PEAKSAVER FAQ'S
What is the peaksaver™ program? Bluewater Power, with support from the Ontario Power Authority is making it simple for Ontarians to do their part to conserve energy and ease the strain on the electricity system during summer peak demand times. Bluewater Power customers can sign up for the peaksaver™ program and help reduce the strain on the power grid during peak demand times. This program is being offered to you because you reside in an area where electricity usage is higher in summer than in winter. Can I enroll in the peaksaver™ program? Residential Customers: Any Bluewater Power customer who has central air conditioning is eligible for the peaksaver™ program. If you rent your residence you must provide written permission from your landlord to have the peaksaver™ equipment installed. Business customers: Business customers are eligible if your air conditioners is approximately the same size as those used by residential customers. If you have your landlord or property manager's approval to participate, have them contact us to enroll in the program. How does the program work? With your permission, a Bluewater Power authorized installer will install either a programmable thermostat or a switch near your central air conditioner that allows Bluewater Power to briefly reduce the central air conditioning electricity usage during ‘critical' peak use times – typically weekday afternoons during the hottest days of the summer, but not on holidays or weekends. Do I receive anything for participating? Apart from saving electricity and benefiting the environment, a $25 incentive will be provided to eligible customers who sign up for the peaksaver™ program. How will I get my money? Bluewater Power will provide a $25 electricity bill credit for customers who sign up with the program once the equipment installation is completed. 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 $25 credit on your electricity bill. How much money could the peaksaverTM program potentially save me? You may not see savings directly on your bill, but this program will save everyone money by keeping the cost of electricity lower in the future by reducing the need to import 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 that the peaksaverTM program will reduce the demand on the electricity system. This means we will need to import less electricity that saves everyone money by keeping electricity prices low. 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™ equipment installed at your residence. Won't it be sweltering when I get home? Residents who participated last summer 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 only a very small rise in temperature. Won't there be a power surge when it comes back on? No, the technology takes this into account. The remotely controlled devices only reduce the electricity usage but do not turn off the air-conditioners. 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 for 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. Do I have to participate? No you do not have to participate. peaksaver™ is a voluntary program. 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. 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. We will only have access to the central air conditioning. Do I have to be home when this is installed? Yes, we will need you to be home so that our qualified, certified professionals will be able to install your switch/thermostat. 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 Bluewater Power. When the installers come to your door you can ask them to produce identification that will show that they are working on behalf of Bluewater Power. What if they break my system? Will they pay to fix it? The installation will be done by qualified, certified professionals working on behalf of Bluewater Power. 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 is suitable at the time of installation. They are certified, qualified professionals. As well, the device installed only reduces the air-conditioner's electricity usage during the peak times of the day and does not otherwise change the air-conditioner's operation. What does the environment have to do with it? Periods when electricity demand is very high usually coincide with days when smog is an issue as well. To meet electricity demand, it becomes more likely that we will rely on coal and gas-fired plants to meet the shortfall. These plants release greenhouse gases and add further to 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 are the OPA and Bluewater Power offering 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 help to reduce the number of smog days. Which of my home appliances are eligible for peaksaver™? Who chooses this? To qualify you must have central air conditioning. Residential customers can also volunteer electric water heaters and pool pumps for the program. Along with central air-conditioning units, commercial customers can also volunteer electric water heaters. What happens if I'm using an appliance during the time it will be shut off? For air conditioners, you will not need to do anything. The only difference may be a very slight difference in temperature - most people will not notice a change at all. Do I have to adjust my thermostat or change any other settings? No, participating in the program is easy and requires no effort, time or investment. I have a room air conditioner; can I participate in the program? No, room air conditioners are not part of the program at this time. I already have a high-efficiency air- conditioning system – should I bother participating in this program? Although a high-efficiency system uses less electricity than an older or less-efficient system, any and all electricity savings are helpful during a peak-use period. What is the Ontario Power Authority? This is an organization set up by the Ontario provincial government to plan the Ontario power system, develop generation, develop the electricity sector and encourage electricity conservation. Are there other programs to save electricity that are available to homeowners now? Yes there are currently two other programs being run by Bluewater Power and the Ontario Power Authority that you may be interested in:
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