OPA Program

Summer Savings Program

The Summer Savings program ended August 31, 2007. Thank you Oakville Hydro customers for doing your part to reduce your electricity use this summer. By using less electricity, you’ve already saved on your electricity costs, while helping to reduce the strain on the electricity system during the high-demand summer months. And you’ve also done something good for the environment.

The Summer Savings program ran from July 1, 2007 until August 31, 2007. There was no need to enroll – eligible Oakville Hydro customers were automatically part of the program. If you reduced your electricity use by 10% between July 1 and August 31, as compared to the same period last summer*, you will receive an additional 10% credit on your upcoming electricity bill. This is on top of what you already saved by using less electricity!

The credits from the Summer Savings program will appear on electricity bills between mid September and mid November 2007, depending on individual billing schedules.

For the purposes of comparison, Oakville Hydro will make adjustments to your electricity use data to take into account any weather differences between 2006 and 2007

Save year round

Even though the Summer Savings program has ended, you can keep saving all year round by using less electricity. Why not check our energy efficiency tips to see how you can keep conserving this fall and winter. The following programs are also available to help Oakville Hydro customers use less electricity.

The Great Refrigerator Roundup – let Oakville Hydro and the Ontario Power Authority help you get rid of your electricity-guzzling old second fridge. We’ll come right into your home to get it, and dispose of it in an environmentally-sensitive way.

Cool Savings Rebate Program – This popular program has just been extended to December 31, 2007. You can qualify for up to $800 in rebates by replacing your furnace and air conditioning system with energy-efficient models. Program details and participating heating and cooling contractors and can be found here, Cool Savings Rebate page.

Every Kilowatt Counts – Oakville Hydro is proud to support the OPA’s Every Kilowatt Counts program. Watch for more than $35 in coupons on energy-efficient products that will help you reduce your lighting and heating costs, as well as reduce “phantom load.” Remember to visit the Every Kilowatt Counts page on September 18 to download your coupons or simply visit your retailer.

Summer Savings FAQ

What was the Summer Savings program?

Oakville Hydro, with support from the Ontario Power Authority, designed a program to reduce summer electricity consumption by ten per cent among Ontario’s homeowners. Residents, who successfully reduced their electricity consumption by ten per cent between July 1, 2007 and August 31, 2007 as compared to the same period last summer, will receive an additional 10% savings on their electricity bill. Oakville Hydro will make adjustments to account for weather normalization between 2006 and 2007.

When did this program run?

The Summer Saving Program ran from July 1 st until August 31 st, 2007.

Why was the program offered only for two months? Due primarily to the use of air conditioners, summer is generally the peak season for electricity usage in much of Ontario. Encouraging Ontarians to conserve electricity helps to take some of the strain off the system, particularly in the summer.

Why are you paying people to conserve electricity?

Studies have shown that saving money is a strong motivator. This program is designed to encourage and reinforce wise and responsible use of electricity because conservation benefits all Ontarians. If consumers take advantage of our other conservation programs, and make use of the hints and tips we’ve provided, they are likely to receive this 10% credit as well as long-term savings on their hydro bill due to reduced consumption.

How did people sign up for the program?

You did not need to do anything. You were automatically eligible as long as:

• you were a residential customer
• you hadan active account with a 12-month billing history at your current address as of July 1, 2007
• you had an active account at the same premises for the full program season (from July 1 to August 31, 2007)

I have a seasonal/recreational home and/or bulk metered multi-unit residence. Do I still qualify for the rebate?

Unfortunately your residence does not qualify.

When will I receive my credit?

The program ends on August 31 st, 2007 and the credit will appear on your electricity bill between mid September and mid November 2007, depending on your individual billing schedule.

Will I receive my credit all at once?

Yes, the entire credit will be applied on one bill at the end of the program.

How much of a credit will I receive?

If you are eligible for the program, you will receive a credit of 10% of the electricity charges you were billed from July 1-August 31/07.

What can I do to reduce electricity usage?

This program is part of a series of conservation programs, all of which are designed to provide Ontarians with the tools and information to understand and manage their electricity consumption. For more energy efficiency tips, visit our website at www.oakvillehydro.com , or go to www.everykilowattcounts.com

I wasn’t living in my home last year, can I participate?

Unfortunately you will not be eligible for the rebate. Only those with a 12-month billing history at the same address as of July 1, 2007 are eligible.

I moved in August. Can I get a rebate those two months?

Unfortunately, you will not be eligible to receive a rebate since you were not at your current billing address for the duration of the program.

Why are you paying people to do something they might do anyway?

