GANANOQUE, ONTARIO (May 22, 2012) – Eastern Ontario Power Inc. will send eligible customers** their first Time‐Of‐Use (TOU) bill beginning in July 2012 for energy consumed in June 2012.
TOU billing divides a consumer’s electricity consumption into three different time periods; onpeak, mid‐peak and off‐peak. Each time period has a corresponding rate that will be charged for electricity used during that time. On‐peak electricity rates are the highest, off‐peak electricity rates are the lowest with mid‐peak rates falling somewhere in between. Weekends and holidays are off‐peak and at the lowest TOU rate.
Time‐Of‐Use billing provides an incentive for customers to use electricity during off‐peak periods by charging a lower price during these times, thus managing their electricity costs. By shifting energy‐intensive activities to off‐peak periods, consumers will help smooth electricity demand peaks, create a sustainable electricity supply, and help the environment.
While weekends and holidays are always off‐peak, TOU periods for weekdays change seasonally. When Eastern Ontario Power’s customers receive their first TOU bill in July, it will reflect the current TOU pricing for the summer season, as outlined in the chart below:
|
Time-of-use Periods |
Summer: May 1 – Oct. 31 |
Winter: Nov. 1 – April 30 |
|
Off-peak, 6.5 cents/kWh |
Weekdays: 7 p.m. – 7 a.m.
Weekends & Holidays: All day |
Weekdays: 7 p.m. – 7 a.m.
Weekends & Holidays: All day |
|
Mid-peak, 10.0 cents/kWh |
Weekdays: 7 a.m. – 11 a.m.
Weekdays: 5 p.m. – 7 p.m. |
Weekdays: 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. |
|
On-peak, 11.7 cents/kWh |
Weekdays: 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. |
Weekdays: 7 a.m. – 11 a.m.
Weekdays: 5 p.m. – 7 p.m. |
“With TOU billing, making simple changes to your daily routine can impact your electricity bill because you shift your electricity from the on‐peak or mid‐peak rates to the off‐peak rate,” remarks Michael Pescod, Regional Manager Eastern Region. “For example, running larger household appliances like the dishwasher or washing machine after 7 p.m. instead of 6 p.m. can make a difference.”
Customers are encouraged to visit www.easternontariopower.com for TOU tips and information about the suite of conservation programs offered to residential, commercial and industrial consumers. Eastern Ontario Power is committed to providing our customers with the information necessary to prepare them for TOU billing, and the tools to manage their electricity costs under this new billing structure. Eastern Ontario Power customers will be receiving a Spring/Summer newsletter in early June with further information about the switch to TOU.
Online resources are available to consumers to educate and inform about making changes under the new TOU structure. Residential consumers can visit Ten Smart Meter Lane at: http://www.ieso.ca/house/ and use the online tool that calculates the amount of electricity household appliances consume, and illustrates the savings possible by shifting to mid‐peak and off‐peak periods. A similar tool is available to small commercial consumers and it can be accessed at http://ieso.ca/smallbiz/.
** Customers who have signed an electricity contract with an electricity Retailer will continue to pay the rates as specified in their contract.
** Customers who are classified as General Service > 50 kW and Large Users > 5 MW will not be affected by TOU rates.
For more information, please contact:
Michael Pescod
Regional Manager, Eastern Region
Eastern Ontario Power
Telephone: 613‐382‐2118, ext. 4228
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