Newsroom

    NORTH BAY, ON, May 21 /CNW/ - Hydro One and Nipissing First Nation signed
a Memorandum of Understanding today to partner in a pilot project which will
help Nipissing First Nation and Hydro One to learn about how to support First
Nations in managing their electricity use under time-of-use rates.
    The agreement was signed between Chief Marianna Couchie of the Nipissing
First Nation and Laura Formusa, President and CEO of Hydro One at an event
held at the Nbissing Secondary School, near North Bay, Ontario.
    Starting in July, approximately 600 Nipissing First Nation residential
and small business consumers will be provided with a monthly statement
comparing their electricity use under their current rate structure as well as
under the future time-of-use rate structure. Customers will be able to review
their comparison statements in order to shift their energy usage from
"on-peak" periods when prices are higher, to off-peak periods when prices are
lower. Members of the community will also be provided with a special monitor
or "in-home device" to track their energy use in real-time.
    "This joint project with Hydro One supports good environmental
stewardship, by helping to reduce energy demand," said Nipissing Chief
Marianna Couchie. "It's a significant opportunity for every member of the
community to learn and prepare for future time-of-use pricing while helping to
reduce energy demand and to help the environment."
    "Hydro One is pleased to be working with Nipissing First Nation on this
important joint project," said Laura Formusa, President and CEO, Hydro One.
"We believe that educating our customers about time-of-use electricity rates
will help them manage their consumption in order to take advantage of lower
price signals when time-of-use rates come into effect. Working with Nipissing
First Nation, Hydro One will identify best practices that can then be shared
with other First Nation communities when time-of-use rates start to roll out
across the province in 2010."
    The pilot also involves trialling the use of "In-Home Displays" supplied
by Trilliant Inc. of Concord, Ontario and designed and manufactured by Aztech
Associates Inc. of Kingston Ontario. The device wirelessly connects to the
smart meter over the Trilliant Secure Mesh™ and displays electricity use
and cost information, helping customers keep an eye on power consumption in
real time.
    Nipissing First Nation residential and small business consumers will be
receiving their time-of-use information kit and real-time energy display
monitor in June 2009. Smart meters have already been installed in the
residents' homes.
    Hydro One supports the Province's move to have a smart meter in every
home and business by 2010. To date, the Company has installed more than
895,000 smart meters across the province.

    Hydro One delivers electricity safely, reliably and responsibly to homes
and businesses across the province of Ontario and owns and operates Ontario's
29,000 km high-voltage transmission network that delivers electricity to large
industrial customers and municipal utilities, and a 123,000 km low-voltage
distribution system that serves about 1.3 million end-use customers and
smaller municipal utilities in the province. Hydro One is wholly owned by the
Province of Ontario.