By Bill Tieleman
Director, the BC Coalition for Affordable Dependable Energy [BC CADE]
It’s about choice and it’s about affordability for homeowners and small businesses.
Vancouver City Council will vote Wednesday May 20 on a critical motion introduced by Mayor Ken Sim that will end the imposition of expensive and ineffective measures to heat your home or business and restore choice. [You can send comments or request to speak to Council until 5 p.m. Tuesday May 19 at this link.]
That motion is strongly supported by the BC Coalition for Affordable Dependable Energy, one of BC’s largest coalitions, representing over 300,000 people through its business, labour and community organization members.
Why? It’s because of three key changes to existing by-laws and regulations that together are adding significant extra costs to building and operating homes and businesses in Vancouver – the most expensive city in Canada and one of the most expensive in North America.
Most immediately, the motion would repeal a by-law that forces all single-family and townhouse homeowners to replace existing natural gas water heaters with electric water heaters when new equipment is needed, as of January 1, 2027.
That would mean substantial extra costs for homeowners and renters, because the purchase and installation of electric water heaters and their ongoing operation is far more expensive than simply replacing gas water heaters with newer and more efficient models.
In fact, current gas water heaters are up to 98 per cent efficient – but that’s not allowed under the by-law that could be repealed on Wednesday – 100 per cent or nothing.
Imposing replacement of a gas water heater with an electric model in many cases would require re-wiring a home, drywall removal and replacement, repainting and possibly a whole new electrical panel – at a cost of $4,000 to $10,000, according to heating and plumbing experts – on top of the equipment costs! There are limited exemptions that require applying to the city - exemptions that are not guaranteed to be granted.
And natural gas water heaters are significantly cheaper than electric, at 4.5 cents a kWh [kilowatt/hour] for natural gas versus 12 to 14 cents a kWh for electric.
Our Coalition believes in choice on energy source – those who want to go electric, from builders and developers to homeowners and businesses – should have that right, but so should those who can’t afford expensive options that make little to no overall difference to our global environment.
It’s wrong for any city council to impose electrification at a time of global economic turmoil and rising costs, threats to our energy security and sovereignty and when both British Columbia and Canada have ended the consumer carbon tax while net electricity imports to this province top $2 billion – including much from the United States – and BC Hydro rates keep rising.
Unfortunately, Vancouver’s own report admits that the city’s limited public engagement over only three weeks reached just over 120 people – while admitting that approximately 70,000 one and two family homes will be affected and that gas hot water heaters last 12-15 years or less before needed replacement. That means nearly 5,000 homes per year will face this very pricey expense.
The other two measures this motion addresses are also important – removing an expensive and ineffective imposition of regulations forcing strata condominiums to produce annual reports on their use of energy while imposing substantial fines for existing large office and retail buildings starting next year and ending an effective ban on renewable natural gas and natural gas heating in all new construction, for both homes and businesses, through early adoption of the provincial Zero Carbon Step Code.
Together, these two changes would save strata owners, businesses and tenants in Vancouver millions of dollars in costly bureaucracy and allow choice and enormous construction and operating cost savings on energy source to builders, developers, homeowners and businesses.
Unsurprisingly, some supporters of forced electrification are angry. And if city councillors want to maintain this ban, they should face homeowners and businesses to explain why – at a time the federal and B.C. governments are fast-tracking exports of natural gas.
But the simpler question is this: if claims that electric options are cheaper and better, why are imposition advocates afraid of giving homeowners, businesses and builders a choice?
The answer is obvious.
Let’s be clear – the Coalition believes we can and will transition over time to renewable energy sources. It just should not be done on the backs of homeowners and small businesses that can ill afford expensive measures and on an imposed timetable that threatens jobs and our economy. Vancouver Council should pass this motion.
Bill Tieleman is Director of the BC Coalition for Affordable Dependable Energy. Website: www.BCCADE.ca
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