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At least the splash pads are free.
"This year there is a greater awareness for energy conservation and people are setting their air conditioners higher and using ceiling fans." -- London Hydro spokesperson Nancy Hutton
Cooling off could otherwise burn a quick hole in your cotton shorts this summer as air conditioning costs rise higher than ever before.
On this first morning of a summer predicted to be a scorcher, soaring electricity bills and a provincewide energy guilt trip should have Ontarians rethinking the way they cool down, say energy officials.
"We are really encouraging people to consider turning the temperatures up a little higher," said Peter Love, chief energy conservation officer of the Ontario Power Authority's Conservation Bureau. "Don't keep it so cold that it is cold."
The authority estimates a two-degree increase on a thermostat could knock nine per cent off a bill. Four degrees could eliminate 19 per cent.
"That comes right off your bill," Love said.
Pressured to reduce summer energy usage since the blackout in 2003, Londoners have even more incentive now because of a hike in electricity costs last month that will increase electricity bills by an average of 13 per cent.
"This year there is a greater awareness for energy conservation and people are setting their air conditioners higher and using ceiling fans," London Hydro spokesperson Nancy Hutton said.
Since May, a family of four using 1,000 kilowatt hours a month pays about $120.78, up from about $106.98 before the rate increases announced by the Ontario Hydro Board, Hutton said
A kilowatt hour is the use of 1,000 watts of electricity for one hour. Ten 100-watt bulbs burning for an hour makes a kilowatt hour.
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Meanwhile, the power authority is pleading with Ontarians to reduce electricity use by 10 per cent by offering rebate incentives for maintaining and upgrading air conditioning systems.
Londoners have also taken advantage of London Hydro's Chill Out program, an initiative that aims to get people to trade in old refrigerators and freezers for new, energy-efficient units.
Nearly 3,000 appliances have been collected, leaving London Hydro about 700 short of its goal.
The utility estimates the program could save eight million kilowatt hours per year, enough to power 900 homes, Hutton said. That's about $720,000, she said.
Energy demand peaked during a heat wave last month, hitting 656 megawatts on May 30 after a weekend in which highs hit the low 30s. That peak was only about 50 megawatts less than last summer's peak.
Normal peak demand is around 600 megawatts in London, but Hutton and Love both conceded the early heat took people by surprise.
Air conditioning companies have already felt the heat as well, said Rocco Cifaldi, owner of Stacey Heating and Plumbing.
"We were kind of going crazy in May. With the weather, everybody realizes they have to turn their air conditioning on," he said. "We were running up to a week behind. . . . When it rains it pours."
ENERGY-SAVING TIPS
- Keep your thermostat at 26 C. Each degree below 26 C will increase your energy costs significantly.
- Turn off your air conditioner when you are not home.
- To reduce temperatures indoors, keep blinds, drapes or curtains closed.
- Use ceiling fans.
- Wait until you have a full load before using the washing machine.
- Set your washing machine to wash in warm or cold water and rinse in cold.
- Install a water-saving shower head.