(JULIE WHITTET / iNFOnews.ca)
August 26, 2013 - 5:03 PM
KELOWNA – Local residents looking to cut down on their household energy consumption can get a helping hand from their utility provider this fall.
Kelowna city council approved today its contribution of $25,000 to FortisBC's Okanagan Energy Diet – a challenge to communities to reduce their energy use by investing in household retrofits.
Launching this September and ending March 2014, the program will measure energy savings for 1,000 homes in Kelowna choosing to participate. For each household the city is chipping in $25 to help cover the costs of the assessment and installation of energy efficient products such as outlet insulation, low flow shower heads, and kitchen tap aerators.
In addition to the $60 assessment cost, participating homeowners are expected to pay for recommended retrofits as well as their post-retrofit assessment next march.
In return, dieting participants can look forward to smaller energy bills and rebates on upgrades to insulation and draft proofing. Upgrades costing between $5,000 and $8,000 can fetch homeowners rebates between $600 to $1,000.
Results from the 2012 Kootenay Energy Diet pilot study found 15 to 28 per cent savings on household energy bills. For Kelowna's diet, the biggest savings are expected to come from space heating.
Prospective participants can attend an information session with FortisBC on September 9 at the Mission Creek park from 4 to 7 p.m. or visit the FortisBC website.
To contact the reporter for this story, email Julie Whittet at jwhittet@infotelnews.ca or call 250-718-0428.
Image Credit: FortisBC
News from © iNFOnews, 2013