BC Hydro encourages residents of Comox and Courtenay 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, Comox lowered its energy consumption by 3.98 per cent during Earth Hour, and Courtenay also lowered its usage by 3.98 per cent. B.C.’s overall electricity load dropped by 1.67 per cent.
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 through MyHydro — an online tool at www.bchydro.com/myhydro — and compare their electricity use on the Saturday prior to Earth Hour with their actual use during Earth Hour.
The new tool provides 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.
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 past 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, visit www.bchydro.com/earthhour.
— BC Hydro