Faster, Cheaper Power Connections Planned For New Homes, Businesses

BC Hydro has made changes to support faster, more affordable electricity connections for new homes and businesses throughout the province.

The changes, which took effect last weekend, are designed to streamline the connection process and reduce costs, particularly for residential developments.

“With more homes being built throughout B.C., people need fast, affordable access to power,” said Adrian Dix, Minister of Energy and Climate Solutions.

“This policy change helps make that possible by cutting connection costs and simplifying the process. For example, the cost of a simple connection to a new single-family home has dropped by more than 90%, from over $800, and can now be as low as $64.”

The Distribution Extension Policy had been last updated in 2008 and required the first customer requesting an extension to pay the full cost of system upgrades. The updated policy spreads those costs more broadly, so customers no longer carry the full burden when future users also benefit from upgraded infrastructure.

In addition, BC Hydro has increased its contribution to cover more of the cost of extending the electrical system.

These changes are expected to support a wide range of housing developments. Savings on a 13-unit townhouse project, for example, could be approximately $16,000 under the updated policy.

Through its 10-year capital plan, BC Hydro is investing almost $15 billion to reinforce the system, increase capacity and connect customers faster, including construction of more than 50 new distribution feeders over the next five years, enough to power 200,000 new homes.

There is also the installation of more than 250 kilometres of new underground infrastructure and upgrades to 14 substations, and development of dozens of transmission projects underway and planned to ensure long-term reliability.

BC Hydro says it is seeing more and more requests to connect to the grid, more than 40,000 each year.

Connection requests have grown by 30% in recent years, mostly due to housing demand.

To learn more, visit Government of British Columbia.