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Green Light on a Better Environment, Toronto Hydro and Social Housing Services Corporation Light Up for Social Housing

    TORONTO, April 23 /CNW/ - Green Light on a Better Environment (GLOBE),
Toronto Hydro Electric System Ltd. (Toronto Hydro) and Social Housing Services
Corporation (SHSC) today announced that they will team up once again to
deliver "Light Up 2009".
    Light Up hopes to build on the success of two previous programs and
reduce electricity demand in Toronto social housing by 2.929 MW. This is
equivalent to taking approximately 2100 homes off the grid. Similar programs
in 2008 and 2007 reduced demand by 3.8 MW.
    Light Up is an integrated program with three key elements - energy
management training for housing staff, a Community Champion program for
housing residents, and an in-suite light bulb exchange.
    "Working together is the key to bringing programs of this nature to the
housing sector," said Colin Gage, Chair of GLOBE and Vice-Chair of SHSC.
"Community investment needs multiple partners who can work together, each
bringing something unique to the table."
    For GLOBE that means a comprehensive and cross-sectoral knowledge of
conservation and demand management that can be applied in any kind of setting
and access to the right education, tools, and resources. For SHSC, knowledge
of the social housing sector and what housing providers need to effect change
is the critical component. But the partnership would not work without the
funding support that Toronto Hydro is able to bring to the table.
    "We do not have the financial resources to bring a program like this to
the housing sector," said Gage. "Without the (financial) leadership that
Toronto Hydro has demonstrated in the last several years none of this would be
possible."
    For David O'Brien, President and Chief Executive Officer of Toronto Hydro
Corporation this program partnership is about arming the housing sector with
the tools to make the changes themselves. "By giving GLOBE and SHSC the funds
to provide training and education for housing staff and residents, we think
that these housing communities can show true leadership," said O'Brien. "We
don't want to just change lightbulbs, we want to change behaviour and the
residents themselves are the most effective tool we have. Our past successes
have shown this."

    About GLOBE

    Green Light on a Better Environment (GLOBE) is a subsidiary of SHSC. It
provides an integrated program of energy audits, support services, resources
and education to help non-profits and landlords navigate the world of energy
and build a culture of conservation in their communities.

    About Toronto Hydro-Electric System

    A wholly-owned subsidiary of Toronto Hydro Corporation, Toronto
Hydro-Electric System Limited delivers electricity through a complex network
of poles, wires and underground structures to 678,000 customers and
distributes approximately 18 per cent of the electricity in the province of
Ontario. Toronto Hydro Corporation is owned 100 per cent by the City of
Toronto.

    About SHSC

    The Social Housing Services Corporation (SHSC) is a non-profit
corporation led by social housing representatives who provide Ontario's social
housing sector with services that empower housing providers to develop safe
and affordable homes and vibrant communities. SHSC uses their expertise to
offer programs in energy and water management, investment, insurance, natural
gas purchasing and research.