Today, I had the gas fireplace technician at the apartment on a maintenance call. The entire apartment is heated primarily by that piece of equipment, so having it off was noticeable. The only other option is to use the electric baseboard heaters. I don't feel bad about taking one of the highest forms of energy and turning it into the lowest. I know that most of the power I use comes from falling water. In fact, I once took a bus tour of the inside the W.A.C.Bennett Dam in Northern BC. The thing is, I have to pay for power. On the other hand, my natural gas is part of my monthly maintenance fee. There's little incentive to cut back when it seems free.
The gas fireplace would not light though. That problem was sorted out in short order by the guy from A&B Technical Services. Mr. Alex Barber has a special rate for our strata. I was impressed. He arranged to come by for a service call this morning, although I called yesterday. We made time before another scheduled appointment in Vancouver. He also was honest. I asked about regular maintenance and rather than trying to suggest an annual checkup, he admitted there is little to be done if the fireplace is functioning. He didn't overcharge for the parts and was on his way in less than an hour.