MEDIA ADVISORY - Happy Simcoe Day from Toronto Hydro: Long Weekend = Lowest Electricity Rates
TORONTO, Aug. 3, 2012 /CNW/ - In many parts of the country, people will be celebrating the August long weekend. This Civic Holiday began in Toronto in the late 1800's when city council thought people could use another "day of relaxation" in the summer months.1 Torontonians will be even more relaxed knowing that all weekend - including Monday, August 6 - electricity prices will be OFF-PEAK and at the lowest price.
Time-of-Use Pricing, Weekends and Holidays
Off-peak hours fall on weekends and statutory holidays, all day long, and the summer "Electricity" rate is 6.5 cents/kilowatt hour (kWh).
Time-of-Use Pricing, Monday to Friday :
- ON-PEAK: 11.7 ¢/kWh (11am to 5pm)
- MID-PEAK: 10.0 ¢/kWh (7am to 11am and 5pm to 7pm)
- OFF-PEAK: 6.5 ¢/kWh (7pm to 7am)
It's been an unusually hot summer, so electricity bills will likely be higher than expected. Toronto Hydro is reminding customers to take advantage of off-peak times to offset air conditioning use and to help manage their bills. If customers are surprised by summer bills, they might consider the following reasons for the change:
- Air conditioning can account for up to 50 per cent of a home's power consumption during a heat wave. As a rule of thumb, thermostats should be set to 26°C (78°F) or higher if comfort permits. There are savings between three to five percent in energy costs for every degree raised. 2
- The addition of appliances or other electronic equipment such as a big screen TV or a larger refrigerator.
- Equipment such as dehumidifiers and pool pumps that run constantly.
- Renovations or extensions to the home.
- Changes in schedule or habits such as visitors/guests and/or more time spent at home during the day. Electricity is at the highest price from 11am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.
TOU rates are designed to encourage customers to shift their electricity use to off-peak periods. This helps reduce strain on the grid for periods when electricity consumption is at its peak.
Customers interested in learning more about their electricity consumption can sign up for Toronto Hydro's TOU website, torontohydro.com/tou to view their personal electricity usage on an hourly, daily and weekly basis. The data is updated as recently as the previous day. We've also added new usage alerts, which are e-mailed to customers to help them track and predict their electricity use.
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1 The Archives of Ontario, The Origins of Simcoe Day, www.about.com
2 Source: Office of Energy Efficiency - Natural Resources Canada.
About Toronto Hydro
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 709,000 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.
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SOURCE: Toronto Hydro Corporation
Tanya Bruckmueller, Toronto Hydro-Electric System
E: [email protected]
W: 416-542-2621
C: 416-903-0440
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