Gas Shutoff
Yesterday, Fortis came by and disconnected the gas.
I must have fielded at least 3 calls in the lead-up confirming our house was vacant. “No we do not have a tenant, we are hosting an artist for the week”.
Well the gas has been disconnected, and we are not planning on turning it back on! So long Fortis!
We have lived in houses with, and without, natural gas. Our last home in Seattle was built in 1908 and an early example of a 100% electric house. Originally heated via coal or oil furnace, the house bypassed the gas era (never connected to street mains) so was fully electric when we moved in.
The majority of houses in North Vancouver use gas for heating and HW, and our rancher is no exception. For our net zero renovation, we are focussed on 1) energy efficiency measures (to drive down our total energy use) 2) installing electric systems and appliances 3) providing that electricity from renewables.
In BC, 87% of electricity comes from hydroelectric sources, 5% from biomass, 4% from wind and the rest from other sources. Our electricity is some of the cleanest and lowest-cost in North America! With heat pumps so readily available, 3x more efficient, and rebates in place to make them affordable, ditching natural gas as part of our renovation was a no-brainer.
What about power outages? We are installing a clean burning wood stove for back-up heat. We will have solar panels that can generate on-site electricity for essential functions + perhaps battery storage. And we have a few back-country stoves we can use to cook in a pinch! Truth is, power outages equally impact gas distribution and gas appliances. Good to have a plan for resiliency in either case.
Weaning off natural gas is an important part of decarbonizing our urban centres. Building codes in leading states such as California are now mandating all-electric new builds as of 2023. Vancouver’s new bylaws require electric HW and heating in all new multi-family and commercial buildings as of 2025. Renovating a home is the perfect opportunity to decarbonize and future proof at the same time ✅✅✅
#netzero #netzerohome #renovation #greenbuilding #sustainability #cleanelectricity
