BC Hydro step 2 rates

[cmt489]

f-stop great analysis. So much has changed at our house since getting our X I can't figure out what is attributable to what. This certainly helps.

As for those asking how homes are heated here, it is generally natural gas or electric (with most being natural gas since it is more efficient) and many new builds are moving towards heat pumps. In our house we have a gas furnace and also have electric heat in the floors in two of our bathrooms as well as the playroom in the basement.

 

[RikurEnergy]

Have any of you BC folk spoken/written to BC Hydro about Step 2 rates and your electric vehicle? I did a search on the forum here and didn't find anything.

I get that step 2 rates are designed to encourage a greener attitude by minimising your hydro consumption.

Ironically those of us with electric vehicles who may be more likely to live greener anyway, (i.e. have installed LED lighting and energy efficient appliances), have higher than average consumption due to the vehicle and are being "penalised" by the step 2 rate increase.

I'm curious if anyone has spoken to hydro about this for a potential relaxation in this policy if you have an electric vehicle(s)?

Thanks, Chris, umm I mean Hugh

How about some Grid-Tied solar panels installed on your roof? One of the only clean technologies that can take you out of Step 2 on your Hydro Bill.

 

[Hugh Mannity]

How about some Grid-Tied solar panels installed on your roof? One of the only clean technologies that can take you out of Step 2 on your Hydro Bill.

Would love to, had a 3kW PV on my home in Calgary but unfortunately live in a strata facility now. Plan is to go for the Tesla powerwall/shingle home on the next move!

 

[khaltire]

Old thread, but useful info in here.

Since I got my Model 3, I charge at home every 2 days. The colder weather hasnt helped the range, definitely less efficient than before. Im finding Im hitting my Step 2 every billing cycle, only can be attributed to the car. Sucks, because then everything in the house gets billed at 14.9c/KWH instead of the usual 9.9c (different than this thread as its older info)

I would really love to see BC Hydro say if you have an EV you can get a credit or some sort of fixed rate but I doubt theyll do that

 

[Hugh Mannity]

I would really love to see BC Hydro say if you have an EV you can get a credit or some sort of fixed rate but I doubt theyll do that

they have talked about that over the years. I suspect it’s coming. I agree with you. It bugged me that I always hit Step 2 rates eventhough I was one of the greenest guys on my street.

keep sending them emails. That’s what I did.

 

[Funkmobile]

Sucks, because then everything in the house gets billed at 14.9c/KWH instead of the usual 9.9c (different than this thread as its older info)

I thought step 2 rates only applied to any energy consumed above step 1 rates and not calculated on your entire energy usage.

Residential Rates

In any case your EV will effectively be charged at Step 2 rates instead of Step 1.

 

[Oveeus]

There's very lil one can do to not push into step 2 with an EV unfortunately.

Unless one drives almost nothing and does nothing at home, at roughly 1200km per month, that's already more than 200kwh. (170wh/km on average at 80% efficiency) and for some harder drivers, reaching 400+kwh is not out of question. The rest of the house, lighting, washer/dryer and just regular household consumption will push over the step 1 threshold.

What we could do is ask our representatives to ask for BC Hydro to further incentivize the EV adaption. They should push that threshold a bit further for anyone with EV(s) registered in their account. Similar to what we do with OK stickers, but to prevent abuse, we should do something like it's matched to insurance address, so one doesn't get to keep the cheaper rate if they no longer have EV.

This should also provide an incentive for businesses to add EV charging stations. So they know their hydro bill will not be increased significantly by proving EV charging to their patrons.

 

[Tjex]

Even at lvl 2 you are saving quite a bit over an ICE car. I would calculate your car usage on lvl 2 rates.

I doubt they will change things, it would require another meter to track EV charging. I can see BCHydro do special rates for commercial chargers though.

 

[Gordeee]

Ya i was thinking about this. I think the reason some locations get away with off peak rates is because they are typically warmer locations where people use a/c during the day and then almost nothing at 2-3am. The problem in BC is that some people use electricity to heat their house 24 hours a day. People might crank the heat at 3 am if it was cheaper...?

They have implemented the charger rebate but that doesn't really help those of us that don't need a charger.

I really wish they would come up with some kind of EV owner monthly/yearly rebate. This is likely the easiest way to implement as it would likely be more confusing to have different rates or steps for EV owners.

 

[MexiCanuck]

Ya i was thinking about this. I think the reason some locations get away with off peak rates is because they are typically warmer locations where people use a/c during the day and then almost nothing at 2-3am. The problem in BC is that some people use electricity to heat their house 24 hours a day. People might crank the heat at 3 am if it was cheaper...?

Time of day pricing is not necessary in places where electricity is hydro generated, like BC.

In places where electricity is generated thermally (nuclear, coal, gas, etc.) it is inefficient fir the company to try to change the amount of electricity generated by hour.

During peak hours they have to produce a lot of electricity. During off-peak hours they are producing more electricity than they can sell. They lower the price to sell the surplus electricity and to shift demand away from peak times.

BC Hydro can easily reduce production by reducing the amount of water flowing into the turbine system.

BC Hydro buys electricity from other utilities during off peak hours because others have a need to sell it. Hydro then sells them electricity during peak hours, because Hydro can “turn on the dams”. This permits the other utilities to not have to overproduce so much electricity.

 

[Hugh Mannity]

Yeah what MexiCanuck said. BC claws back the dam flows at night to “recharge” the reservoirs, they then pull electrons from Alberta since they can’t instantly shut down their gas power plants.