Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/170490
POWER SUPPLY AT HART MYTHS BUSTED AT 66 YEARS old, the John Hart Generating Station in Campbell River is one of BC Hydro's oldest generating facilities – and it's showing its age. To improve the safety and reliability of the power supply to our residents on Vancouver Island, BC Hydro – together with the local community – has begun a five-year project to replace the generating station and the water pipelines that feed it. Myth: Screen savers save energy BUSTED: Screen savers were once useful for older computers to prevent images displayed for long periods of time from being "burned into" the screen permanently. In fact, screen savers force your computer to consume energy at full capacity. Set your computer into sleep mode when idle instead. Myth: A computer's sleep mode is fine for overnight Myth: Leaving appliances on is better than turning them off and on again BUSTED: Sleep mode still uses a fair bit of energy so that it is ready when you want to use your computer again. Turn your computer off whenever possible. BUSTED: It used to be true that turning appliances off and on frequently could shorten their lifespan, but with today's technology you can turn off lights, appliances and gadgets whenever they're not needed – with no harm to them and only energy savings to be gained! Myth: You need to wash clothes in hot water to kill bacteria BUSTED: The water would need to be heated to scalding to kill most bacteria, and washing machines don't get nearly hot enough. The most effective way to kill bacteria is by hanging your washing outside to dry. The sun's UV rays are a natural and powerful disinfectant. Myth: Turning the thermostat up higher heats the room up faster BUSTED: Regardless of whether you set the thermostat in your home to 20° C or crank it up to 30° C, your furnace will reach the desired 20° C mark in exactly the same timeframe. The upgrade will not only provide homes with a continuous supply of clean and costeffective energy, but will improve seismic safety and protect water flows for fish habitat – a concern raised by you, our members. Once completed, the refurbished station will generate 835 gigawatt hours per year – that's an increase of seven per cent from 778 gigawatt hours, or the equivalent of supplying power to 80,000 homes! FALL EVENTS PLANNER BC HYDRO'S COMMUNITY TEAM WILL BE ON SITE at several events this fall. Come and visit us at the following events and speak with a Power Smart Expert to learn more about what you can do around the house to save electricity this season. EVENT DATE CITY Whitecaps BC Hydro Family Match September 28 Vancouver B.C. Rivers Day September 29 Maple Ridge Vancouver Home + Design Show October 17 – 20 Vancouver Victoria Fall Home Expo October 18 – 20 Victoria Kamloops Fall Home Show October 18 – 20 Kamloops Fraser Valley Bald Eagle Festival November 16 & 17 Deroche Hyde Creek Salmon Festival November 17 Port Coquitlam VIU Festival of Trees November 23 Nanaimo 37 B r itish C o lumbia M agazine • fal l 2 0 1 3 SMART FALL 2013 5 TEAM POWER