Ontarians Unaware of Unnecessary Power Drain, Study Finds Cost of Phantom Power the Focus of a New Conservation Campaign

The Ontario Power Authority, WWF-Canada and a major loyalty program are launching a province-wide, energy conservation campaign on April 7th. The campaign provides Ontarians with a way to continue the momentum of Earth Hour by pledging to take simple actions that will have lasting financial rewards and help fight climate change. And just by participating they'll earn valuable rewards for themselves and a charity.

Three of every four Ontario residents are unaware of an invisible user of electricity that silently drains up to 15 percent of their annual home electricity use, according to a new survey.

By acting on our Power Pledge commitments, we can all save money and help our environment, says Colin Andersen, Ontario PowerAuthority CEO. We calculate that a family taking just a few of these actions could save approximately $300 a year and reduce up to 600 kg of greenhouse gas emissions.

A poll by Harris/Decima for the Ontario Power Authority found Ontarians are committed to being environmentally responsible but did not know about phantom power the electricity consumed by some home electronics and appliances even when they are off. For the average Ontario household, which uses about 1,000 kilowatt-hours of power a month, phantom power can cost up to $100 a year.

The survey also found that three-quarters of Ontarians are willing to buy and plug their home electronics and other appliances into power bars with an automatic shut-off.

Earth Hour showed Ontarians are ready to stand up and be counted in the fight against climate change, says Gerald Butts, President and CEO WWF-Canada. The Power Pledge campaign gives us all a chance to help the planet every single day.

To encourage such actions, the Ontario Power Authority today launched a five-month, province-wide campaign called The PowerThe online campaign also promotes five other simple but meaningful conservation actions that reduce electricity use, save money and help protect the environment. These actions include: Pledge.

· buying ENERGY STAR® rated appliances and products

· taking a home energy audit

· retiring old or secondary refrigerators and freezers

· adopting smarter laundry practices, such as washing in cold water in off-peak hours and hanging clothes to dry

· adjusting the thermostat a couple of degrees in winter and summer and taking care to maintain furnaces and air conditioners.

The campaign website, available at powerpledge.ca, displays in real time a tally of Ontarians who have taken the pledge, the total kilowatt-hours and dollars saved and the amount of greenhouse gases avoided if everyone completes their commitments.

WWF-Canada is a major sponsor of The Power Pledge. The campaign builds on Earth Hour, one of WWF's flagship programs, by encouraging Ontarians to take planet-friendly actions every day.

Ontario residents who take the Power Pledge by Aug. 31 will earn 20 AIR MILES reward miles and can direct an additional 10 reward miles to one of three participating charities (including WWF-Canada). Participants can opt to redeem their reward miles for environmentally friendly offerings.

AIR MILES reward miles are an extremely powerful driver to motivate positive behavioural change, says Chief Impact Officer and General Manager, Andrew Souvaliotis, AIR MILES Reward Program. The involvement of the AIR MILES Rewards Program in the Power Pledge campaign will demonstrate the benefit of offering incentives to make a significant impact. We are proud to collaborate on an OPA initiative that will motivate Ontario residents to make more environmentally responsible choices in their everyday lives.

So what do you have to do? It's easy.

One example action is reducing phantom power the electricity used by electronics and appliances even when they're switched off an unknown problem that accounts for as much as 15% of a home's monthly energy use!

Enter to win one of 3 prize packs worth approx $250 each, including:

• A power bar with automatic shutoff to reduce phantom power

• 1,000 Bonus Air Miles (this could get $140 in grocery gift certificates, movie tickets or even a 3 piece luggage set)

• A cute & cuddly toy panda from WWF-Canada

• Cold water laundry detergent

All you need to do is join the WOMAN.ca Community to be entered in this fab contest! Click on the link to join.