A new BC Hydro report found worries over hotter summers and climate change are causing British Columbians to make home improvements to cope.
Northern Community Relations Manager for BC Hydro Bob Gammer said 69 percent of British Columbians are concerned about how that will affect their home’s comfort and are making renovations to prepare for extreme weather.
Gammer added what most people are looking at doing is installing central air-conditioning.
And with almost 90 percent of BC residents impacted by last year’s extreme summer temperatures, Gammer said it’s no surprise that AC use is on the rise
“BC Hydro data shows that air conditioning use has increased by about 50 percent over the past decade. A quarter of British Columbians using it at home to now nearly 40 percent and our research suggests that figure could be even higher.”
Gammer noted that in late June, BC Hydro set records for summertime consumption that were significantly higher than the record that was set the year before.
According to BC Hydro, last summer 14 percent of British Columbians said they purchased some type of AC to improve the comfort of their home, and this year, a quarter of BC residents want to install central AC.
In recent years there has also been a dramatic increase in the addition of inefficient portable AC units in BC homes as residents try to manage hotter summers.
BC Hydro found that portable AC units are the most widely adopted type of air conditioner in the province, however, they use more energy than a central air conditioning system and use twice as much energy as a window unit.
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