To the editor,
B.C. Hydro’s recent promotion of heat pumps as a clean alternative has prompted several neighbourhood discussions about the cost of heating homes using only electricity.
I agree that installing a heat pump may be the right thing to do for our environment, however, the monthly costs that come with using solely a heat pump during the winter months is outrageous. People are reporting hydro bills nearing $1,000 for the two-month period from December to January. One neighbour said “my hydro bills are the same as my mortgage payment.”
Previous homes I have owned which used natural gas for heating were nowhere near the monthly cost of the heat pump. Even during the coldest months, the cost of heating a home using natural gas was less than 50 per cent of the costs we are experiencing using solely a heat pump. Our hydro bill hits the Step 2 billing rate within 7-10 days each billing cycle. B.C. Hydro’s website says the stepped rate is to encourage conservation and has been approved since October 2008. It’s 2022. Perhaps it’s time to re-evaluate the archaic stepped billing and make electricity more affordable for everyone by charging one rate for all.
If we want to encourage a switch from fossil fuel heating to greener sources using hydro electricity, the B.C. government should put an end to the two-step billing. The current pricing structure effectively supports continued natural gas usage. We’re all trying to do the right thing but at what cost?
Shirley McDonald, Nanoose Bay
The views and opinions expressed in this letter to the editor are those of the writer and do not reflect the views of Black Press or the Nanaimo News Bulletin.
Letters policy: Letters should be no longer than 250 words and will be edited. Preference is given to letters expressing an opinion on issues of local relevance or responding to items published in the News Bulletin. Include your address (it won’t be published) and a first name or two initials, and a surname. Unsigned letters will not be published.
Mail: Letters, Nanaimo News Bulletin, 777 Poplar St., Nanaimo, B.C. V9S 2H7
Fax: 250-753-0788
E-mail: editor@nanaimobulletin.com