FortisBC Contractor newsletter Spring 2011 Issue 2
FortisBC Contractor newsletter Spring 2011 Issue 2
FortisBC Contractor newsletter Spring 2011 Issue 2
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<strong>Contractor</strong> Newsletter<br />
A common name.<br />
A shared vision.<br />
As of March 1, <strong>2011</strong>, Terasen Gas and <strong>FortisBC</strong><br />
now operate under one name, <strong>FortisBC</strong>. Last<br />
year, Canadian-owned Fortis Inc., Terasen<br />
Gas’ parent company, announced a combined<br />
leadership structure for its B.C. operations.<br />
This includes the Terasen group of companies<br />
and <strong>FortisBC</strong> Inc., an electric utility serving more<br />
than 100,000 customers in the interior of B.C.<br />
What does this mean for you?<br />
<strong>Spring</strong> <strong>2011</strong><br />
<strong>Issue</strong> 2<br />
Although our name has changed, our focus<br />
on providing customers with affordable and<br />
reliable energy solutions remains. We’ll continue<br />
to be customer-focused and build on our<br />
core businesses. This includes offering a fullspectrum<br />
of energy products and services, such<br />
as natural gas, electricity in the interior of B.C.,<br />
piped propane, and alternative energy solutions<br />
such as biogas, geoexchange, district energy<br />
systems and natural gas for fleet vehicles. A special number<br />
Five-hundred and sixty-nine is a special number to<br />
Homeglow Heat Products’ Bill Labron. Since the year<br />
2000, Bill Labron has converted that many residential<br />
oil space heating systems in the greater Victoria area to<br />
natural gas. “This is my proud contribution to helping<br />
clean the air in B.C.,” beams Labron.<br />
<strong>FortisBC</strong>’s Switch ‘n’ Shrink oil or propane to gas<br />
conversion program is one of the tools he uses to help<br />
sustain his conversion business. Labron, a veteran<br />
of the existing Qualified Dealer Program, has taken<br />
advantage of its various benefits over the years. Would<br />
he recommend others participate in the new contractor<br />
program? “Well, I’ve certainly made good use of the<br />
program,” he quipped. Visit fortisbc.com for details on<br />
the Switch ’n’ Shrink program.
Boiler program<br />
drives sales<br />
After helping more than 25 customers through<br />
the application process for the Efficient Boiler<br />
Program (EBP), Allied Plumbing’s Conner O’Leary<br />
has become quite the expert at understanding its<br />
guidelines and incentive options. More importantly,<br />
he’s learned how to optimize the payback for<br />
his customers.<br />
“After working with the folks at Terasen [now<br />
<strong>FortisBC</strong>] we’ve become pretty good at designing<br />
solutions for our customers that make a highefficiency<br />
boiler the obvious choice over midefficiency.<br />
In fact, most customers wanting boilers<br />
choose high-efficiency models solely because of the<br />
incentives,” he added.<br />
Since 2005, <strong>FortisBC</strong> has processed 190 EBP<br />
applications and paid out $2.3 million in incentives.<br />
In addition to the incentive dollars, participants<br />
also experience ongoing savings on their utility<br />
bills and help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, an<br />
important benefit for those with a climate action<br />
reduction mandate.<br />
Boilers big and small<br />
Are you working with a commercial customer or<br />
builder/developer who could benefit? Generous<br />
rebates are available in both new construction<br />
and retrofit applications for commercial<br />
boilers. To learn more visit fortisbc.com,<br />
or email commercialrebates@fortisbc.com<br />
On the homefront<br />
Residential programs extended<br />
Two popular incentives for residential customers,<br />
the Efficient Residential Storage Tank Water Heater<br />
Program and the EnerChoice Fireplace Program, have<br />
been extended to the end of <strong>2011</strong>. For program details<br />
visit fortisbc.com/offers<br />
Furnaces love the attention<br />
Successful is an understatement when it comes to<br />
measuring the impact of our TLC furnace maintenance<br />
program. During its run, you inspected and serviced<br />
nearly 16,000 of them.<br />
With the aim to have every furnace in B.C. working as<br />
efficiently as it can, we’re bringing back TLC this <strong>Spring</strong>.<br />
Watch for program details coming in May.<br />
The program will provide you with an opportunity to<br />
talk to your customers about more efficient home and<br />
water heating options, like the Efficient Water Heater<br />
Program. We encourage our customers to replace their<br />
natural gas water heater every 10 years, before it starts<br />
to leak. That ounce of prevention could put an extra $50<br />
in both your customer’s pocket and yours.<br />
Industry news<br />
and events<br />
TECA $200 training subsidy<br />
LiveSmartBC, along with <strong>FortisBC</strong> and BC Hydro<br />
PowerSmart are offering a $200* subsidy for<br />
new participants in the Quality First Forced<br />
Air Guidelines, Hydronics Design and Ventilation<br />
courses. Visit teca.ca or email training@teca.ca for<br />
more details.<br />
*Restrictions apply.
