Bill to stay chill on the rise as more of us opt for A/C
You’ll need to chill out with the air conditioner if you want your hydro bill to cool down.
According to a new report by B.C. Hydro, British Columbians are becoming increasingly reliant on air conditioners. And with temperatures on the rise due to climate trends, that reliance is going to get much more expensive.
Since 2001, the number of B.C. households that own an air conditioning unit has tripled, from just 10 per cent to last year’s figure of 34 per cent. Another quarter of residents are considering the purchase this summer. Internationally, it’s predicted that the 1.6 billion A/C units in the world today will grow to 5.6 billion units by 2050.
Cool relief doesn’t come cheap. B.C. Hydro notes that running a central air conditioner for nine hours a day over the summer costs about $300, compared to just $6 for a basic fan. For each degree lower an A/C unit is set, cooling costs increase by three per cent.
“Record heat and long stretches of dry weather are becoming the new norm in the province, and B.C. Hydro’s meteorologists are predicting another hot summer this year,” said Chris O’Riley, president and CEO of B.C. Hydro.
“While we typically see higher electricity demand in the cold, dark winter months, summer demand for power is rising largely due to higher A/C usage.”
That point is highlighted by a record B.C. Hydro customers set last summer. On Aug. 28, 2017, a record was set for summer power consumption when the province’s peak hourly demand reached more than 7,500 megawatts.
Historical data recorded between 1900 and 2013 also shows the average annual temperature has increased by 1.4 degrees Celsius across B.C., with an increase of 1.3 to 2.7 degrees expected by 2050.
The effects of changing climates can be seen as recently as last summer, when July and August became the driest months ever recorded at Vancouver International Airport.
It’s not surprising that more homes in B.C.’s southern Interior use air conditioners than anywhere else in the province, as it is regularly among the hottest spots in B.C. But even in the “relatively moderate climate of south coastal B.C.,” the report says the number of highrise condo dwellers — living in homes where there is typically little to poor air flow — using portable or room air conditioners has increased 23 per cent over the last three years.