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After hearing about Empower Me on a Cantonese radio show in 2019, Peggy saved Anna’s number. When her home eventually needed major upgrades, she reached out and received in-language support through every step of the rebate application process.
When Anna was working as an Energy Mentor for Empower Me back in 2019, she joined a local Cantonese-language broadcast on Fairchild Radio, a well-known station within Chinese communities across Canada. On-air, Anna explained how the Empower Me program supports newcomers, immigrants, and seniors by offering free, in-language education to help people save energy, feel more comfortable in their homes, and access rebate programs.
At the time, Anna — now Empower Me’s Program Coordinator — had no idea how many people she’d reach through one interview. As listeners across Metro Vancouver tuned in, many found the information practical. When Anna shared her number with the radio host, several listeners wrote it down, encouraged by the invitation to reach out with questions or to receive support.
One of those listeners was Peggy, a Cantonese-speaking senior who held on to Anna’s number for years after that interview.
Today, Peggy lives in Richmond, BC, with her youngest son in a home she built over 30 years ago. By 2023, Peggy’s ageing heating system, hot water tank, insulation, and ventilation were in need of major repairs or replacing. Knowing her family couldn’t afford these repairs on their own, she started looking into rebate programs but quickly felt overwhelmed.
“I started researching various government rebate programs. However, the overwhelming and often confusing information made it difficult to distinguish the authenticity of the information I heard,” she recalled, explaining that she was especially concerned about getting scammed. Furthermore, Peggy’ limited English made it even harder to navigate the information available and communicate with contractors on her own.
“Our exhaust fans had been broken for years and really needed to be replaced. When we sought help,the first contractor quoted an extremely high price, and the second one claimed it was a huge project that would require drilling holes in the ceiling. We didn’t think it should be that complicated or that expensive, but we also didn’t have the skills to do it ourselves. So, we just lived with the broken fans for several years,” she explained.
Remembering Anna’s interview from four years ago, Peggy decided to try contacting her on the off-chance that Anna was still working with Empower Me and still had the same number. To her relief, Anna answered.
What followed was nearly two years of support, with Anna guiding Peggy through each step of FortisBC’s energy rebates application process. She explained which rebates Peggy was eligible for, helped her understand the paperwork, and offered support in Cantonese through the whole process. When Peggy had trouble identifying contractors who spoke Chinese, Anna helped narrow the list and even followed up with some of them directly to confirm.
“You not only provided professional guidance and great help in the project,” Peggy wrote in a testimonial,“but also offered your expertise, meticulousness, and patience to help us solve practical problems. This made me deeply feel your professionalism.”
Thanks to Anna’s constant support, Peggy successfully applied to FortisBC’s rebate program. Finally, in June 2025, she received a total of $22,550 for the installation or upgrades, including her heat pump, water heater, insulation, and ventilation system.
“Thanks to you and Empower Me, we felt the warmth and support of the community,” she expressed. “My entire family is deeply grateful, and we will always remember your help.”
Empower Me exists to support people like Peggy, who sometimes face language, trust, and information barriers when trying to access programs and services. For her, what began as a distant voice on the radio became a life-changing source of support and guidance — one that helped her access much-needed upgrades and brought lasting peace of mind.