Fuel for thought<br />
Although natural gas is abundant in B.C., the use<br />
of natural gas vehicles (NGVs) is not. But in Europe,<br />
Asia, and South America it’s a different story.<br />
More than 11 million NGVs are currently in use<br />
worldwide, and the number is expected to grow to<br />
65 million by 2020.<br />
As a cleaner burning, low-carbon fuel, natural gas<br />
has many economical and environmental benefits<br />
for fleet operators. As well as providing fuel cost<br />
savings over diesel and gasoline, NGVs produce<br />
approximately 20 to 30 per cent fewer GHG<br />
<strong>Contractor</strong> Program<br />
registration package<br />
coming soon<br />
If you are a BC Safety Authority registered gas<br />
contractor watch for a package in the mail with details<br />
on how you can join the new <strong>FortisBC</strong> <strong>Contractor</strong><br />
Program. We’re offering this program to support the<br />
contractor community and better serve the customers<br />
we share.<br />
emissions than diesel (depending on the engine<br />
technology). And it’s a proven transportation<br />
fuel in jurisdictions with strict climate change<br />
regulations such as California, where 95 per cent<br />
of Los Angeles transit buses are NGVs.<br />
<strong>FortisBC</strong> is supporting growth of the NGV market<br />
in B.C., with a focus on fuelling large return-tobase<br />
fleets like waste haulers and buses. Waste<br />
Management has just taken possession of 20 NGV<br />
waste haulers at their Coquitlam terminal, with<br />
refuelling infrastructure provided by <strong>FortisBC</strong>.<br />
Industrial news<br />
To fi nd out more<br />
about natural gas<br />
vehicles, visit<br />
fortisbc.com/ngv<br />
We have developed an Energy Audit Funding<br />
Program for our industrial customers. The site<br />
visits completed to date have revealed multiple<br />
opportunities for improvements including<br />
insulation, boiler efficiency and heat recovery.
Message<br />
from Gina<br />
As you’ve read here, all<br />
natural gas contractors<br />
registered with the BC<br />
Safety Authority will be<br />
receiving packages in the<br />
mail with information on<br />
how to register for our<br />
<strong>Contractor</strong> Program.<br />
Soon after, I’m planning<br />
a province-wide<br />
registration drive which will give you an opportunity<br />
to ask questions about the benefits of the program,<br />
and give me the opportunity to meet you, our greatest<br />
ally in helping get the word out to our mutual<br />
customers about energy efficiency and conservation.<br />
I’m looking forward to meeting you — and if you have<br />
any questions in the meantime, please email me at<br />
contractorprogram@fortisbc.com<br />
<strong>FortisBC</strong> Energy Inc. and <strong>FortisBC</strong> Energy (Vancouver Island) Inc. do business as <strong>FortisBC</strong>.<br />
The companies are indirect, wholly owned subsidiaries of Fortis Inc. <strong>FortisBC</strong> uses the <strong>FortisBC</strong><br />
name and logo under license from Fortis Inc.<br />
<strong>Contractor</strong> Newsletter 02/11 11-020<br />
Gina Lego,<br />
<strong>Contractor</strong> Program Manager<br />
Send us your<br />
story ideas<br />
Have a story idea about how you’ve helped a<br />
customer convert to natural gas or upgrade their<br />
older inefficient appliances? Or have you provided<br />
a solution that saved a commercial customer or<br />
builder money through one of our programs? If<br />
so, we want to hear from you. Your story could be<br />
featured in an upcoming issue.<br />
Contact us<br />
Email: contractorprogram@fortisbc.com<br />
Phone: toll free 1-866-884-8833<br />
• Saving energy tips and information<br />
fortisbc.com/savingenergy<br />
• Visit our rebate offers page at fortisbc.com/offers<br />
Follow us on Twitter<br />
Get short, timely messages from<br />
<strong>FortisBC</strong> on safety, energy tips, news,<br />
events and more. Follow our tweets at<br />
twitter.com/<strong>FortisBC</strong>