What is
the peaksaver® program? Horizon Utilities, with support from the
Ontario Power Authority, are making it simple for Ontario
residents to do their part to conserve energy and ease the strain
on the electricity system during summer peak demand times. Peaksaver®
allows residential and small commercial customers of Horizon
Utilities to help reduce the demands on Ontario's electricity
system, simply and effectively. A peaksaver®
programmable thermostat may be installed free of charge to replace
your existing thermostat. During critical times of peak
electricity demand (typically on hot summer days), a signal can be
remotely sent by the Ontario Power Authority to cycle your central
cooling system's compressor (15 minutes on, then 15 minutes off)
over a four-hour period, to reduce the amount of electricity it
uses. You probably won't notice any significant change in comfort
levels, as the furnace fan will continue to operate and you'll be
doing your part to help conserve energy and our environment!
In addition Horizon Utilities is offering a
voluntary load-managing switch applied to electric water heaters
that would temporarily turn off the power for three hours during a
peaksaver® event.
Customers who sign up will receive a one time
$25 credit applied to their Horizon Utilities account just
for participating in the peaksaver®
program.
Can I
enroll in the peaksaver® program? For Residential Customers: Any
Horizon Utilities customer who has central air conditioning is
eligible for the peaksaver® program.
You must own the home or building or receive written permission
from the owner. For Business customers: Business customers are eligible if
your central air conditioners are approximately the same size as
those used by residential customers and you own or have your
landlord or property manager's approval to participate. Please
have them contact us to enroll in the program.
How
does the program work? The purpose of the voluntary peaksaver®
program is to help residential and small businesses customers be a
part of Horizon Utilities energy demand management solution.
During times of peak electricity demand in the province the
programmable thermostat or other switching device installed by us
(a $350 value FREE of charge), can be remotely activated by the
Ontario Power Authority to help reduce the strain on the
province's electricity system. During a peaksaver®
activation event the programmable thermostat or switching device
would cycle the central air conditioner's compressor, alternating
15 minutes on, then 15 minutes off, for a maximum of 4 hours. The
maximum number of peaksaver®
activations between May and September would be 10. Participants in
the peaksaver® program to date have
not complained of any noticeable change in building occupant
comfort levels as the furnace fan continues to operate. Customers
say they feel good knowing that they have made a positive
contribution to energy management and the environment.
When
will the program launch? Customers can begin booking appointments
immediately by calling the peaksaver®
customer care centre at 1-866-323-0206. If you want to start being
part of the energy conservation solution right away, here are
three ways you can reduce electricity consumption:
In summer hang
your clothes outside to dry instead of using an electric clothes
drier
Turn up your
air conditioning thermostat higher than 25 degrees Celsius (use
fans instead to stay cool)
Turn off all
unnecessary lights (use compact fluorescent light bulbs for
essential lights - they use 75% less electricity).
Do I
receive anything for participating? Apart from potential electricity savings
and benefiting the environment, a one time credit of $25.00 will
be applied to your Horizon Utilities account for having the peaksaver®
device installed.
How
will I get my money? Your incentive will be a one time
twenty-five dollar ($25.00) credit to your Horizon Utilities
account and will appear on your next invoice.
Will it
cost me anything to participate? It will not cost you anything to
participate and there is no maintenance cost. Just for signing up
and having the device installed, you will receive a one time $25
incentive applied to your Horizon Utilities account.
How
much money could the peaksaver® Program
potentially save me? peaksaver®
Peaksaver operation savings may not be significant, however,
noteworthy savings can be obtained through the programmable
function of the thermostat, including its unique ability to be
accessed and controlled by you through the Internet using a
secured password. Also, the collective use of the peaksaver®
device will keep the cost of electricity lower in the future by
reducing the provinces need to purchase additional electricity.
Can I
really make a difference by participating? Yes. By participating, you and thousands
of others will allow us to reduce the strain on the electrical
system during peak periods. By doing very little on your part, you
are making a significant contribution to conserving electricity
and helping to improve our environment. We expect the peaksaver®
program will help reduce the demand on the electricity system.
This means we will need to import less electricity (potentially
produced by burning fossil fuels which contributes to poor air
quality) and it has the potential for future savings by keeping
electricity prices lower.
What
do I do if I don't own the house or business property? Can I still
enroll?
Yes, you can still enroll. Your landlord will need to provide a
letter of permission to have the peaksaver®
programmable thermostat installed at your residence.
Won't
it be sweltering when I get home? Residents who participate have said they
hardly noticed when the cycle-down had taken place. The peaksaver®
event is typically transparent to the participant over the
four-hour period there is typically no change or only a very small
rise in temperature, about 1ºC at the end of a peaksaver®
event and your furnace fan will continue to operate.
Won't
there be a power surge when it comes back on? No, the a/c operation will be the same
as pre-installation. Also, the air-conditioners participating in
the program are managed randomly to avoid a power surge.
