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Time-of-Use Coming

January marks the beginning of Welland Hydro-Electric System Corp.’s switch to Time-of-Use (TOU) billing for eligible customers**. Customers will receive their first TOU bill in February for energy consumed in January 2012.

 

TOU billing divides a consumer’s electricity consumption into three different time periods; on-peak, 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. While weekends and holidays are always off-peak, TOU periods for weekdays change seasonally, as outlined in this chart: 

 

 

Click to Enlarge 

 

Now is a good time to take a few minutes to look at the timing of your energy use at home, on the farm or at your business. With TOU billing, small changes to daily routines can make a big impact. For example, simply running the dishwasher after 7 p.m. instead of 6 p.m. shifts consumption from an on-peak to off-peak TOU period.

 

There are a number of ways to learn more about Time-of-Use rates before they begin in January.

 

  • Attend our Time-of-Use Open House on Wednesday, December 7 from 6:30 p.m. until 8:30 p.m at the Welland Community Wellness Complex (145 Lincoln Street, Welland)
  • Watch our website for new updates following the Open House
  • Watch your mailbox for your personalized Time-of-Use information kit
  • Sign up for eCare and take advantage of its benefits
  • Visit the Ontario Energy Board website for more details about Smart Meters and Time-of-Use pricing and FAQ's

 

 

Preparing for Time-of-Use

 

Residential Customers

 

You can start preparing for Time-of-Use rates by adopting some of these tips to reduce or shift your energy consumption:

 

  • do some or all of your laundry on weekends or weekdays during mid-peak or off-peak times
  • wash in cold water and hang laundry out to dry when weather permits
  • set your dishwasher to run after 7 pm, always run full loads and use the eco-cycle if you have one
  • unplug battery chargers as soon as devices are fully charged or when the charger is not being used; this prevents the use of “phantom power”
  • avoid charging batteries during On-peak periods
  • plug large-screen TVs, DVD players, game consoles and computer equipment into a power bar and turn the power bar off when not in use
  • try using timers where possible to operate pool pumps, filters and heaters during Off-peak periods
  • Sign up for eCare and track your consumption patterns

 

For more information, visit:

 

 

 

Business Customers

 

As you prepare make the switch to Time-of-Use rates, you might want to take a few minutes to look for new ways to take control of your electricity use:

 

  • review all the new energy conservation programs designed specifically for commercial customers to help reduce energy consumption and energy costs
  • turn equipment down or off when it is not needed means you only pay for what you use
  • see if there are ways you can shift energy-intensive activities to Off-peak hours;  prices are lowest on weekdays between 7 pm and 7 am and all day on weekends
  • maintain and update equipment and lighting; you can get more from your energy dollar by properly maintaining your existing equipment and switching to more energy efficient options
  • monitor your energy use from bill to bill to best manage your electricity costs

 

For more information, visit:

 

 

 

Agricultural and Industrial Customers 

 

Here are a few things you can do to reduce your electricity use:

 

  • for ventilation fans - clean fan blades and shutters frequently and routinely to maintain efficiency - dirt and grime can lower fan efficiency by 20% or more
  • at the beginning of the day turn off all outside safety and security lights or switch over to motion sensors to do this automatically
  • for new and replacement equipment, choose an energy-efficient option properly sized to meet the needs of the job
  • dry grain in smaller batches in the bins; this allows the air and heat to pass through the grain so it will dry more easily and quickly
  • maintain hot water heaters regularly - a clean hot water heater operates 20% more efficiently than a dirty one

 

For more information, visit:

 

 

 

**Customers who have signed an electricity contract with an electricity Retailer will continue to pay the rates 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.