Fall into savings: Stay cosy this season while cutting energy use and costs

Turn over a new leaf by making energy-efficient choices to help save energy this heating season

SURREY, BC, Oct. 29, 2025 /CNW/ - Fall is in the air and so is the opportunity for customers to help keep their homes warmer while raking in savings on their energy bills. Installing measures at the beginning of the season can help customers save energy throughout the winter months. Anything from dialing down the thermostat to upgrading the insulation in your home, every action can help lower energy use and associated costs.

"As the weather cools down, we know customers are looking to keep their homes comfortable without increasing their energy costs and our goal is to help them find targeted ways they can lower their energy use," said Alicia Hearn, program manager, conservation awareness and marketing strategy at FortisBC. "It can be simple actions like only heating the rooms you're using to more involved projects like adding more insulation to your attic."

One of the ways customers can make energy-efficiency upgrades is when they are already planning a home renovation. For example, when Tobias and Paula bought a 1930s home in Rossland, they received free advice from the Community Energy Association (CEA) through the Retrofit Assist program--which is partly funded by FortisBC. By upgrading insulation, sealing air leaks and replacing windows and doors, Tobias and Paula cut their heat loss and made their home more comfortable. With a new right-sized heat pump, they reduced energy use by 67 per cent--and received rebates from FortisBC.

"We loved our new home, but it was built back in 1930 when energy efficiency wasn't a priority and now it's almost a century old, so we knew we needed to make some upgrades," said Tobias, homeowner in Rossland. "We were doing renovations anyway, so this was the perfect time to make energy-efficiency upgrades too. We wanted to preserve the character of the home while also having modern, energy-efficient heating so we would be comfortable year-round. We're really happy with how the project is turning out, the support from the Retrofit Assist team was invaluable and the rebates from FortisBC and others helped to make the project more affordable."

Rossland is one of six communities where Retrofit Assist is offered in collaboration with the local government and other funders and provides free guidance to homeowners looking to improve the comfort and energy efficiency of their home. CEA helps guide homeowners through the process of a retrofit while making sure they can access rebates to help pay for the upgrades. Retrofit Assist is currently providing homeowners free guidance for home energy use in Kamloops, Regional District of East Kootenay, Rossland, Squamish, Vernon and Whistler.

"Retrofit Assist is currently supporting homeowners in six communities across B.C.," said Mariah Byers, CEA's Retrofit Assist program manager. "We work very closely with people to help them understand the comfort improvements they can make in their home by educating them on the fundamentals of home energy efficiency. The grants that are available at the moment make it the perfect time to implement changes that can save money and improve comfort."

Customers can also take smaller actions that add up and make a difference. It's important to focus on actions that could help reduce heat loss because about 50 per cent of home energy use goes to space heating.¹ The second is water heating that accounts for about 25 per cent of a home's energy use.² Some quick tips to lower energy use include:

• Sealing gaps and cracks in exterior walls, caulking windows and applying weatherstripping to doors can help keep heat from escaping the home during the winter months. Customers can save around $600 a year by adding proper weatherstripping to their home.³
• Heating only occupied areas with a fireplace or baseboard heaters and turning off or lowering heating in unoccupied rooms can help lower energy use by only using the energy needed.
• Annual maintenance on heating systems ensures the system is working as efficiently as possible. FortisBC gas customers can apply for the appliance maintenance rebate and electricity customers can apply for the heat pump service rebate.
• Installing water-efficient showerheads and faucet aerators can help customers use less hot water. Look for a showerhead that has a flow rate that is less than seven litres(L)/minute or around 1.5 gallons/minute (GPM) and a faucet aerator that delivers less than 4.7 L/minute or around one GPM of water.⁴ By taking a shower instead of a bath customers can help save on water heating costs too.⁵

For customers who are income qualified, FortisBC offers free support to help them lower energy use and associated costs in their homes. Eligible customers can apply for a free Energy Saving Kit with weatherstripping and water-efficient showerheads. Income-qualified customers can also participate in the Energy Conservation Assistance Program where they can receive a free energy evaluation of their home and may also have free energy-saving products installed.

FortisBC also offers a suite of rebates for residential customers who are looking at making upgrades to their homes, including insulation, windows and doors. Customers can visit fortisbc.com/rebates to view all available rebates.

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¹ Source: Natural Resources Canada, Comprehensive Energy Use Database, 2022.

² Source: Natural Resources Canada, Comprehensive Energy Use Database, 2022.

³ Government of Canada, Save money on energy.

⁴ Natural Resources Canada, Make small changes that add up.

⁵ Natural Resources Canada, Make small changes that add up.

Link to photos: FortisBC Brandfolder

FortisBC Inc. and FortisBC Energy Inc., both regulated utilities, do business as FortisBC, and are focused on providing safe, reliable and affordable energy, including natural gas, electricity and propane and continuing to acquire renewable and lower carbon energy, such as natural gas designated as Renewable Natural Gas. FortisBC employs more than 2,700 British Columbians and serves nearly 1.3 million customers in 135 British Columbian communities, and 58 First Nations communities across 150 Traditional Territories. FortisBC owns and operates two liquefied natural gas storage facilities, four regulated hydroelectric generating plants, approximately 7,350 kilometres of transmission and distribution power lines and approximately 51,700 kilometres of gas transmission and distribution lines. FortisBC is indirectly, wholly owned by Fortis Inc., a leader in the North American regulated electricity and gas utility industry. FortisBC Inc. and FortisBC Energy Inc. use the FortisBC name and logo under license from Fortis Inc. For further information on FortisBC, visit fortisbc.com. For further information on Fortis Inc., visit fortisinc.com.

SOURCE FortisBC Energy Inc.

MEDIA CONTACT: Lauren Beckett, Corporate communications advisor, FortisBC, Phone: [phone], Email: [email protected], fortisbc.com, @fortisbc, 24-hour media line: 1-855-FBC-NEWS or 1-855-322-6397