The conservation programs we offered this summer were designed to provide Ontarians with the tools and information to understand and manage their electricity consumption. The Summer Savings program rewards Ontarians for making the effort to conserve and reinforces smart and responsible electricity consumption.

I’m already doing everything possible to conserve. Why aren’t you running a program that will give me a credit?

We appreciate everything that you are doing to conserve energy, particularly during the summer months when there is a strain placed on the system. Because of your proactive actions, you have been lowering your monthly costs since you started conserving. Although you may not receive the 10% credit because you are already maximizing your conservation efforts, you really have been saving for a long time.

I have/had a contract with an electricity retailer; can I still participate in the Summer Savings Program?

Yes, you are able to participate.

I am billed by you but I have a contract with an electricity retailer; how will my credit be calculated?

Since we are aware of the rate that you are charged for electricity by your retailer, Oakville Hydro will use that rate to calculate your credit.

I am billed by an electricity retailer, how will my credit be calculated?

Since your electricity retailer bills you, Oakville Hydro will calculate the credit and provide the credit amount due to each customer to the electricity retailer. The retailer will then apply the appropriate credit to your bill.

How will I receive my credit?

You will receive your credit on your electricity bill between mid September and mid November 2007, depending on individual billing schedules.

How will you calculate my credit?

We will review your account to determine whether or not you meet the eligibility criteria. If you are considered eligible we will then match your billing data with the summer savings months and compare the 2006 and 2007 data. Once the consumption has been determined a weather normalization factor will be applied. The 10% rebate will then be calculated for applicable charges within the summer savings period of July 1 – Aug 31 2007. The credit will be applied to your bill between mid September and mid November 2007, depending on your individual billing schedule .

What is weather normalization?

Differences in temperature from summer to summer can have a significant impact on your electricity bill due to more or less air conditioning that is used in the home. We will compare electricity usage for both years, make necessary adjustments to take into account fluctuations in weather, and determine average summer temperatures.

Here’s an example:

Imagine two successive summers, in which the temperature was exactly the same. Of course, if you set your air conditioning thermostat at the same temperature both years, your consumption of electricity will be exactly the same.

Now imagine that the second summer was actually much hotter than the first. What happens if you leave the thermostat the same as the first summer? Even though you have done nothing, your electricity usage goes up because you are making the air conditioner work harder.

The same holds true in the opposite case—if the weather is generally cooler—you will not need as much electricity. So it may look like you are conserving, but in fact you haven’t moved your thermostat at all.

By comparing actual weather with the 30 year average for each summer—it’s called weather normalization—we are able to remove the impact of abnormal weather and show that you didn’t change your thermostat from one year to the next.

In both these cases, we are talking about what happens if you do not change your habits at all. But the same principles hold true if you are trying hard–weather can distort the results and we don’t want that to happen. We want to reward people who are truly contributing to the province’s conservation and environmental targets.

What is included/excluded in the 10% rebate?

What is the Ontario Power Authority?

This is an organization set up by the Ontario provincial government to Plan the Ontario Power System, Develop Generation, Develop the Electricity Sector and encourage electricity conservation.

Are there other programs to save electricity that are available to homeowners now?

Yes there are currently 2 other programs being run by the Ontario Power Authority that you may be interested in :

1. The peaksaver Program allows qualified customers who reside in areas where electricity usage is higher in summer than in winter to have Oakville Hydro briefly reduce the central air conditioner’s electricity usage during critical peak times which are typically weekday afternoons during the hottest days of the summer but never on holidays or weekends.

1. The Great Refrigerator Roundup – Ontarians are encouraged to take advantage of the opportunity to dispose of their energy intensive, secondary refrigerators in an environmentally friendly way. Complete program details can be found on the Ontario Power Authority’s website: www.everykilowattcounts.com

3. The Every Kilowatt Counts program - provides Ontarians with up to $35 in discount coupons for energy efficient products that will help reduce your lighting and heating costs, as well as reduce “phantom load”. You can visit www.everykilowattcounts.com on September 17 to download your coupons or simply visit your local retailer.

About Oakville Hydro Electricity Distribution Inc.
Oakville Hydro Electricity Distribution Inc. (OHEDI) is regulated by the Ontario Energy Board and distributes electricity throughout Oakville. Upon opening of the Ontario electricity market in 2002, OHEDI started distributing electricity to customers at the Standard Supply Service (SSS) Rate set by the Ontario Energy Board. OHEDI also provides information on electricity rates, water rates, lines and operations. The current number of customers serviced by EDI is in excess of 53,000, and growing at a rate of 3,000 customers per year.

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.

Media Inquiries:
Please e-mail us at OPA@oakvillehydro.com

Comments:
Fill out a Comments Form Online about this OPA program.