Realizing energy savings and emissions reductions through rebates

Investment in FortisBC's energy-efficiency programs helped reduce energy use and lower emissions by close to one million tonnes CO₂e in 2024

SURREY, B.C., Aug. 5, 2025 /CNW/ - In 2024, FortisBC Energy Inc. and FortisBC Inc.'s (collectively FortisBC) conservation and energy-efficiency programs helped lower gas and electricity use while helping create more comfortable living and working spaces for customers. Building on 2023 reductions, its gas programs cut close to one million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO₂e) ¹ in 2024.

In 2024, FortisBC customers participated in a range of programs from window and lighting upgrades to high-efficiency heating and cooling systems. (CNW Group/FortisBC Energy Inc.)

FortisBC started to offer advanced demand side management rebates for customers in 2024, including dual fuel heating and cooling systems for residential homes and commercial buildings as well as revamping rebates for new construction. (CNW Group/FortisBC Energy Inc.)

"Our customers' choices to improve comfort and save on energy costs is helping make their homes more energy efficient," said Colin Norman, senior manager, planning and portfolio strategy at FortisBC. "The results show how collective actions can add up. Investing in energy efficiency is making an impact not only to help customers lower energy use and associated costs but to also help support provincial climate action goals."

According to FortisBC's 2024 demand side management gas and electric reports, customers participated in a range of programs from window and lighting upgrades to high-efficiency heating and cooling systems. Some of the findings of the reports include:

• lowering annual gas use by more than 1.6 million gigajoules (GJ), the equivalent annual energy use of around 15,700 homes² and an increase from 2023
• lowering annual electricity use by 34.1 gigawatt hours (GWh), the equivalent energy use needed to power more than 2,700 homes for a year³
• investing close to $159 million in gas conservation and energy-efficiency programs and almost $14 million in electricity programs, a combined record annual investment of around $172 million in 2024
• significant energy savings in the industrial sector that lowered gas use by more than 885,000 GJ, the equivalent annual energy use of around 8,600 homes⁴

One example of an energy-efficiency project completed last year was with Canoe Forest Products. This organization, located in Salmon Arm, manufacturers plywood, which is a product many builders and homeowners use when completing retrofit projects and constructing new homes or buildings. Their new, high-efficiency industrial dryer system is helping lower energy use by an estimated 32,000 GJ a year while helping cut operational costs. This was a positive achievement to help make locally manufactured plywood more energy efficient.

"The installation of our new dryer system at Canoe Forest Products is an incredible step forward for us, helping lower our energy use and associated emissions in our operations so we continue to manufacture wood products in B.C. in a more energy efficient way," said Marcello Angelozzi, general manager at Canoe Forest Products. "The project was a collaborative effort and included funding from various organizations, including FortisBC, which helped make this project possible."

In addition, FortisBC started to offer advanced demand side management rebates for customers in 2024, including dual fuel heating and cooling systems for residential homes and commercial buildings as well as revamping rebates for new construction. The company also continues to test technologies and approaches to energy efficiency through pilot programs. FortisBC is in the final phases of their deep energy retrofit pilot, measuring energy savings and associated emissions reductions in both commercial and residential buildings across the province.

Between 2020 and 2024, FortisBC invested more than $630 million in their suite of conservation and energy-efficiency programs. During this timeframe, it helped lower electricity use by 157.2 GWh, the equivalent energy use of around 5,500 homes for a year.⁵ In addition, it helped lower gas use by more than six million GJ, equal to the energy needed for close to 60,000 homes for a year.⁶ This shows how energy efficiency can play a role in supporting provincial climate action goals.

FortisBC offers a comprehensive suite of energy-efficiency programs for residential, commercial, industrial and income-qualified customers and Indigenous communities. These programs can help cover a portion of the costs for upgrading to high-efficiency equipment and systems. Visit fortisbc.com/rebates to view all available rebates.

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, Renewable Natural Gas and propane. FortisBC employs approximately 2,714 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 7,300 kilometres of transmission and distribution power lines and approximately 51,600 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.

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¹ Over the lifetime of the measures installed in 2024. Source: FortisBC Energy Inc. natural gas demand-side management programs 2024 annual report, page 2.

² Equivalency calculated using the Natural Resources Canada greenhouse gas equivalencies calculator.

³ Equivalency calculated using the Natural Resources Canada greenhouse gas equivalencies calculator.

⁴ Equivalency calculated using the Natural Resources Canada greenhouse gas equivalencies calculator.

⁵ Equivalency calculated using the Natural Resources Canada greenhouse gas equivalencies calculator.

⁶ Equivalency calculated using the Natural Resources Canada greenhouse gas equivalencies calculator.

SOURCE FortisBC Energy Inc.

Media contact: Lauren Beckett, Corporate communications advisor, FortisBC, Phone: [phone], Email: [email protected], fortisbc.com (http://www.fortisbc.com/), @fortisbc (https://twitter.com/fortisbc), 24-hour media line: 1-855-FBC-NEWS or 1-855-322-6397