GLOBE-Net, April 28, 2012-An innovative approach is being used by a British Columbia utility to encourage the use of lower carbon fuel for home heating.

Beginning May 1, 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. 

The renewable natural gas product offered by FortisBC was 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," he added.  

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.  

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, or www.fortisbc.com/airmiles.