Hydro One advises customers that one degree can reduce cooling costs

TORONTO, June 21 /CNW/ - On the first day of summer, Hydro One advises customers in Essex County and parts of Chatham-Kent that setting their air conditioners one degree higher can save them up to five per cent on their cooling costs.

Time-of-Use (TOU) prices are in effect for most Hydro One customers in Essex County and in the southwestern part of the Municipality of Chatham-Kent. Customers on TOU pricing will know that the higher on-peak price of 9.9 cents per kWh for electricity is in effect during weekday afternoons (11 a.m. to 5 p.m.). Setting air conditioners one degree higher can help people on TOU pricing manage their energy consumption and costs during periods of warmer weather.

Here are some tips to help customers conserve electricity and manage electricity costs:

-   Set the temperature at least one degree higher than you normally
        would.
    -   Turn off your air conditioner when you're not at home OR use a
        programmable thermostat to turn it off (or up) during peak times
    -   Use a ceiling fan to supplement your air conditioner; this way, you
        can raise the temperature on your thermostat and feel just as
        comfortable
    -   Keep doors and windows closed while the air conditioner is running
    -   Keep window shades drawn during the afternoon
    -   Visit www.HydroOne.com\MyAccount to view your electricity use hourly,
        daily, or weekly. Your data is updated as recently as the day before.

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.

For further information: contact Hydro One Media Relations 24 hours a day at 1-877-506-7584 (toll-free in Ontario only) or 416-345-6868, www.HydroOne.com