More than 80 per cent of B.C.’s rental apartment buildings are older than 35 years and may not be as energy efficient as they could be. And with older buildings comes higher maintenance costs, so keeping costs down and tenants happy may sometime feel like a juggling act.
So FortisBC developed the Rental Apartment Efficiency Program, a free program for rental apartment building owners and managers to help them save money on their energy costs by making a few simple changes to the building.
Bill Henderson, a partner with Carlisle Management Inc., an investor-owned rental property management company, knows the importance of maintaining company assets—not only for investor growth, but also tenant comfort. As Bill says, “these are people’s homes and keeping the building well-maintained is a top priority.”
That’s why the program was a perfect fit for Sherwood Park, a 29-unit building the company owns in Chilliwack, B.C. Not only were all the suites upgraded with water-efficient showerheads and faucet aerators, the building also underwent an energy evaluation performed by a professional engineer, all at no cost.
A boiler replacement was recommended in the evaluation and because the program also provided a third party consultant to design and commission it, Henderson didn’t hesitate to upgrade. Adding to that, the new high-efficiency boiler they had installed qualified for a $5,900 rebate.
As Henderson says, “why wouldn’t a landlord want to participate? You improve tenant comfort, reduce energy and water costs and increase the value of your investment.”
Since FortisBC introduced the Rental Apartment Efficiency Program in 2016, hundreds of apartment buildings in B.C. have participated. According to FortisBC program manager Jim Kobialko, participating buildings are saving significant amounts of money, energy and water. “We’ve designed the program in the hopes it will be an easy decision for building owners. Not only is it free, but it also reduces their operating costs and the tenants feel good about benefiting the environment,” he added.
The program is available at no cost to building owners and property managers in B.C. whose buildings meet eligibility requirements and other terms and conditions. Learn more and sign up.
Visit FortisBC for more information
