SITUATION

The stable supply of electricity in our province is critical to our economic future and social well-being, but building new generation facilities is only part of the solution. Reducing the amount of electricity we consume is just as important. Smart meters and time-of-use rates are critical parts of the plan. A smart meter tracks how much electricity you use and when you use it – key information to help you better manage your electricity use.

APPROACH

The installation of a smart meter in every home and business in Toronto is one of the largest projects Toronto Hydro-Electric System Limited (THESL) has undertaken. The project includes the installation of the meter, the collection of data, communication of data to the province’s central repository, presentment of the information to customers, time-of-use billing, and customer education.

How We’re Getting It Done

THESL is proud to have taken on a leadership role. By December 31, 2007, we had approximately 416,000 smart meters installed across our city – that’s half of the government’s target for smart meter installations province-wide.

The customer notification process included:

  1. Letters, which were also translated into two additional neighbourhood-specific common languages, were mailed to the customers approximately two weeks prior to the date of the installation.

    The letters included:
    • A Getting Smart About Smart Meters pamphlet with information about the new meters.
    • A Please Knock sticker, which the customer could place on the existing meter for notification prior to the very brief power outage that is required during the installation process.

  2. Follow-up phone calls were also made to remind customers of the upcoming visit from THESL.

The program created a new aspect to THESL’s customer care activities. Customer Service Representatives are well-versed about the program and have the answers that customers need. 

Time-of-Use Data Presentment Web Site

THESL launched a time-of-use Data Presentment Web site to build customer awareness and comfort with the rates. The Web site allows a test group of 50,000 customers to securely access their personalized electricity usage data. And a subset of them are participating in a research study to determine how consumers will respond to different price signals.

The Web site is the home of a new customer service tool, which is in the form of an interactive “bot” named Anita, who helps customers learn about Smart Meters and new time-of-use prices. Anita is user-friendly for people who are visually and hearing impaired.

Special care was taken to develop the application to enable easy-to-use navigation and provide a high level of useful educational content.

RESULTS

  • The total number of smart meters installed in 2007 was 213,028.
  • On a cumulative basis, approximately 416,000 smart meters had been installed to the end of 2007.
  • THESL installed an average of 585 smart meters per day.
  • Proactive customer communications reduced problems during the installation process.
  • Call volumes relating to smart meters and time-of-use rates are being effectively managed.