Terasen Gas - Service Line

Service Line
Summer 2010
Your connection to energy news, offers and tips
Energy savings success
New, energy-efficient boilers in this Vancouver rental building earned a rebate for the owner.
When it was time to replace the boilers in his
Vancouver apartment buildings, owner and
property manager Mauro Conzatti chose new,
high-efficiency models and received rebates
through the Terasen Gas Light Commercial
ENERGY STAR® Boiler Program.
Mr. Conzatti’s rental buildings in Vancouver
include two 40-year-old, 22-suite buildings.
He installed four 225 MBH condensing
boilers — t wo in each building — for space and
water heating. The new, high-efficiency boilers
qualified for rebates of $1,125 each, a total of
$4,500 (see p. 2 for program details).
The new boilers have a 92 per cent annual fuel
utilization efficiency (AFUE) rating — about
33 per cent more efficient than the old
ones — but Mr. Conzatti, an experienced
property manager, knew savings would not
materialize without co-operation from tenants.
“Tenants pay for their own electricity, but hot
water and heat are included in rents, so they
don’t really see those costs,” Mr. Conzatti said.
“If we could change tenant behaviour, we’d
see results.”
The boiler replacement project became a
springboard for encouraging residents to adopt
energy-saving habits. He talked with them
about the boiler project and communicated
ways to save energy, such as closing doors
and windows to conserve heat, turning down
thermostats at night, and not letting water run
unnecessarily. He also introduced recycling
and composting programs.
As for his own savings, Mr. Conzatti found
the Light Commercial ENERGY STAR Boiler
Program easy to use: “The representatives at
Terasen Gas were helpful with the application
and worked with my contractor as well,” he
reports. The rebate cheques came quickly after
the boilers were installed.
Did the incentive influence the project? “It
helped,” he said. “As a small business operator,
you’re mostly on your own, so it’s nice to get
a bonus.”
In this issue
• Energy savings success
• Rebates: Save energy and get cash back
• Natural gas price fluctuations and your business
• Cool tips for summer
• Get to know Terasen Gas
• Follow us on Twitter
terasengas.com
Rebates: Save energy and get cash back
Are you upgrading the boilers or water
heaters for your business? Terasen Gas offers
incentives for small commercial customers
who replace older equipment with new, highefficiency natural gas boilers and water
heaters. (Note: not available in Whistler.)
Energy-efficient equipment not only reduces
operating costs and emissions, but can also
“green” your marketing efforts. Rebates are
based on size (in MBH or 1,000 Btus/hour) and
annual fuel utilization efficiency (AFUE) of the
equipment you choose.
Efficient Commercial Water
Heater Program
Who it’s for: developers, building owners and
other businesses that use natural gas as a
primary source of water heating.
What we offer:
• $5 per MBH for storage water heaters or
hot water supply boilers with an AFUE of
90 per cent or higher
• $3 per MBH for storage water heaters with
an AFUE of 84 to 89.9 per cent
• $2.50 per MBH for on-demand water
heaters with an AFUE of 90 per cent
or higher
For example, a 199 MBH (199,000 Btu/hr)
storage water heater rated 96 per cent AFUE
is eligible for a $995 rebate ($5 X 199 MBH).
Light Commercial
ENERGY STAR®
Boiler Program
Who it’s for: owners,
builders and developers of small commercial
or residential buildings; building managers;
and long-term lease holders who use natural
gas as a primary source of space heating or
space and water heating.
What we offer:
Up to $1,495 cash back, calculated as follows:
• $5 per MBH for condensing boilers rated
90 per cent AFUE or higher
• $3 per MBH for near-condensing boilers
rated rated 85 per cent AFUE or higher
Note: this program is for ENERGY STAR-rated
boilers up to 299 MBH in capacity.
Apply today
Visit terasengas.com/Business/Offers to
read full terms and conditions and download
application forms.
Questions?
