Why mobile home residents are paying for more electricity

Most of BC Hydro's 70,000 mobile home customers are over 60 and live on low incomesbut on averagethey're paying much higher power bills per square foot than people living in houses, apartments, duplexes and townhouses, according to a new report.

The utility's report Mobiles and megawatts: Why mobile homes use the most electricity was released on Tuesday.

A mobile home uses, on average, 50 per cent more electricity per square foot than a single-family homeand about the same as many townhousesor duplexes though they are generally smaller, sometimes as much as half the size, according to BC Hydro.

There isn't much that can be done about the insulation and thin walls of a mobile home, but according to BC Hydro spokesperson Mora Scott, there's still lots that can be done to improve energy efficiency and lower electrical bills.

She said sealing gaps and crackswith weather stripping to block drafts can reduce a BC Hydro bill by about 10 per cent.

Window upgrades can help with energy efficiency there's also a BC Hydro rebate of up to $2,000 for window replacements.

Power intensive behaviour

According to Scott, the utility found there are three examples of common behaviouramong mobile home residents that contribute to hefty power bills.

1. Many people use a single space heater to warm an entire dwelling, when the devices are meant to heat small, confined spaces.
2. BC Hydro found there are often severe temperature swings in mobile homes, with residents opening windows to cool down an overheated home, then cranking the heat again to warm it up.
3. Mobile home residents are more likely than others to use air conditioners, and they're typically portable units that use 10 times more electricity than a central cooling system.

Scott suggestedinstalling a heat pump to drastically reduce the cost of heating and cooling mobile homes. She said it can be pricey between $4,000 and $5,000 after installation, but there's a $2,000 BC Hydro rebate, and she said for someone using an air conditioner and electricity to heat their home, a heat pump can reduce BC Hydro bills by 25 per cent.

She said there are other simple ways to reduce power bills, like tweaking the thermostat Scott said dropping it by two degrees can save five per cent on a bill, so reducing the temperature when you're in bed or away from home can make a big difference.

Customers can also apply for afree energy saving kit, which includes things like weather stripping and energy efficient LED light bulbs.

Scott said BC Hydro plans to take the findings of its report and work on plans for other rebates and ways to help mobile home residents reduce their electricity use.