I hear the concern about the cost of hydro and I would like to share with you some information about bringing that cost down.
Join the Team Power Smart by logging into BC Hydro. There is no charge.
They offer you a challenge to cut your power usage by 10 per cent in a year and when you do they reward you $50. Along the way they provide helpful advice and tips. We took this challenge in 2012 and cut our consumption by 31 per cent.
This is what we did:
1. We are living on an Island on the West Coast of Canada. It is cold and wet here. Dress for the weather. I see people complaining about the cost of hydro while wearing t-shirts and shorts in the middle of winter when there is snow on the ground.
I wear two pairs of socks in the house. One regular and over top of them warm winter socks.
I double layer my tops, wearing an undershirt all winter. Understanding how to dress for the winter has made a big difference.
2. Turn the heat down, especially in rooms you don’t use much or at all.
Bundle up at night while watching TV. We have heating pads that stay on the couch and a basket full of blankets handy. Cozy in.
3. Unplug anything that you can unplug when not in use.
4. Turn lights off when leaving the room.
5. Shorter showers.
6. Cold water laundry.
I have been told many times that the lights aren’t the big cost of hydro and I agree with that; however, we got our bill down a lot and I think doing everything we can is how we achieved that.
Attempt to do something about it. It was incredibly rewarding to see that we do have some control over those big hydro bills and getting the cheque in the mail was fun.
Good luck everyone.
Shirley Crosson
Cowichan Valley