What is the PowerShift® Program?

Although it may sound like an exercise regime, PowerShift® is an energy saving program developed to help you save money and conserve energy. Before we explore exactly what the PowerShift® program does, we need to understand Ontario’s Time-of-Use pricing.

What is Time-of-Use?

It is a pricing system developed by the Ontario Energy Board to give customers cost-efficient energy bills while saving the planet.

You may already have a smart meter in your home. This device works to ensure your energy consumption is relayed back to your provider in real-time, instead of having a technician come to your home and read your meter to establish how much your utility bill will be.

The Time-of-Use system allows you to pay for peak electricity periods and less for off-peak hours.

For example, in the winter days are shorter and we tend to use electricity in the morning when we get up and when we return home from work around the dinner hour. However, in the summer we only experience one peak period, which occurs mid-day when our air-conditioning units are running. Weekends, holidays and overnight are considered off-peak because we tend to use less electricity.

With Time-of-Use you will not be charged exorbitant prices for off-peak hours.

PowerShift® and how it relates to Time-of-Use pricing.

This program transfers some of your electricity usage away from on-peak hours, leading you to save money.

You may be currently participating in peaksaver PLUS®. If you are not, this program helps lower costs and energy consumption by steering your devices such as air-conditioner, electric water heater and swimming pool pump down or off during times off-peak electricity demand.

Simply put, if you are not taking a shower during peak times, you should not be charged for your water heater.

If the temperature hits 27°C and the humidex reaches 30°C during a peak time like a weekday afternoon in July, the PowerShift® program ensures that your peaksaver PLUS® unit automatically cycles your appliances in order to reduce the amount of electricity they use.

PowerShift® is a great tool that you can use to reduce your electricity consumption. There is no extra work involved. You don’t have to fiddle with a meter as soon as the temperature rises or drops. You can set your peaksaver PLUS® and go about with your day, knowing that you’ve done your part to reduce pollution and save on your utility bill.