The cost to run a NAS in British Columbia
By Devin Chua · Data checked by Owen Nakamura · Updated · Prices checked A NAS drawing 40 W around the clock (350 kWh a year) costs about CA$42 a year on BC Hydro's tiered rate if your home stays in Tier 1 (11.87¢/kWh), or about CA$49 if its power lands in Tier 2 (14.08¢/kWh). On the flat-rate plan (12.7¢/kWh) it is about CA$45. Electricity charge only.
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases on Amazon.ca.
The calculator is pre-set to British Columbia; the rate is editable, and its source and dates are shown under it.
156 kWh/year · 18 W average at the wall
Electricity charge only: 156 kWh × 11.87¢. Delivery, regulatory charges and taxes not included.
The same NAS costs about CA$7.48/year more here than in Quebec (7.065¢/kWh): the cheapest place in Canada to run it.
A UPS adds a few percent loss but protects against the far costlier unclean shutdown. Annual figures use your current rate, drive count and active hours.
How BC Hydro's tiered rate works
On the tiered plan you pay 11.87¢/kWh up to a threshold of 22.1918 kWh times the days in the billing period (about 1,350 kWh in a 60-day period), and 14.08¢/kWh above it, plus a small daily basic charge. The NAS's power is added on top of everything else in the house, so it is billed at whichever tier your home is already in. BC Hydro also offers a flat-rate plan at 12.7¢/kWh, and optional time-of-day pricing on either plan.
Does a NAS push you into Tier 2?
A 40 W NAS adds about 29 kWh a month. If your household is comfortably under the threshold, that is billed at 11.87¢, about CA$42 a year. If you are already over it (common with electric heat, an EV or a larger home), every kWh the NAS uses is billed at 14.08¢, about CA$49 a year. Set the calculator to the tier your bill shows.
What the figure includes
These are electricity (energy) charges only: delivery, regulatory charges, the fixed daily or monthly charge and taxes are not included, and the fixed charges are not caused by the NAS, so they are not spread over it.
BC Hydro changes its rates each April 1. Its rate pages give the prices but not the date they took effect, so the calculator shows when we last read them and flags them when the next April 1 has passed.
Compare with other provinces
Frequently asked questions
How much does a NAS cost to run in BC?
About CA$42 a year for a NAS drawing 40 W around the clock if your home stays in BC Hydro's Tier 1 (11.87¢/kWh), or about CA$49 in Tier 2 (14.08¢/kWh). Electricity charge only.
Will a NAS push my BC Hydro bill into Tier 2?
It can, if your home is already close to the Tier 1 threshold (22.1918 kWh a day, about 1,350 kWh per 60 days). The NAS adds about 29 kWh a month on top of your existing use.
How do I know which BC Hydro tier my NAS is billed at?
Compare your usage with the Tier 1 threshold on your bill. Under it, the NAS is billed at 11.87¢; over it, at 14.08¢. On the flat-rate plan it is 12.7¢ regardless.
Is BC cheap to run a NAS in?
Moderately: Tier 1 at 11.87¢/kWh is below Ontario's weighted time-of-use price and well below the Maritimes, but above Quebec and Manitoba.
Devin Chua works out which drives, RAM and NVMe cache fit which NAS model at nasdrives.ca, and what the RAID choice means for usable capacity, checked against what is in stock on Amazon.ca.
Data checked by Owen Nakamura, Technical editor (data checking)