Earth Hour – an annual worldwide event to turn lights off for an hour in support of conservation and climate change – continues to see a drop in participation despite support for conserving energy.
The province saw a 0.2 per cent increase in electricity use during Saturday’s Earth Hour despite a March report showing that seven out of 10 British Columbians intended to power off for Earth Hour.
While this is the first year that B.C. saw an uptick in electricity usage during the event, the number of people participating has been declining for years.
A new report released last Friday by BC Hydro finds most British Columbians still think Earth Hour is important despite four years of declining participation.
The report entitled “Lights out: Why Earth Hour is dimming in B.C.” found British Columbians reduced their electricity use during Earth Hour by just 0.3 per cent in 2017, or 15 per cent of the savings achieved in 2008.
The report also found while British Columbians place importance on the environment, it is not the primary driver for them to conserve. At nearly 70 per cent, most British Columbians say their greatest motivation for reducing electricity use is saving money on bills. Only 15 per cent said their primary motivation is the environment.
When asked how much they would need to save on their bills to be motivated to conserve, more than 80 per cent of British Columbians said they would make the changes only if they saved $300 or more. BC Hydro customers who act on 10 no-cost conservation tips, including unplugging a second fridge and lowering the thermostat, can save up to $455 a year on their electricity costs.
Conserving energy is a bonus for both the environment and the pocketbook. It’s time British Columbians got back on track to not just saying they’ll cut back, but actually doing it.