Our Building
FAQ
Q1: How does Orangeville Hydro fit in to the new Energy
Market?
A1: The provincial Government decided that it would be in the best
interests of Ontarians to create an electricity market. In order to
accomplish this the charges that were all lumped together on the old
hydro bills had to be broken down and shown as separate items. This
would then allow retailers to sell electricity, which is the energy
portion of the bill. Customers were already paying many of the charges
that they see as “new”. There are some new charges such as the debt
retirement charge for the old Ontario Hydro and costs to operate the
market. The increase in the charges on Orangeville Hydro’s portion of
the bill have been due to becoming a corporation as mandated by the
government and now having to pay corporate income taxes, dividends,
holding debt, and facilitating the open market. The Ontario Energy Board
regulates all of these charges.
Customers have a choice and the staff at Orangeville Hydro have been
explaining that choice and the coming changes for about 3 years by bill
inserts, bulk mailings, newspaper ads, bill messages, public meetings,
and cable shows. The Choice that the customers have is to purchase their
energy from a retailer at a fixed rate or stay on standard service
supply and get a fluctuating rate. With a fluctuating rate, the prices
are set hourly by the Independent Market Operator and averaged for the
month. It is expected that during times and seasons of high demand (such
as summer and winter) on the electricity generation system that prices
will be higher. During off-peak periods such as spring and fall, prices
should be lower. Orangeville Hydro has no control of or input into
setting these or many other rates on the customer’s hydro bill.
Orangeville Hydro continues to provide a reliable distribution system
that powers the homes and businesses of Orangeville.
Q2: How can I tell how much electricity I use?
A2: You can tell how much electricity you use by reading
the meter in your home or business. Electric meters record the
electrical energy in kilowatt-hours (kWh's) - or thousands of watthours.
Meters have 4 or 5 dials and are read from right to left. The first dial
(on the right) shows single kWh's. The second dial on the right reads in
tens of kWh's. The third dial shows hundreds of kWh's and so on. When
you look at the dial above, or your meter, you will notice that some of
the dials move in a counter clockwise direction. The diagram above shows
how to read a four-dial meter.
If a dial is between two numbers, the lower of the two numbers should be
read.
Q3: How often will I be billed?
A3: All residential and business accounts are billed on a monthly basis,
but billed one month behind. This means, for example, that the bill you
receive in August was for July. Please note that on your first bill, a
$30 Account Setup charge will be applied.
Q4: How do I read my bill?
A4: If you are a homeowner or tenant paying utilities for you home, your
residential bill is pretty straightforward. However, understanding the
cost of energy for businesses becomes a little more complex. For a
complete breakdown of what appears on a commercial bill, please click
here
Q5: Why do my bills vary?
A5: Your bills may vary because there are many things that contribute to
your hydro bill. Things such as the weather, age of the appliances in
your home, how you use your energy, how many people you have in your
home, how often you are there and the number of days the billing period
covers are all factors that could cause your hydro bill to be high.
Q6: What uses the most energy in my electric home?
A6: The things that use most of your energy in an electric home are:
Base board heaters, electric water tanks, dehumidifier, stove, dryer,
micro furnaces, fridge, freezer, fish tanks, hot tubs, waterbeds, and
air conditioners
Q7: How much does it cost to run an appliance?
A7: To calculate how much it costs to run an appliance you can use this
formula:
Volts x Amperes = watts
1000 Watts = 1 kilowatt (kW)
Kilowatt-Hours=kw x hours
=kWh
kWh x cost per kWh = Cost
Example: Motor 120 volts, 6 amps on for 12 hours at $.0736 for 31 days
120 volts x 6 Amps = 720 Watts
720 Watts/1000 watts = .72kW
.72kW x 12 hours = 8.64 kWh
8.64 kWh x .0736 = .636
.636 x 31 days = $19.72
.