Two Milton schools were presented with $750 each for their participation in a Milton Hydro initiative that helps households reduce their energy consumption.
Milton Hydro — with the support of the Ontario Power Authority (now part of the Independent Electricity System Operator IESO) — recently engaged Simple Energy to develop and manage a residential opt-in energy conservation pilot program called the Community Energy Challenge.
A feature of the program is participating households supporting a school of their choice. The households earn rewards for themselves, and they can also help the schools receive prizes and rewards.
The goal is to have students/schools provide information that is forwarded home and encourages the homeowner to enroll in the program as active participants. Once enrolled, they receive personalized energy reports, energy-saving tips and reward points.
To recognize the early adopters, Milton Hydro awarded one school from each board a small monetary prize for having the greatest number of school supporters registered by December 15. Students, staff and the principals of the two award-winning schools — Hawthorne Village and Queen of Heaven — participated in Friday’s event, along with a host of politicians and Milton Hydro President Frank Lasowski.
Halton MPP Indira Naidoo-Harris and Bob Delaney Parliamentary Assistant to the province’s Energy minister, also visited the Milton Innovation Centre to congratulate the schools on their participation in the energy-saving program.
Shane Fay, Simple Energy’s vice president of client solutions, applauded Milton Hydro and noted that the program motivates customers to save energy by providing them with personal energy reports about how they use energy and insights into how they use energy.
The software developer said it is expected households will save between four and six per cent on their hydro bills with the program. It also gives them interactive charts so they can compare their usage with other similar households and also provides personalize energy saving tips in the home.
It can even show homeowners how weather impacts their usage, on a daily basis, Fay said. For regular users of the website, rewards such as different coloured badges are awarded which they can use to post their achievements on energy-saving efforts on social media websites.
Reward points earned on the website at www.miltonhydro.com/CEC can be redeemed for gift cards. Top savers will also be entered into draws for additional prizes.
Lasowski said he’s pleased with the participation in the program, which began in August, and said every school in Milton has registered households.
He said the program is a win-win because it encourages reduction of energy, through education and it also helps the environment.
Queen of Heaven principal John Susi said his school’s eco-team members immediately supported the program to help reduce energy consumption in their homes.
“We just opened in September so this money will be put to good use purchasing items for our new school,” he said.
Hawthorne’s principal, Grant Clatworthy, agreed, adding that it’s kids who often encourage change at home.
“Kids are the change agents,” he said. “When I want parents to do something different, I talk to the kids.
“They say ‘mom and dad, we need to do this,’” he laughed. “They’re young, but they can make a difference.”
His school’s eco club was also the big supporter of the program, and he noted the winning funds will be used to support its goals and initiatives.
Delaney said the program is kind of like a game for families and community members to become engaged.
“This is forward-thinking on behalf of the energy distribution companies in the community,” he said, adding 73 energy companies, including Milton Hydro have signed on. “Pavlov would be proud.”