Media Advisory - The Bright Side of Back to School: Long Weekend = Lowest Electricity Rates
TORONTO, Aug. 31, 2012 /CNW/ - Between back-to-school and end-of-summer blues, Labour Day Weekend can seem bittersweet. To help Torontonians stay on the bright side, Toronto Hydro-Electric System Limited (Toronto Hydro) reminds customers that electricity prices will be OFF-PEAK and at the lowest price all weekend - including Monday, September 3.
Time-of-Use Pricing, Weekends and Holidays
Off-peak hours fall on weekends and statutory holidays, all day long, and the current "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)
With Environment Canada predicting above average temperatures for the fall, the hot weather seems to be here to stay. And, with humid temperatures, come higher than expected electricity bills. 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 higher 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. 1
- 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.
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 712,000 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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1 Source: Office of Energy Efficiency - Natural Resources Canada.
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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