Huron Expositor, 2007-08-08, Page 2Page 2 The Huron Expositor • August 8, 2007
News
Smart meters installed in Egmondville, Harpurhey
Susan Hundertmark
Egmondville and Harpurhey resi-
dents are among the first Huron
County residents to have smart
meters installed.
Smart meters, which record elec-
tricity usage hour by hour with
lower rates during off-peak times
and higher rates during peak times,
were completely installed in
Egmondville and Harpurhey last
week by Hydro One.
Hydro One's Clinton operating
centre is currently installing 7,527
meters, two-thirds of which have
been installed.
Smart meters will be installed in
Vanastra in August.
"The vast majority of the feedback
has been positive. Most people are
looking forward to these things
going in," says Hydro One installer
Bob Wright.
The province has mandated that
every residence and small business
in Ontario have a smart meter by
2010.
While larger utilities like Hydro
One are proceeding to install the
meters in Huron County's urban
areas, smaller utilities like Festival
Hydro, which
serves Seaforth,
Brussels and
Hensall, have
not received
provincial
approval .to go
ahead yet.
Dave Watts,
communications
manager for the
Smart Meter pro-
gram at Hydro
One, says that
while the meters
are installed in
Harpurhey and
Egmondville, the
new "time -of -
use" rates will
not go into effect
until late 2008.
"There will be
no rate change in
the short term,"
he says.
The new time -
of -use rates
charge 9.7 cents Bob Wright, of H
per kilowatt- Egmondville last Thu
hour during peak times from 11
a.m. to 5 p.m. in the summer and 7
a.m. to 11 a.m. and 5-8 p.m. in the
tk
ydro One,
rsday.
winter, 7.1 cents per kilowatt-hour
during mid -peak times from 7-11
a.m. and 5-10 p.m. in the summer
and 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. and 8-10 p.m.
in the winter and 3.4 cents per kilo-
watt-hour during off-peak times
from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m.
Weekends and holidays are also
considered off-peak hours all year
round.
Because the smart meters are dig-
ital, hourly usage information is col-
lected and will be able to be viewed
by consumers several months before
the new rates come into effect.
"The plan is consumers will be
able to log onto a secure site and
view their usage the day after they
•
Do you remember your first
day back to school ?
We do.
Come and get those little
extras that will make school
fun again for your kids!!!
FREE GIFT BAG
(value $50+)
to the First 50 Educators
who present their
educators card.
Teacher owned and run.
Closer to home so you save on gas!
Near the Square in Goderich and easy to find!
Competitive pricing 6- Superior Service!
greTTITile
36 North Street, Goderich
10 paces north of the Square in
CartvI.'i4 Prettiest Utfie Two!
Susan Hundertmark photo
installs a smart meter in
T4e,
use the hydro. That way, they can
see how much they used at peak
times and learn how to change their
habits," says Watts.
Watts says the new rates will not
end up costing customers more
money since the variable rates end
up balancing out to the same
amount they're paying now for a
constant rate.
The new system will give con-
sumers a chance to save money,
however, if they choose to take
advantage of the off-peak times.
"The message to the consumer is
if they do nothing, it will not impact
their bill. But, they do have the
opportunity to shift some of their
use," he says.
"If you have the . choice to do laun-
dry after 10 p.m., you'll save six
cents a kilowatt-hour," says Watts.
While smart meters will likely
only shift six per cent of the total
electricity use across Ontario, Watts
says that percentage will be vital in
determining if new generating sys-
tems will be necessary.
"Often the dirtiest forms of energy
are turned on to meet the peak, like
coal-fired plants so a lot of people
are welcoming the chance to con-
serve," says Watts.
Rural consumers will be the last
to have smart meters installed
sometime before 2010.
While Festival Hydro has includ-
ed installing smart meters into its
budget in 2007, president Bill Zehr
says he's still waiting for provincial
approval.
He says the smaller utilities will
be watching and learning from the
larger utilities as they install smart
meters.
"We have
from
Casthal
Inistrzcs
some calls coming in
rs who are just curi-
ous, especially
when they see
activity nearby,"
he says.
Zehr says he's
mostly hearing
positive state-
ments about
smart meters as
well.
"When they
know how much
they use during
peak hours, there
will be more
incentive to turn
things off," he
says.
"More people
are becoming
aware of this
energy conserva-
tion requirement
and how it
relates to a
cleaner environ-
ment," says Zehr.
custome
hie.
AiANU/ 4(_ r . aE/t.s•Di unen,(7CLI;
'V' "DIRECT TO YOU"
We brave it- all fnv great ca,s-ui t tiOutJ
• Outdoors • Sunroorns • Pools • r'.ir•rien Arca•
Gu.,ranleod Best
Prices All Year Loop
C.1.1
Aluminum
P.V.(
TUBUTAR
RESIN FURNITURE
. the ultimate in
Elegant Outd.wrr
I iv ing
GRAND BEND 238-2110
Hwy. 83 E. (2 miles from the water plant)
35.000 Sq Ft • 50 Sets on Display
www.gocasual.ca We also manufacture