1.3%
- West Kelowna 1.3%
- Qualicum Beach 1.3%
- Central Saanich 1.3%
- Sechelt 1.2%
- Lantzville 1.1%
- Chilliwack 0.9%
- Kamloops 0.9%
- Surrey 0.9%
- Duncan 0.8%
- Maple Ridge 0.7%
- Langley District 0.7%
- Tofino 0.7%
- Ucluelet 0.7%
- Pitt Meadows 0.6%
- Abbotsford 0.1%
Contact:
BC Hydro Media Relations
p. 604 928 6468