New, luxury high-rises use double the amount of electricity as those from the 1980s: BC Hydro
Posted April 12, 2019 6:54 am.
Last Updated April 12, 2019 6:56 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – Driving a smaller vehicle typically means you’re not spending as much at the pump, but when it comes to where you live, there can be a difference in philosophy on the topic of energy consumption.
BC Hydro has found that even if you live in a higher end condo building, the amount of power your fancy building consumes may be more than you actually think.
“Our data looks at electricity use of high-rise, luxury condos,” the utility’s Tanya Fish explains. “What we’ve found is these newer high-rises use about double the amount of electricity as buildings built in the 1980s.”
She says all the bells and whistles that weren’t considered in condo construction 30 years ago is part of the reason for it.
Bigger buildings with even more suites also plays a role.
“Also more luxury amenities so things like a pool and a hot tub, sometimes even a bowling alley and movie theatre. This all contributes significantly to the higher electricity consumed by these large buildings.”
About 50 per cent of a newer high-rise’s totaly electricity use goes toward powering these amenities and common spaces, she adds. The rest goes to covering the individual units.
Because the cost to power everything in the building isn’t individually reflected in each unit’s hydro bill, Fish says this may create a “disconnect in a condo dweller’s perceived energy footprint and what they’re actually using.”
If the cost was passed on to condo dwellers directly through their monthly bill, the utility estimates it would go up by about $40 on average. That would bring the average bill to more tha $100 a month — almost as much as a single-family home, Fish notes.
-With files from Monika Gul
