electricity

The Ontario Government has announced it’s launching a new ultra-low overnight price plan in an effort to lower electricity costs for consumers.

On May 1st, 2023, customers of different electricity providers from around the province will have the ability to opt-in to the new price plan with all utilities required to offer it to customers within six months. The new plan is ideal for customers that use more electricity at night.

Customers of the following distributors can access the new plan on May 1st:

Toronto Hydro
London Hydro
Centre Wellington Hydro
Hearst Power
Renfrew Hydro
Wasaga Distribution
Sioux Lookout Hydro

This newly announced pricing structure is one of three available for electricity customers alongside the existing Time-of-Use and Tiered plans. Customers that find themselves using more electricity at night, whether it be for electric vehicles (EVs) or those who electrically heat their homes, could save up to $90 per year shifting demand to the ultra-low overnight plan when province-wide electricity demand is lower.

“Our government has put families back in control of their energy bills, and the new Ultra-Low Overnight price plan will give families and small businesses who use more electricity overnight more ways to save,” said Todd Smith, Minister of Energy, in a recent press release.

As for specifics, the new rate set by the Ontario Energy Board will be set at 2.4 cents per kilowatt-hour, 67 percent lower than the current off-peak rate. This comes in exchange for a higher on-peak rate.

Thanks to our government Ontarians have one more tool to take control of their electricity usage and lower their bills.

Read more about the new Ultra-Low Overnight Rate here:https://t.co/Mfb8DH7qRn pic.twitter.com/pX1n2lvFgR

— David Piccini (@DavidPiccini) April 11, 2023

Ontario continuing to excess clean electricity overnight is one of the reasons that this new price plan is able to be delivered.

David Piccini is the Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks for the Government of Ontario. He said the more options for smart electricity, the better for Ontarians and the environment.

“By making better use of the province’s clean grid, our government is taking further action to keep electricity affordable in Ontario,” Piccini said.

The full details of the new ultra-low overnight price plan can be found in the Government of Ontario’s press release here.

Image credit: Shutterstock.

Source: Government of Ontario

What are the pros and cons of running a furnace fan when away from the cottage? I am looking to save on hydro but I worry about moisture buildup.—Ruta Valaitis, via email

Well, there’s really just the one major pro and the one major con. And you already know what they are. “Air circulation is almost always a good idea, but a furnace fan can be expensive,” says Don Fugler, an Ottawa building scientist. “Depending on the fan motor and its setting, a circulation fan can use from 300 to 1,500 watts continuously.” (That said, it might be possible for you to make some adjustments to the unit, for example, replacing the fan motor with one that’s more efficient.)

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But, “here is one interesting fact,” says Fugler. “If you heat your cottage with electricity during the winter to keep it above freezing, the furnace fan electricity use will not add greatly to that cost. Those 300 to 1,500 watts of fan electricity will simply offset 300 to 1,500 watts of electric heating.” (This is assuming that your furnace runs on electricity, not natural gas, oil, or propane.)

So, if you regularly visit your cottage in the winter, it might be beneficial to leave the heat on low when you’re away—Fugler suggests at least 5°C—along with running the fan. Bonus: this’ll probably make the cottage visit more pleasant, certainly when you first arrive. “If you let the cottage go down to -10°C, or whatever ambient temperature is in the vicinity, it will take all weekend for the surfaces and bedding to get up to comfortable temperatures,” says Fugler.

Have you had moisture problems before? “Existing conditions are the best indication of the need for more ventilation,” says Fugler. “When people ask if they should add more attic vents, I ask if they have had to replace roof boards or sheathing due to rot.”

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Air circulation will help to minimize localized moisture problems, says Fugler—for example, window condensation that drips down onto the windowsill. But no fan in the universe will prevent moisture buildup if water is getting into the cottage from, say, leaks or a high water table. You’d want to resolve those problems before trying any ventilation solutions.

This article was originally published in the Winter 2022 issue of Cottage Life.

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