New offer helps homeowners save money and the environment

September 11, 2007

Follow us on Twitter

SURREY – Terasen Gas is encouraging homeowners to turn over a new leaf when it comes to saving money and the environment.

"We've teamed up with FortisBC and BC Hydro to offer homeowners the new ENERGY STAR® Heating System Upgrade," said Sarah Smith, Terasen Gas Manager, Marketing and Energy Efficiency. Homeowners are looking for ways to reduce their energy use, save money and help the environment with lower greenhouse gas emissions. This offer helps customers do all that."

Simply upgrade your old home heating system to an ENERGY STAR high-efficiency, natural gas furnace or boiler between September 1, 2007 and March 31, 2008, to receive a $250 credit on your Terasen Gas bill. If the furnace you install has a variable speed motor, you'll also get an extra $50 credit.

ENERGY STAR models are also exempt from provincial sales tax – giving you another seven per cent in savings. And, if the upgrade and installation are completed by January 31, 2008, you can save an additional $150 to $1,000 from one of 15 different leading-brand manufacturer rebates.

Home heating accounts for the biggest share of your household energy costs – about 60 per cent – so it makes sense to upgrade to a high-efficiency natural gas heating system. An ENERGY STAR furnace operates at 90 per cent annual fuel utilization efficiency (AFUE), meaning that for every dollar you spend, you get at least 90 cents worth of heat. If your furnace or boiler is more than 10 years old, it's likely a low-efficiency model only averaging about 60 to 70 per cent AFUE.

"By encouraging our customers to use energy as efficiently as possible, we're helping them conserve energy, as well as lowering their monthly bills and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. And we're getting results. Over the past five years we have helped customers reduce their costs by $7 million annually and greenhouse gas emissions by 45,000 tonnes per year," said Smith.

If you want to save on your monthly energy bills and help save the environment – natural gas is the cleaner, greener way to heat your home. For details about the Terasen Gas ENERGY STAR Heating System Upgrade offer visit www.terasengas.com

Terasen Gas is mainly composed of the operations of Terasen Gas Inc. and Terasen Gas (Vancouver Island) Inc., both indirect wholly owned subsidiaries of Fortis Inc. Fortis Inc., the largest investor-owned distribution utility in Canada, serves almost two million gas and electric customers and has approximately $10 billion of assets. Its regulated holdings include Terasen Gas and electric utilities in five Canadian provinces and three Caribbean countries. Fortis Inc. owns non-regulated hydroelectric generation assets across Canada and in Belize and upper New York State. It also owns hotels and commercial real estate in Canada. Fortis Inc. shares are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange and trade under the symbol FTS. Additional information can be accessed at http://www.fortisinc.com/ or http://www.sedar.com/.

Media contact:
Scott Webb
Marketing and Customer Communications Manager
Terasen Gas
Phone: 604-592-7649
E-mail: scott.webb@terasengas.com

Backgrounder

Hot tips to help you save money this heating season

Regular inspection, cleaning and maintenance ensures your safety and the efficient operation of your natural gas furnace. So it makes sense to take care of your home heating system. Here are a few tips:

• Contact a registered gas contractor to tune-up your furnace as early in the fall as possible, so it's working as good as new when the temperature drops.
• While the gas contractor checks your furnace, have them inspect your home's natural gas piping.
• Your owner's manual is the best source of instructions for maintenance you can do yourself, like checking and changing the furnace filter regularly. If you have a reusable filter, mark your calendar for periodic cleaning.
• Don't crowd your furnace or boiler. Leave both space and air around it. Make sure there are no combustible materials nearby.

For more energy efficiency and safety tips, visit www.terasengas.com to download a copy of Hot Tips: an energy conservation booklet.

Media contact:
Scott Webb
Marketing and Customer Communications Manager
Terasen Gas
Phone: 604-592-7649
E-mail: scott.webb@terasengas.com