FEI-FEVI 2010 EEC Report filed March 31, 2011 - FortisBC

FORTISBC ENERGY INC. AND FORTISBC ENERGY (VANCOUVER ISLAND) INC.
2010 ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND CONSERVATION ANNUAL REPORT
about energy conservation. This study will help the CEO program area ensure effective event
and sponsorship selection, as well as indicate how the Companies can increase participation,
awareness, and conservation while building positive brand recognition when developing future
programs and initiatives. The studies will begin in Q2 2011.
8.3.1.2 Ethnic Outreach
British Columbia is a culturally diverse province, and a successful EEC portfolio will be aware of
the unique needs of ethnic groups. The ethnic marketing and communications outreach
campaign that began development in 2010 will grow further in 2011. To ensure conservation
education is accessible to all customers, the Companies will create print and online materials for
ethnic markets and develop partnerships with third party service providers for distribution and
promotional channels. New Canadians – primarily coming from China (23 percent), India, the
Philippines and South Korea 40 – are a main source of population growth and housing demand in
British Columbia. Within six months of arrival, 17 percent of new immigrants in the Metro
Vancouver region are homeowners, while more than half are homeowners after four years.
Statistics show that 17 percent of British Columbians do not speak English in their homes as a
primary language and approximately 27 percent have knowledge of a mother tongue other than
English 41 . Thus, it is important to communicate conservation information that is relevant and
easily understood by these ethnic audiences.
8.3.1.3 Community Outreach Expansion
As described in Section 8.2.1.4, most community events are free to the public and are a cost
effective method for the Companies to reach out to a large number of customers. In 2011, the
goal for the Outreach Team is to increase the number of events attended in the service
territories of FEI and FEVI and expand the geographic scope of events attended beyond the
Lower Mainland.
8.3.1.4 Home Efficiency Measures Partnerships
As discussed in Section 3 Residential Energy Efficiency Programs, the CPR has identified some
efficient, low-cost fixtures that homeowners can easily take advantage of in order to achieve
energy savings. One of the 2011 goals for the CEO program area is to identify outreach
opportunities for delivering a program to residential and multifamily customers that allows them
to learn about and take advantage of these energy savings measures. There may be the
potential to leverage opportunities for program dissemination through property management
associations and students in secondary and post secondary schools, and partnerships with
municipalities (i.e. the District of Saanich pilot program) and big box retailers (i.e. the Sears
audit program).
40 http://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/odpub/pdf/65319.pdf?fr=1296674608594
41 http://www.bcstats.gov.bc.ca/data/cen06/facts/cff0604.pdf
SECTION 8: CONSERVATION, EDUCATION & OUTREACH (“CEO”) PROGRAMS Page 159