The province of Ontario is committed to creating a Conservation Culture. One of the ways it plans to do this is by installing smart meters on every home and small business in the province by the end of 2010. Smart meters are one way to help meet the energy needs for Ontario.

It's estimated that over the next twenty years, Ontario will need to refurbish, rebuild, replace, or conserve 25,000 megawatts (MW) worth of generating capacity — more than 80% of Ontario's current electricity generating capacity — at an estimated cost of $70 billion. Producing more electricity is only part of the answer. Conservation and demand management will help us make the best use of our existing electricity resources and slow our growth in demand. Smart meters together with time-of-use rates will help encourage us all to think about how and when we use electricity.

Smart meters allow for Time of Use (TOU) rates which vary based on time of day, day of the week and season.

There are three different TOU periods:
On Peak (when demand for electricity is highest);
Mid Peak (when demand for electricity is modest); and
Off Peak (when demand for electricity is lowest).

By knowing when you use your electricity, you will be able to make choices about how and when you use electricity.

Click Here for Smart House information.

Click Here for OEB Time of Use Rate Information.

Click Here for Time of Use Chart PDF.

Smart Meters together with Time of Use rates will help smooth peak energy demand. When everyone is using a lot of energy at the same time, this creates a period of peak demand. The price for energy is higher when the demand is higher. Also, energy used at times of peak demand often requires the use of more expensive types of generation which may also have a higher impact on the environment.