BC Hydro launched a campaign today asking British Columbians to reduce electricity consumption by 10 per cent over the next year.
If 210,000 people achieve this goal, the electricity saved would exceed the amount required to power the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. According to BC Hydro, the games will require approximately 80 gigawatt hours of electricity, and the 10 per cent reduction would amount to 92 gigawatt hours of energy saved.
Hydro's director of media relations, Susan Danard, said residential and business customers can find tools and resources to reduce consumption on its Power Smart website.
They will have to wait a little longer for one conservation tool: smart meters. In 2007 Premier Campbell announced that BC Hydro would spent between $480 and $530 million replacing 1.8 million analog meters with digital ones that allow customers to view electricity use in real time.
Danard said BC Hydro is still in the procurement stage, but said after a "highly competitive bidding process," they have whittled it down to a couple of major vendors.
She said the meters would make it easier for customers to reduce electricity consumption by "being able to see cause and effect more closely...to check your meter and see the drop right then and there. But don't wait...you can take steps in the interim."
The meters are supposed to be in place by the end of 2012.
Colleen Kimmett reports for The Hook
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frances
3 years ago
Huh?
At first I thought this was April fools, but then found out Gordo was behind it. The intent is fine, but for him to link it to the Olympics is kinda pathetic
Van Isle
3 years ago
Don't get fooled by these
Don't get fooled by these scam artists. Smart meteres means that they can be hooked up to your telephone line to moniter your consumption and then they can hit you at a higher rate with electricity consumption at peak times. Ie: between 06:30 and 08:30 in the morning and 17:00 and 19:00 in the evening; times in between will be at a cheaper rate. If one hooks up solar panels and feeds power back into the grid (net billing) then it will be charged at the cheaper rate.