Natural gas becomes an asset
to rental property owner
Benefits of natural gas
wall furnaces
When David Stalker set out to build a rental property,
he wasn’t planning anything out of the ordinary. He
had a small lot in Nanaimo where he planned to build
a fourplex: four individual suites with electric heating
and appliances.
A conversation with his FortisBC energy solutions
manager revealed how natural gas could save money,
both on construction costs and on energy costs down
the road.
Piping pays off
He decided to include natural gas appliances
in each suite:
• wall furnaces
• high-efficiency tankless water heaters
• ranges
• clothes dryers
With natural gas heating systems and appliances, the
fourplex project could take advantage of FortisBC’s
Piping to Suites incentive. This saved over $2,000 on
the cost of installing gas piping between the individual
meters and the four suites.
Plus, the high-efficiency tankless water heaters he
chose were eligible for $1,600 in rebates from the
New Home Program.
• No need for chimneys or ductwork, as they’re
installed on exterior walls and direct vented
to the outside
• Compact, to fit into smaller living spaces
• Self-contained, so each resident can control
the heat in their suite
• Energy efficient and allows for zone
heating with individual heaters and controls
in each room
Surprising savings
Choosing natural gas heating and appliances also
reduced his costs to install electricity. “We didn’t need
as much power service put into the units and saved
money on our electrical contractor by not having to run
the heavier cables to power electric ranges and dryers
and so forth,” said David.
Buying natural gas appliances cost a little more than
their electric counterparts, but the price premium was
smaller than he expected. “We were actually surprised
at how inexpensive it was to go with gas appliances over
electric. When we looked at what our savings would be
for hydro bills versus gas, it wouldn’t take long to offset
the price difference either. It just made sense to go with
natural gas,” he said.
Affordable living
The tenants of the suites now enjoy the benefits.
“Everybody who lives there just loves the natural gas,”
said David. “They love cooking with gas, they love the
on-demand hot water, and they love the heat.” The
suites have individual meters. “We’re quite happy with
it, because so far our bills have been very economical,”
he added.
Save even more with common rates
Natural gas is expected to be even more affordable
on Vancouver Island in the years to come. In 2015,
we began phasing in common rates for all natural gas
customers, with additional rate decreases through
2018 for Vancouver Island, the Sunshine Coast and
Whistler customers.
Moving forward with natural gas
David continues to develop other real estate projects
in the Nanaimo area and plans to take advantage of
natural gas wherever he can.
The FortisBC advantage
Incorporate an innovative energy solution
into your next project with FortisBC, a leading
energy provider. We work with you every step
of the way. You benefit from industry leaders
and energy experts with practical, real-world
experience. We help you shape your energy
strategy, with knowledge that could help you
meet provincial greenhouse gas emissions
targets. We also help you take advantage of
available financial incentives.
Starting a new development?
Discover how to add the comfort, convenience
and efficiency of natural gas to your project.
We can help your customers reduce their
energy costs, and you may also qualify for
financial incentives from FortisBC. Learn about
programs for builders at fortisbc.com/rebates.
Financial incentives available
Contact a FortisBC energy solutions manager near you
at fortisbc.com/energyteam.
FortisBC Inc. and FortisBC Energy Inc. do business as FortisBC. The companies are
indirect, wholly owned subsidiaries of Fortis Inc. FortisBC uses the FortisBC name
and logo under license from Fortis Inc.
(15-055 7/2015)
Connect with us