Greening Your Holiday Tree: One LED at a Time

Sixth Annual Festive Light Exchange - First Event Begins November 6

TORONTO , Nov. 6 /CNW/ -

NEWS

Toronto Hydro-Electric System Limited (" Toronto Hydro"), in partnership with the Toronto Association of Business Improvement Areas (TABIA) and the City of Toronto's Cavalcade of Lights, launched its sixth annual 'Festive Light Exchange' program today. In exchange for two strings of old, energy-inefficient incandescent seasonal lights, customers will receive one free string of energy-efficient LED seasonal lights. New this year, Toronto Hydro will also show customers how to 'green' their holiday tree with LED lights and do-it-yourself tree decorations that are cost-effective and 'green' - using recycled and reused items from around the home.

The first of Toronto Hydro's 27 light exchange events begins today ( November 6 and 7) at St. Lawrence Market . Last year, thousands of Toronto residents in 18 communities participated, removing almost 19,000 strings of incandescent holiday lights from the grid. A record 10,000 boxes of seasonal LED lights were distributed at neighbourhood and TABIA events city-wide. This represents approximately two megawatts of power (enough to supply approximately 1300 homes.)

Since the program began five years ago, approximately 54,000 old, inefficient strings have been retired overall. That's enough electricity saved to power approximately 3,800 homes. Seasonal LED lights use up to 95 per cent less electricity than traditional, incandescent lights. All copper, plastic and glass collected from the old strings of incandescent lights are fully recycled by Toronto Hydro.

QUOTE - Anthony Haines , President and Chief Executive Officer, Toronto Hydro Corporation

"The continuing success of the program shows us that Torontonians are interested in finding simple ways to conserve all year long."

"Through initiatives like the Festive Light Exchange we can work with neighbourhoods to collectively save electricity and help the environment."

    
    FACTS

    -   Festive LED strings are 95 per cent more efficient than traditional
        incandescent lights, and can last up to 10 times longer.
    -   LED light strings cost approximately $6 to $15 per string (retail).
    -   A typical 50-bulb incandescent strand of lights uses 250 watts and an
        equivalent 70-bulb LED strand uses only three watts.
    -   LED lights are more durable, with no filaments or glass bulbs to
        break. They also remain cool to the touch.
    -   In 2008, Toronto Hydro removed approximately 28 MW from the grid with
        its portfolio of conservation and demand management programs. In
        total, that's enough electricity to power a town the size of Grimsby.
        Since launching its programs in 2005, Toronto Hydro has removed more
        than 387 MW from the grid.

    Sources:

    -   Number of old strings collected - TABIA reports.
    -   Demand savings - calculation based on TABIA reports.
    -   Number of homes - based on average household demand of 1.47 kW
        provided by Toronto Hydro Electric System Ltd.
    -   LED efficiency stats - lighting industry standard calculations.

    LINKS

    -   Festive Light Exchange information and schedule; and instructions and
        video on how to make your own environmentally-friendly tree
        ornaments: www.torontohydro.com/flex
    -   For more information on Toronto Hydro-Electric System's electricity
        conservation programs: http://www.torontohydro.com
    

Boilerplate

The Corporation is a holding company, which wholly-owns the following subsidiaries:

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

The principal business of the Corporation and its subsidiaries is the distribution of electricity by LDC. LDC owns and operates an electricity distribution system, which delivers electricity to approximately 688,000 customers located in the City of Toronto (the "City"). LDC is the largest municipal electricity distribution company in Canada and distributes approximately 18% of the electricity consumed in Ontario. The business of LDC is regulated by the Ontario Energy Board (the "OEB") which has broad powers relating to licensing, standards of conduct and service and the regulation of rates charged by LDC and other electricity distributors in Ontario.

Certain portions of this press release may constitute forward-looking information. Forward-looking information means disclosure regarding possible events, conditions or results that is based on assumptions about future economic conditions and courses of action or attributable to third parties. In some cases, forward-looking information can be identified by terminology such as "may", "will", "should", "expect", "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "predict", "potential", "continue", "plan" and similar expressions or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology. Although the Corporation believes that it has a reasonable basis for the forward-looking information included in the press release, such information is subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions that may cause actual events, conditions or results to differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking information. Some of the factors that could cause such differences include legislative or regulatory developments; financial market conditions, general economic conditions and the ratings assigned to the corporation or its affiliates or their debt securities by rating agencies. The corporation has no obligation nor any intention to update publicly or to revise any of the forward-looking information included in the press release after the date thereof, whether as a result of new information, future events or circumstances or otherwise.

/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, W: [phone], C: [phone], [email protected]