Lower Temperatures, Higher Electricity Bills: Winter Bills Are Here

TORONTO, April 17, 2013 /CNW/ - With brighter days and warmer temperatures just around the corner, it's easy to forget the long, cold nights of winter. One unwelcome reminder may be a higher than average electricity bill for customers with electrically heated homes. Toronto Hydro-Electric System Limited (Toronto Hydro) knows that as spring emerges, unusually higher bills come as a result of those long, winter nights.  In fact, winter heating can account for up to 50 per cent of the total bill.

With Time-of-Use (TOU) electricity rates in effect for the majority of Torontonians, customers should try to conserve and shift non-essential electricity use to off-peak times. As winter fades, so do winter rates. Customers should take advantage of the milder weather where heating and cooling are not necessary, and as the weather continues to warm up, windows can be opened versus cranking the air conditioner.

Electricity rates and charges will be increasing over the year.  The Ontario Energy Board has just released the new electricity rates to reflect estimates for the coming year that include more generation and increased costs from sources including renewable, nuclear and hydro-electric.  The rates are in effect from May 1 - October 31.

				Time(s)				Price
Off-peak				Weekdays 7pm to 7am All day weekends and holidays				6.7 ¢/kWh
Mid-peak				Weekdays 7am-11am and 5pm-7pm				10.4 ¢/kWh
Peak				Weekdays 11am-5pm				12.4 ¢/kWh

Visit ontarioenergyboard.ca for more information, or the Toronto Hydro TOU website at torontohydro.com/tou to see the new time blocks and prices, and individual usage on an hourly, daily and weekly basis.

Struggling to pay your electricity bills? Help is available
Whether you need emergency relief for 'past due' bills or help reducing monthly electricity costs by using more energy-efficient products in your home, Toronto Hydro offers programs to assist.

The Low-Income Energy Assistance Program (LEAP) is available year-round to provide emergency relief to eligible low-income customers who are experiencing difficulty paying already 'past due' bills.

Developed by the Ontario Energy Board, LEAP is funded in Toronto through Toronto Hydro's rates and provides eligible customers with a one-time financial assistance grant of up to a maximum of $500 per year, and $600 for customers that have electric heat.

The Home Assistance Program (HAP) helps income-eligible customers reduce monthly electricity costs by installing energy-efficient products, such as refrigerators, chest freezers, light bulbs, programmable thermostats, and appliances, directly into your home at no cost to you. On average, customers can save from $100 - $300 per year by taking advantage of this program. Customers can call to see if they qualify and schedule an appointment by contacting GreenSaver at 1-855-234-9376.

If you are a Toronto Hydro customer in need of assistance or if you have specific questions about LEAP or the HAP, please visit torontohydro.com/leap  and torontohydro.com/homeassistance

About Toronto Hydro 
Toronto Hydro-Electric System owns and operates an electricity distribution system, which delivers electricity to approximately 719,000 customers located in the City of Toronto. It is the largest municipal electricity distribution company in Canada and distributes approximately 19% of the electricity consumed in the Province of Ontario.

Our World. Our City. Our Responsibility. See what we are doing to be safe, reliable and sustainable at torontohydro.com/responsibility

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SOURCE: Toronto Hydro Corporation

Tanya Bruckmueller, Toronto Hydro-Electric System
[email protected]

W: 416-542-2621
C: 416-903-0440