Small acts can lead to big savings this Earth Hour

TORONTO, March 27, 2014 /CNW/ - The coldest winter Ontario has experienced in 20 years is also bringing us a chilly Earth Hour. On Saturday, March 29, 2014, Hydro One customers will join millions of people worldwide in conserving energy in support of Earth Hour. Earth Hour reminds us that small acts of conservation can lead to big savings.

"The long, cold winter has had an impact on our customers' bills," said Giuliana Rossini, Director, Strategy and Conservation. "This Earth Hour, try adjusting the temperature of your home. Even adjusting it by one degree can make a difference – both for conservation and for your electricity bill."

Hydro One customers interested in finding out how much electricity consumption they reduced during Earth Hour can sign up for the Time-of-Use portal at: www.HydroOne.com/MyAccount. This portal shows hourly usage every day of the year along with temperature. Reviewing hourly electricity use can help you target areas to save in your home either by unplugging unnecessary appliances or shifting usage to off-peak hours.

Hydro One has participated in Earth Hour since 2008, encouraging its employees to turn off lights at home and at work before leaving for the weekend. Hydro One will also turn off all non-essential electrical equipment at its facilities across the province, but will need to keep on some lighting for the safety of the public and workers.

Earth Hour is a global WWF initiative. Individuals, businesses, governments and communities are invited to turn off non-essential lighting for one hour on Saturday, March 29, 2014 at 8:30 p.m. to show their support for action on climate change. The event began in Sydney, Australia in 2007 and has since grown into a global movement reaching more than one billion.

Hydro One delivers electricity safely, reliably and responsibly to homes and businesses across the province of Ontario and owns and operates Ontario's 29,000 km high-voltage transmission network that delivers electricity to large industrial customers and municipal utilities, and a 123,000 km low-voltage distribution system that serves about 1.3 million end-use customers and smaller municipal utilities in the province. Hydro One is wholly owned by the Province of Ontario.

SOURCE: Hydro One Inc.

Hydro One Media Relations 24 hours a day at 1-877-506-7584 (toll-free in Ontario only) or 416-345-6868. Our website is www.HydroOne.com.