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Under Ontario's open-market system, you can choose to receive power from any number of different electricity suppliers or you can choose to simply stay with your default supplier (your local utility or Hydro One). Currently, all companies supplying electricity to residential customers and small businesses in Ontario are operating under a provincial price cap for the generation portion of the electricity bill. The cap is set at 4.3 cents a KwH and will be in place until 2006.
This means that the only real choice in Ontario's electricity marketplace currently is the source of your electricity. You can buy power from conventional sources, like dirty coal plants, or you can buy some or all of your power from green energy suppliers. Currently, there are two open-market suppliers of green energy in Ontario -- Grey-Bruce Renewable Energy Co-op and Oakville Hydro Green Energy. Anyone anywhere in Ontario can purchase power from these suppliers.
Grey Bruce Renewable Energy Co-op sells its zero emission wind energy in blocks of 1,000 KwH. Grey Bruce calls these blocks "green tags" and you may buy as many blocks or "tags" as you want. Here's how it works: You continue to pay the capped generation cost and other fees (distribution charge, debt retirement charge, etc.) to your local utility. You also pay Grey-Bruce $75 per 1,000 KwH block (7.5 cents per KwH) for power from its wind turbines. So you are paying a premium for zero emission green power, but also displacing emissions of smog and climate-change causing pollutants from conventional generators.
Oakville Hydro Energy Services sells its zero emission wind and hydro energy in blocks of 660 KwH. Oakville Hydro calls these blocks "green light pacts" and, again, anyone anywhere in Ontario can buy one or more pacts. The additional cost per 660 KwH pact is $60 (9.1 cents per KwH) .
Use the calculator below to see the price and emissions impact of adding some green power to your home power mix. (Remember, the generation or electricity charge is the only part of your electricity bill that could vary between suppliers, but this charge is just one part of your total bill. See Your new electricity bill for more details.) By purchasing even a single block of green power, you are helping to reduce harmful emissions from coal-fired electricity generating stations.
Other options for "going green" with your power purchases include investing in Windshare's wind turbine projects or installing your own emissions-free solar or wind power. Of course, the best way to reduce emissions is to reduce your energy use -- see our "How to save energy, save money and save our air" section for more details.
Calculate
costs and emissions
Choose a supplier and the annual quantity of green power you want to add to your power mix. Then enter the number of kilowatt hours (KwH) you consume each month (the average home uses 860 KwH) and click "Calculate." The calculator will tell you the monthly cost and emissions for the power mix you have chosen
By purchasing even a small amount of green power, you are helping to reduce harmful emissions from coal-fired electricity generating plants.
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 1.
Choose a supplier
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2.
Enter
the average kilowatt hours per month
you use (the average home uses 860 KwH)
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3.
Click Calculate
Monthly generation costs and emissions from this power mix
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