Hydro rates are on the rise and Ottawa River Power Corporation is able to break it down for us. Justin Allen, President and CEO of ORPC says a typical residential customer would see an increase of $0.23 per month under the new formula. For local business, they could see an increase of $8.66 per month. Allen says ORPC is planning to invest heavily in pole and transformer renewals, to continue to deliver safe and reliable power.
Here are some energy saving tips from Ottawa River Power Corporation:
- Set your home to the right temperature. In the summer, consider setting your cooling system at 24-25 degrees Celsius. In the winter, consider setting your heating system at 20-22 degrees Celsius when you’re home, 17-19 degrees Celsius when you’re away or heading for bed for the night
- Invest in low-flow fixtures for your shower and faucet; they use significantly less water than traditional fixtures, meaning your hot water tank doesn’t need to work as hard to keep the water hot – saving you money.
- When doing laundry, switching to cold water wash and using drying racks more often is an easy way to save on your energy bill. If indoor drying isn’t the best for your home, take advantage of the summer months and dry clothes and linens with the help of the sun.
- A water heater blanket can help reduce the heat loss from your electric hot water heater tank by 40%. Water heater blankets can be found at your local hardware store and range in price from $30 – $50.
When lights burn out, make the switch to LEDs. LEDs use 70 to 90% less electricity than traditional bulbs and last up to 3.5 times longer.
- Unplug electronics that are not in use. Check your home for appliances that continue to drain energy. An easy way to find these electronics is be seeing any glowing lights from appliances in dark rooms. These phantoms can be anything from your microwave to your charging device. To avoid phantom drainers, you can also try a smart power bar. They automatically turn off power to electronics connected to secondary outlets when the main device is powered down, so you can save energy without unplugging.
- Save on Energy also offers the Energy Affordability Program. It provides support to income-eligible electricity consumers by helping them to lower their monthly electricity costs and to increase their home comfort. For more information on the program, call 1.855.591.0877 or email eap@saveonenergy.ca
Allen goes on to mention that “Like most utilities in Ontario, ORPC faces the need to renew aging electrical infrastructure. Much of the province’s electrical system was built over 50 years ago and has reached the end of its productive life. Much like other utilities, ORPC also faces external cost pressures, such as inflation. ORPC is working on balancing its need for assets and the money needed to pay for assets keeping in mind its customers’ need for value.”