New Ontario Program Rewards Smart Thermostat Owners

The government of Ontario is introducing an energy conservation initiative that aims to compensate residents who own smart thermostats for reducing their air conditioning usage during specific periods in the summer.

Participants who enroll in the Peak Perks program as residential customers will be rewarded with a $75 prepaid credit card, in exchange for providing safe access to the smart thermostat manufacturer.

From June to September, there will be up to 10 periods of peak electricity consumption, during which the thermostat will be adjusted by two to four degrees.

The government assures that these adjustments will typically last for no more than three hours, and they will not occur on weekends or holidays. In addition, participants will have the option to opt out of any temperature changes if desired.

Many energy conservation programs were eliminated early in the Progressive Conservatives’ first term in office, and their new $342 million suite of programs has been criticized for being insufficient.

According to Ontario’s Energy Minister Todd Smith, he province’s energy grid was in a different state back then, with an excess of power that was sometimes being sold to surrounding jurisdictions at a loss. This circumstance resulted in a loss of revenue for the province.