I live
in a townhouse, am I eligible? If your unit has a separate central air
conditioning unit and you receive a bill from us, you are eligible
for the peaksaver® program.
Businesses
must use much more electricity than residential customers? Why are
you asking regular homeowners to take these measures? Everyone can help reduce strain on the
electrical system. There are many conservation programs offered to
commercial properties and industry as well. For example, there is
a program similar to peaksaver® wherein companies sign contracts to
reduce their electricity consumption during peak periods. In
addition, small commercial businesses with residential size units
qualify for the peaksaver® program as well.
Do I
have to participate? No you do not have to participate as peaksaver® is a voluntary program and you can also request to leave the program at any time by calling 1-866-323-0206. We're confident that people will find it to be an easy way to help reduce the strain on our electricity system and benefit the environment.
Can I
opt-out of the peaksaver® program
temporarily? Yes, you do have the ability to opt-out of the program for a total of 48 hours. Some notice is required for this operation to take place and requests should be directed to the peaksaver® customer care center at 1-866-323-0206.
Will
you have access to any other systems in my house? Will you be able
to control my whole house? No, we will not have access to any other system in your house. The Ontario Power Authority will only have temporary access to the central air conditioning system and if voluntarily included, a switch that limits power to your electric water heater for 3 hours.
Do I
have to be home when this is installed? Yes, we will need you or someone 18 years of age or older to be home so that our certified professional installer will be able to install your new peaksaver® programmable thermostat or other switching device and read and sign the customer contract agreement.
I
don't want strangers in my house. How will I know if the people
who arrive are legitimate? We can understand your concern for security. Rest assured that the installation will be done by qualified, certified professionals working on behalf of Horizon Utilities. When the installer comes to your door you can ask them to produce identification that will show he is working on behalf of Horizon Utilities peaksaver® program.
What
if they break my system? Will they pay to fix it? The installation will be done by qualified and certified professionals working on behalf of Horizon Utilities. They are well trained and will carry appropriate liability insurance.
What
about other damage to my home such as too much dryness? Who is
liable? The installation professionals will assess whether your home's system is suitable at the time of installation. As well, the thermostat or switching device installed will only reduces the central air-conditioner's electricity usage during a peaksaver® event and does not otherwise change the central air-conditioning or electric water heater's operation.
What
does the environment have to do with it? In periods where electricity demand is very high, it usually coincides with days when smog is an issue as well. To meet electricity demand, it becomes more likely that we will have to rely more on coal, oil and gas-fired plants to meet increased electricity system demands. These plants located in Ontario release greenhouse gases and other harmful pollutants that add further to Ontario's air pollution and smog.
Couldn't
we still have brownouts or blackouts anyway? Does this really make
a difference? Every individual and business that participates is helping to make brownouts and blackouts less and less likely so the more people participating, the better!
Why do
the OPA and Horizon Utilities have this program anyway? We are always looking for ways to help Ontarians conserve electricity to ensure a continual supply of electricity. Programs like peaksaver® help everyone in the long run by reducing the need to import electricity and reducing the pressures on our distribution system. It's totally green - peaksaver® will help to reduce the emissions caused by electricity generation helping to reduce the number and severity of smog days.
Which
of my home appliances are eligible for peaksaver®?
Who chooses this? To volunteer and qualify for the peaksaver® program the residential or small commercial customer must have central air conditioning and Horizon Utilities customers may also choose to have a peaksaver® device manage their electric water heater which different from central air conditioning would be turned off for three hours during a peaksaver® event.
If I
have more than one thermostat do I get two incentives? No, incentives are not based on the number of thermostats or switching devices, rather, they are calculated using the number of active Horizon Utilities accounts.
Example 1. Two devices installed in one home but serviced by one Hydro meter - eligible for one incentive.
Example 2. A customer owns two homes and each one has a separate hydro account and meter registered in their name. One device installed at each location, the customer is eligible for two incentives, one for each home serviced by Horizon Utilities.
If I
am a commercial customer can I have more than 1 thermostat
installed? Yes, we will replace all existing thermostats within the designated structure provided each controls a separate compressor.
Who
owns the Thermostats? The thermostat or switching device is given to the customer at the time of installation for use in the peaksaver® program. Horizon will own and maintain the devices provided there is funding available to support the peaksaver® program. Thermostats have a one-year warranty and Horizon will replace any defective thermostats at no cost to the customer. Provided there is funding in existence to support peaksaver® Horizon Utilities will continue to service and maintain these peaksaver® thermostats.
Should funding cease for peaksaver®
the customer will own the thermostat and be responsible for
maintenance, repair and or replacement.
Can I
register for peaksaver® online? Yes, customers will have the ability to
register online for the program. The following link will be
provided through the Horizon Utilities website: peaksaver®
form.
