Earth Hour 2012: turn off the lights to save electricity

This photo of earth taken from orbit on November 27, 2000, shows just how bright our cities and towns are right across the planet. That's a lot of energy being burned. We can help reduce that by turning off our own lights at Earth Hour 2012 on March 31. Photo courtesy of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration

BC Hydro is encouraging British Columbians to join other Canadians in support of Earth Hour 2012 by turning off their lights on Saturday, March 31 from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. Last year British Columbians saved 117 megawatt hours of electricity and reduced the provincial electricity load by 1.8 percent – the equivalent of turning off 7.8 million 15-watt compact fluorescent light bulbs for the hour.

To date, 87 municipalities in British Columbia, from Armstrong to Vancouver, have confirmed their participation in this year’s Earth Hour. In 2011, millions of people in more than 135 countries participated in this symbolic event to show how easy it is to save energy every day.

The annual Earth Hour global event is hosted by WWF, the World Wildlife Fund.  BC Hydro supports Earth Hour by encouraging customers to turn off unnecessary lights and electronics to conserve power and show support for climate change reduction efforts.

Here are some fun ideas for celebrating Earth Hour:

  • Head outside and gaze at the stars (weather permitting, of course);
  • Host a candlelit dinner for friends and family; or,
  • Camp out with the kids on the living room floor.

British Columbians can extend Earth Hour into every day through simple conservation actions including:

  • Hanging clothes to dry;
  • Turning down the heat; and,
  • Choosing ENERGY STAR products when upgrading lighting, appliances, and electronic equipment (from now till the end of April, BC Hydro is partnering with retailers across the province to offer instant rebates and other incentives).

BC Hydro provides tools, resources and incentives to help people conserve year-round. Visit www.bchydro.com/powersmart for more tips on how to be smart with your power. For more Earth Hour tips from BC Hydro visit www.bchhydro.com/earthhour. For more on the event, visit www.wwf.ca/earthhour.