Call Terasen Gas toll-free at 1-866-884-8833 or
email commercialrebates@terasengas.com
terasengas.com
Natural gas price fluctuations and
your business
Natural gas is a commodity traded on the open
market. Many factors cause fluctuations in
the commodity price of natural gas — weather,
world events, supply and demand — but
Terasen Gas tries to get the best price for
our customers.
“Terasen Gas purchases natural gas on behalf
of its customers and passes its cost on without
markup, so customers pay what we pay,” said
Cynthia Des Brisay, Vice President, Gas
Supply and Transmission.
As a regulated utility, Terasen Gas must apply
to the B.C. Utilities Commission (BCUC) for any
rate changes — including the commodity charge
for natural gas. We review our rates quarterly
to ensure our customers are getting a fair rate,
while at the same time stabilizing costs.
Besides the cost of natural gas itself,
midstream and delivery charges also appear
$10.00
on your bill. Midstream charges reflect what
we pay to store and transport gas from gas
producers to our delivery system. Delivery
charges pay for costs such as pipeline
maintenance and meter readings.
If you’re concerned about gas price
fluctuations, you also have the option to
buy gas at a fixed rate for a specified term
from independent natural gas marketers.
Independent gas marketers in B.C. are licensed,
but not regulated, by the BCUC, and they can
set their own rates.
Whether you choose to buy gas from
Terasen Gas or from a natural gas marketer,
Terasen Gas will still ensure reliable delivery
of your natural gas.
Visit terasengas.com/Business for more
information on rates, gas marketers, and gas
price forecasts.
Terasen Gas variable commodity rate
Lower Mainland - Rate 2 Small Commercial customers
January 2006 - April 2010
$8.00
$ per
gigajoule (GJ)
$6.00
$4.00
$2.00
$0.00
Jan-06
Apr-06
Oct-07
Apr-08
Jul-08
Oct-08
Apr-08
Oct-09
Apr-10
Cool tips for summer
It’s energy-saving strategies that can really have an impact on your bottom line:
• Install programmable thermostats. They automatically adjust the temperature based
on time and day of the week, so you won’t accidentally leave the heat on.
• On hot summer days, close the blinds to keep the sun out and spaces cool. Do the
opposite in the winter.
• Fix leaky faucets, install faucet aerators and low-flow showerheads in bathrooms, and
switch to low-flow pre-rinse spray valves for dishwashing.
• Caulk or weather strip single-pane windows and exterior doors.
• Have a contractor check your water heater to make sure it’s set at the right temperature
for your needs. Lowering temperature by just 10°F can reduce annual natural gas use by
5 per cent.
• Have your heating system serviced annually by a heating professional, and ensure heating
ducts are sealed properly.­
terasengas.com
terasengas.com
Get to know Terasen Gas
• Terasen Gas is not a Crown corporation, but a
subsidiary of Fortis Inc., an investor-owned,
Canadian corporation.
• Our 1,400 employees serve over 939,000 customers
in more than 125 communities throughout B.C.
• The British Columbia Utilities Commission regulates
our operations, including rates, energy plan, and
infrastructure.
• Terasen Gas does not explore for or extract natural gas.
We buy natural gas on the open market and sell
it to customers at the same price we pay for it,
without markup.
• Despite the name, Terasen Gas delivers more than
just gas! We design and build integrated energy
solutions for multi-family housing and commercial
developments, including district energy, solar and
geoexchange systems.
• Terasen Gas is also developing renewable energy
sources such as biogas. For example, capturing waste
energy from landfills and converting it to usable gas.
Follow us on Twitter
Service Line 06/10
10-046
Get short, timely messages from Terasen Gas on safety, energy tips,
news, events and more. Follow our tweets at twitter.com/TerasenGas
Terasen Gas is the common name of Terasen Gas Inc., Terasen Gas
(Vancouver Island) Inc., and Terasen Gas (Whistler) Inc. The companies
are indirect, wholly owned subsidiaries of Fortis Inc. Terasen Gas uses the
Terasen Gas name and logo under license from Terasen Inc.
terasengas.com