Electricity use dips by 3.5% per cent during Earth Hour in Toronto
Toronto went dark to celebrate the importance of energy conservation
TORONTO, March 28, 2015 /CNW/ - Toronto Hydro customers came together this evening to show their support for Earth Hour, as the city's electricity use dipped by 103 Megawatts (MW) or 3.5%.
That's equivalent to removing just under 42,000 homes off of Toronto's electricity grid.
Torontonians also showed their love for the earth by taking part in Toronto Hydro's Earth Hour party contest. Customers who posted photos of their parties to Twitter using the hashtag #EarthHourTO are now eligible to win a $100 Visa prepaid card. Five winners will be chosen at random on March 31.
About Earth Hour
Earth Hour is a global environmental initiative in partnership with World Wildlife Fund (WWF), which asks individuals, businesses, governments and communities to turn off their lights to show their support for environmentally sustainable action. It's been celebrated in Toronto since 2008.
Conservation tips
Toronto Hydro customers looking to scale back their electricity consumption all year round can take advantage of Toronto Hydro's saveONenergyOM coupons for discounts on energy-efficient products for the home. Downloadable coupons are available for lighting controls, compact fluorescent lights (CFL), LED bulbs and power bars. For coupons and participating locations, please visit torontohydro.com/coupons.
To help manage electricity bills, customers on Time-of-Use (TOU) rates can view their hourly, weekly and monthly electricity consumption to see where they can shift usage to lower-priced, off-peak periods. For more information, visit torontohydro.com/tou.
QUICK FACTS
- Earth Hour began in 2007 in Australia
- In 2014, the load drop in Toronto was 6%
- The most successful Earth Hour Toronto campaign took place in 2009 when the city achieved a 15.1% load drop
QUOTES
"Torontonians have once again showed their commitment to the environment by participating in Earth Hour. The energy saved during just one hour is enough to power thousands of homes, and that's something to be really proud of."
- Anthony Haines, President and CEO, Toronto Hydro
ABOUT TORONTO HYDRO
Toronto Hydro-Electric System Limited owns and operates an electricity distribution system, which delivers electricity to approximately 740,000 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 the province of Ontario.
Twitter - twitter.com/torontohydro
Facebook - facebook.com/torontohydro
YouTube - youtube.com/torontohydro
Flickr - flickr.com/torontohydro
LinkedIn - Linkedin.com/company/toronto-hydro
SOURCE Toronto Hydro Corporation
Christina Basil, Communications and Public Relations, 416-902-9437, [email protected]; 24-hours media line: 416-903-6845, [email protected]
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