Beginning May 2, 2012, FortisBC, the province’s only integrated energy utility, delivering natural gas, electricity and energy solutions, will begin rewarding residential customers who sign up for renewable natural gas (RNG) through a new partnership with the AIR MILES Reward Program. Until July 1, 2012, FortisBC residential customers can earn 30 AIR MILES Reward Miles as soon as they sign up to receive renewable natural gas and will then continue to earn 10 additional reward miles with their gas bill every month. Consumers can learn more about this offer by visiting www.fortisbc.com/airmiles.
Renewable Natural Gas – A Rewarding Choice
The renewable natural gas product offered by FortisBC launched in June, 2011 and provides a greener energy option to consumers to designate 10 per cent of their household’s natural gas usage as renewable natural gas.
“Renewable natural gas is a cleaner, greener source of energy and, since the launch of the product, residents and businesses alike across B.C. are supporting and endorsing it as an easy, more sustainable way to heat and power their homes,” says Doug Stout, vice president, energy solutions and external relations, FortisBC. “Through our unique and innovative partnership with AIR MILES, we are now adding a layer of excitement and even more appeal to our responsible consumer offering.”
Rewarding consumers for responsible choices is not new for AIR MILES, which already works with a large number of Canadian energy utilities, transit authorities, waste diversion authorities, health authorities and various NGOs; however, offering rewards continuously in the form of loyalty points to residential natural gas consumers making this more responsible choice is not only a first for AIR MILES in Canada, but also a world’s first for the energy industry.
“We are thrilled to be joining hands with FortisBC on this innovative initiative and applaud their terrific focus on promoting more sustainable choices among their customers” says Andreas Souvaliotis, President of AIR MILES for Social Change. “Through this wonderful initiative, we are confident we will accelerate the shift to renewable energy use throughout British Columbia.”
About Renewable Natural Gas
FortisBC is now the first regulated utility in North America to offer renewable natural gas to its residential and commercial customers. RNG is derived from organic waste from local landfills and farms. The methane from these sources is captured, cleaned up to “pipeline quality” and added to the natural gas pipelines, giving customers a cleaner, greener, homegrown source of energy from a renewable resource.
The RNG product equates to 10 per cent of a households natural gas usage and customers pay a modest premium for the product. RNG is also considered carbon neutral in B.C., therefore all subscribers’ carbon tax are credited by 10 per cent for its use. The estimated total greenhouse gas savings in the program’s first year is 5,000 tonnes of carbon, the equivalent to removing 1,000 vehicles from the roads*.
For more information about FortisBC’s renewable natural gas offering, visit: fortisbc.com/renewablenaturalgas.
To learn more about AIR MILES and this new residential offer, please visit: www.fortisbc.com/airmiles.
About FortisBC
FortisBC is an integrated energy solutions provider focused on providing safe and reliable energy, including natural gas, electricity, propane and alternative energy solutions, at the lowest reasonable cost. FortisBC employs more than 2,300 British Columbians and serves approximately 1.1 million customers in more than 135 B.C. communities. FortisBC is indirectly wholly owned by Fortis Inc., the largest investor‐owned distribution utility in Canada. FortisBC owns and operates four regulated hydroelectric generating plants, approximately 7,000 kilometres of transmission and distribution power lines and approximately 47,000 kilometres of natural gas transmission and distribution pipelines. FortisBC Inc., FortisBC Energy Inc., FortisBC Energy (Vancouver Island) Inc., and FortisBC Energy (Whistler) Inc. do business as FortisBC. Fortis Inc. shares are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange and trade under the symbol FTS. Additional information can be accessed at www.fortisinc.com or www.sedar.com.
About the AIR MILES Reward Program
Founded in 1992, the AIR MILES Reward Program is Canada’s premier coalition loyalty program with more than 10 million active Collector accounts, representing approximately two‐thirds of all Canadian households. The AIR MILES Reward Program allows Collectors to earn reward miles simply by doing their everyday shopping at more than 220 leading brand‐name Sponsors, representing thousands of retail and service locations across Canada and leading global brands online. The AIR MILES Reward Program also allows Collectors to indulge in more than 1200 leisure, entertainment, merchandise, travel and a range of accredited, environmentally‐friendly lifestyle rewards. With AIR MILES Cash, Collectors can also have the flexibility to instantly redeem their AIR MILES reward miles in‐store towards many everyday and high value purchases like gas, grocery, drug store items and home improvement purchases at participating Sponsors.
For more information, or to arrange an interview with a spokesperson, please contact:
Neal Pobran
FortisBC
Corporate Communications Advisor
250‐469‐8128
*Based on delivering 100,000 gigajoules (GJs) of RNG to the FortisBC natural gas system.