Ottawa residents lead the way on electricity conservation

    Ottawa households have the highest rate of CFL use in the country

    OTTAWA, Sept. 21 /CNW/ - The people of Ottawa are being recognized for
their leadership in energy conservation this afternoon in a presentation at
City Hall. Ontario's Chief Energy Conservation Officer, Peter Love, will
present a certificate to Mayor Larry O'Brien, recognizing the efforts of
Ottawa residents to switch to compact fluorescent light bulbs and programmable
thermostats, both of which help to conserve electricity.
    A recent Statistics Canada report shows that Ottawa households are the
most likely in Canada to use compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs, and to
have programmable thermostats.
    "I'm pleased to acknowledge the contribution Ottawa residents are making
to Ontario's goal of saving 1,350 MW by 2010," says Peter Love. "Their use of
compact fluorescent light bulbs and programmable thermostats shows genuine
commitment to saving energy and serves as a model for the whole province to
follow. This is what a culture of conservation is all about."
    According to Statistics Canada, households in the Ontario portion of the
Ottawa-Gatineau region have the highest rate of CFL use (70%) in the country.
"Ottawa residents took up the challenge when they were asked to conserve
energy," said Mayor Larry O'Brien. "Our citizens showed leadership by
embracing new ideas and new technologies as they became available and the
results are amazing," he said.
    With more than 37 separate conservation initiatives in place last year,
Hydro Ottawa and its customers saved almost 62 million kilowatt hours of
electricity in 2006 alone. That's enough to power 6,862 homes in Ottawa for a
year, and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 17,419 tonnes. One Hydro
Ottawa program, Fridge & Freezer Bounty, has now been rolled out province-wide
under the direction of the OPA as The Great Refrigerator Round Up. This
popular program collects old fridges and freezers at no charge and disposes of
them in an environmentally friendly manner.
    "Hydro Ottawa customers have embraced the call for a culture of
conservation - the statistics prove it," says Hydro Ottawa's President and CEO
Rosemarie T. Leclair. "Our customers are using less of the product we deliver,
and that's what we want to see. It reduces the demand on our electricity
supply, saves money, and in the end, reduces our environmental footprint. We
gave our customers the tools they needed, and they responded. We can all be
proud of our achievements."
    Energy conservation programs that meet the needs of residents of the City
of Ottawa will continue to be launched and coordinated by the OPA in
partnership with Hydro Ottawa.

    About Hydro Ottawa

    Hydro Ottawa Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Hydro Ottawa Holding
Inc., is the second largest municipal electricity distribution company in the
province. Hydro Ottawa is responsible for the safe, reliable delivery of
electricity to more than 282,000 residential and business customers in the
city of Ottawa and the village of Casselman. Hydro Ottawa is proud to be a
founding member of powerWISE(R), a program developed in partnership with the
Ontario Government and five other electricity distribution companies to
promote energy conservation to consumers, reduce the overall demand for
electricity and build a conservation culture meant to last for years to come.

    About the Ontario Power Authority

    In pursuit of its mandate of ensuring an adequate, long-term supply of
electricity for Ontario, the OPA creates and implements conservation and
demand management programs, ensures adequate investment in new supply
infrastructure, performs long-term electricity system planning, and
facilitates the development of a more sustainable and competitive electricity
system.

For further information:

For further information: Or to schedule an interview contact: Pat
Uguccioni, City of Ottawa, (613) 580-2424 ext 25276; R. Susan Barrett, Hydro
Ottawa Limited, (613) 221-0063; Ontario Power Authority Media Relations, (416)
969-6307 or 1-800-797-9604