Nice sweater

SDBA’s Turn Down the Heat Week

From October 23 to 29, shoppers in downtown Sechelt might get a chillier welcome than they’re used to. The customer service won’t have changed, but members of the Sechelt Downtown Business Association (SDBA) will be turning down their thermostats for Turn Down the Heat Week.

As an initiative of Business Improvement Areas of British Columbia (BIABC) in partnership with FortisBC, the goal of Turn Down the Heat Week is to encourage businesses and their customers to don a sweater and save energy. Each participating merchant will collect warm clothing that will be donated to the Salvation Army in Sechelt. Each business approaches the campaign a little differently, with some offering discounts on warm clothing or hot beverages, or perhaps giving out tips on saving energy at home.

“Turn Down the Heat Week allows participating BIAs to change their own habits to save energy, but also to give back to their communities,” says Corry Hostetter, president of BCBIA. “Local business owners are connecting with those who live in their area every day, and are able to share their enthusiasm and knowledge about saving energy by making small changes like putting on a sweater. We’re very fortunate to have the support of FortisBC to create this grassroots conservation campaign across BC, in communities large and small.”

FortisBC offers a range of resources for businesses to help them save energy and cut down on heating and hot water costs. Tips and rebates are also available for home customers interested in conserving energy.

“Turn Down the Heat Week shows a real commitment to saving energy and we’re glad to be a part of it,” says Danielle Wensink, director, conservation and energy management, FortisBC. “We encourage all businesses to consider how they use energy every day for heating, water and even cooking and pledge to take at least one or two simple steps to save where it counts the most for their operation.”

Turn Down the Heat Week is in its fourth year. Previously the campaign was held in February each year, but the decision was made to move it to October at the start of the cold season. “Fall is when most of us turn on the thermostat, so moving the campaign to October means we can help people set up good habits when the temperature first begins to drop,” says Hostetter.

More information about Turn Down the Heat Week can be found at bia.bc.ca/turndowntheheatweek.

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