Parksville and Qualicum Beach were way down the list of top energy-saving communities during Earth Hour last weekend, according to statistics provided by BC Hydro.
Parksville residents used 1.7 per cent less electricity during Earth Hour than what's normal for that day and time. That put the city in a tie for 38th place among 69 communities.
Qualicum Beach residents used 1.3 per cent less electricity during Earth Hour. That put the town in a tie for 53rd place.
Earth Hour is an annual global event hosted by the World Wildlife Fund.
BC Hydro said British Columbians saved 65 megawatt hours of electricity and reduced the provincial electricity load by one percent during Earth Hour – the equivalent of turning off about 1.4 million lights.
Earth Hour encourages individuals to turn off unnecessary lights and electronics to demonstrate support for climate change reduction efforts.
BC Hydro customers can view their energy use for Saturday evening by logging onto MyHydro — their online account at bchydro.com/myhydro. They can get an hourly breakdown of their electricity use.
— NEWS Staff/BC Hydro