REMINDER: Summer Electricity Rates Take Effect May 1st

Peaksaver PLUS customers need to re-program in-home-displays

TORONTO, May 1, 2014 /CNW/ - As of today, summer time-of-use (TOU) electricity rates are in effect. The Ontario Energy Board (OEB) regulates electricity prices and time periods, which change seasonally (summer and winter) to reflect seasonal consumption patterns. Toronto Hydro-Electric System (Toronto Hydro) collects these charges, on behalf of the Independent Electric System Operator (IESO) and other agencies, and passes them through to customers without mark-up.  The average residential customer* will see an increase of approximately $2.83 per month for the summer season.

These rates are in effect from May 1 - October 31.
	Time(s)	Price
Off-peak	Weekdays 7pm to 7am All day weekends and holidays	7.5 ¢/kWh
Mid-peak	Weekdays 7am-11am and 5pm-7pm	11.2 ¢/kWh
Peak	Weekdays 11am-5pm	13.5 ¢/kWh

Notice to peakSaver PLUS® customers: peaksaver PLUS customers using the free in-home energy device to monitor their electricity costs in real-time need to reprogram their  device to reflect the new rates and time blocks.

Watch to see how it's done youtube.com/torontohydro.  Also see the 'cheat sheet' for the start times of each peak period to help with programming the device.

Conservation Tips
To help lower consumption and offset rising electricity costs, Toronto Hydro encourages customers to take advantage of conservation programs and consider implementing the following conservation tips:

1. Install more energy efficient lighting - CFL or LED lights
2. Install a programmable thermostat
3. Draw window blinds on hot sunny days to reduce heat gains
4. Increase the temperature on the air conditioner(AC) and/or use a ceiling fan instead of the AC
5. Use motion sensors and timers
6. Wash laundry in cold water and during off-peak hours

For more energy conservation tips, visit torontohydro.com/conservation.  For more information on peaksaver PLUS and how to sign up to get a free in-home energy device, visit torontohydro.com/peaksaver

About Toronto Hydro

Toronto Hydro-Electric System owns and operates an electricity distribution system, which delivers electricity to approximately 730,000 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

* A residential customer who consumes 800 kWhs of electricity per month

Image with caption: "Notice to peakSaver PLUS® customers: peaksaver PLUS customers using the free in-home energy device to monitor their electricity costs in real-time need to reprogram their device to reflect the new rates and time blocks. (CNW Group/Toronto Hydro Corporation)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20140501_C6136_PHOTO_EN_39860.jpg

SOURCE: Toronto Hydro Corporation

Tanya Bruckmueller
Toronto Hydro-Electric System Limited
W: 416-542-2621
C: 416-903-0440
[email protected]