Toronto Hydro and Toronto Community Housing join forces and bring energy
savings home to over 1400 tenants in Toronto

TORONTO, May 21 /CNW/ - Toronto Hydro-Electric System Limited ("Toronto Hydro") and Toronto Community Housing have teamed up to bring electricity conservation programs to over 1400 units in seven Toronto-area Toronto Community Housing building complexes.

Earlier this week, Mitzie Hunter, Toronto Community Housing's CAO along with Toronto Hydro representatives met with the residents of 1 Church Street to kick off the first of Toronto Hydro's Great Exchange events with Toronto Community Housing. These targeted Toronto Community Housing events are in addition to Toronto Hydro Great Exchange retail events taking place the first three weekends in June.

These local events aim to bring electricity conservation to Toronto Community Housing residents' front door allowing them to take an active part in reducing their electricity use and costs. Tenants are able to exchange up to five old, inefficient incandescent light bulbs for new, more energy-efficient compact fluorescent lights (CFLs). As well, tenants also have the opportunity to turn in old room air conditioners and dehumidifiers. The appliances will be responsibly recycled by Toronto Hydro and tenants will receive a $25 gift card for each room air conditioner and a $10 gift card for each dehumidifier.

Toronto Hydro and Toronto Community Housing anticipate that this program will yield electricity savings close to 176,000 kWh the equivalent of taking 20 homes off the grid for a year.

    
    The Great Exchange - program details

    -   At 1 Church Street, over 270 CFLs were exchanged, and approximately
        60 drying racks were given to residents.
    -   Toronto Community Housing was chosen as a partner because they are
        the largest social housing provider in Canada. It provides homes to
        about 164,000 low and moderate income families in 56,000 units across
        the city.
    -   About 10,000 Toronto Community Housing tenants are now paying TOU
        rates. (All of the buildings are ones where tenants are paying their
        own bills.)
    -   Great Exchange events are scheduled at all Rona, The Home Depot and
        Walmart stores in Toronto (32 stores in total) for the first three
        weekends in June from 10 am to 5 pm and at seven Toronto Community
        Environment Days in June.
    -   Toronto Hydro and the Toronto Catholic District School Board and The
        Toronto District School Board are also working together to host 25
        Great Exchange events at schools across the city.
    -   CFLs use 75 per cent less energy than incandescent light bulbs(xx).
    -   By replacing five standard incandescent light bulbs with ENERGY STAR
        qualified CFLs you can save almost $30 every year.(xx)
    -   ENERGY STAR qualified room air conditioners use 30-40 per cent less
        energy than most models sold 10-15 years ago.(xx)
    -   For more information and details on The Great Exchange events visit
        www.torontohydro.com/exchange
    -   Limit five(5) free ENERGY STAR qualified CFLs per City of Toronto
        resident, while supplies last. Limit one gift card per air
        conditioner or dehumidifier exchanged, while supplies last. Offer
        valid for up to five (5) air conditioners and up to five (5)
        dehumidifiers per City of Toronto resident. Room air conditioners and
        dehumidifiers must be in working order.
    

Links:

The Great Exchange: www.torontohydro.com/exchange

Toronto Community Housing: www.torontohousing.ca

BOILERPLATE

Toronto Hydro Corporation is a holding company, which wholly-owns two principal subsidiaries:

    
    -   Toronto Hydro-Electric System Limited - which distributes electricity
        and engages in Conservation and Demand Management ("CDM") activities;
        and
    -   Toronto Hydro Energy Services Inc. - which provides street lighting
        services.
    

The principal business of the Corporation and its subsidiaries is the distribution of electricity by Toronto Hydro-Electric System Limited. Toronto Hydro-Electric System owns and operates an electricity distribution system, which delivers electricity to approximately 690,000 customers located in the City of Toronto. It is the largest municipal electricity distribution company in Canada and distributes approximately 18% of the electricity consumed in Ontario.

(xx) Sources: Natural Resources Canada

/NOTE TO PHOTO EDITORS: A photo accompanying this release is available at http://photos.newswire.ca. Images are free to accredited members of the media/

For further information: Tanya Bruckmueller, Toronto Hydro, [email protected], W: [phone], C: [phone]; Kyle Rooks, Toronto Community Housing, [email protected], W: [phone]