MPP Sarrazin and Hydro Ottawa Limited Launch Green Button
Province gives families and businesses more control over energy bills
(Ottawa, ON) November 17, 2023 – Glengarry—Prescott—Russell MPP Stéphane Sarrazin today joined Hydro Ottawa Limited to launch the new Green Button data that will allow local families and businesses to track and control their energy use and save money on monthly bills.
Studies have found that access to energy data, which Green Button along with smart home devices enables, can help consumers achieve energy savings of up to 18 percent. Ontario is the first province in Canada to mandate the Green Button standard.
“I’m excited that Green Button is available to my constituents in Ottawa. Local families can now track and control their energy consumption in real-time, empowering them to lower their energy bills and save money,” said MPP Sarrazin.
“Families and businesses want to be in the driver’s seat when it comes to their energy bills,” said Todd Smith, Minister of Energy. “Green Button is part of our commitment to give consumers more choice when it comes to their energy use and will enable easy, quick and safe access to their consumption data through smartphone or computer apps so they can find customized tips to reduce energy use or switch electricity price plans to save money.”
Green Button provides families and businesses the information they need to better understand their energy use so they can make an informed decision on which price plan is right for them, helping them to lower their energy bills. This is done by authorizing the sharing of hourly electricity usage data, in a standardized digital format, directly with approved third-party Green Button applications of their choice.
“We aim to build a more sustainable energy future and a big part of that means equipping our customers with data to inform their energy habits. We are pleased to have Green Button help us achieve this, ” said Bryce Conrad, President and CEO of Hydro Ottawa Limited.
Furthermore, Laura Dudas, Ottawa City Councillor and Hydro Ottawa Limited Board Member, added “Many Ottawa families are dealing with tighter and tighter household budgets, and this is an exciting new program to help residents keep more money in their pockets.”
The implementation of the Green Button standard is part of the Ontario government’s plan to provide consumers with more ways to keep costs down, save money and take control of their energy bills. Most families, small businesses, and farms can select from three pricing options: a time-of-use (TOU) rate, a tiered billing structure, and, as of May 1st a new Ultra-Low Overnight price, which all utilities are required to offer by this fall.
ABOUT HYDRO OTTAWA LIMITED
Hydro Ottawa Limited are committed to providing electricity to our clients with efficiency, security, and quality, and providing the highest quality of service.
For more information, please visit https://hydroottawa.com.
CONTACT:
Stephany Tessier
Stephany.Tessier@pc.ola.org