Off-Peak Hydro Prices All Day On Some Weekdays Over The Holidays

Because Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day all fall on the weekend, off-peak hydro rates will be in effect on additional days, Toronto Hydro said Tuesday.

The off-peak electricity price of 5.1 cents per kilowatt hour is in effect every weekend, but due to the holidays, the lowest rate will also be in effect, all day, on the following dates:

• Mon., Dec. 27
• Tues., Dec. 28
• Mon. Jan. 3

During weekdays in the winter months the off-peak time frame falls between 9pm and 7am; the mid-peak from 11am to 5pm and the on-peak between 7am and 11am and 5pm and 9pm.

Here are some energy-saving tips courtesy of Toronto Hydro:

• Keep all your exterior doors tightly shut and try to avoid frequent in-and-out traffic. Padded door runners help reduce drafts under doorways.

• Lower your thermostat by one degree to save as much as three per cent of the energy your furnace uses during the winter months. For the average electrically heated detached house built before 1990, that could be a savings of approximately $73.39 per year.

• Keep the draperies and shades on your south-facing windows open during sunny days to allow the sunlight to enter and heat your home. Keep them closed at night to reduce the chill you may feel around cold windows.

• Wrap your windows with plastic. Twenty-five per cent of a home’s heat is lost through windows and this low-cost option can reduce this loss by 50 per cent.

• Adjust your thermostat. Recommended thermostat settings for a comfortable environment during the winter months are:

    —  21.0C (70.0F) when you are home relaxing
    —  18.0C (64.50F) when you are sleeping, and
    —  15.0C (59.0F) when you are away from your home for an extended period of time.