Manitoba Hydro Wins Conservation Award for Top Performance in North America

Press Release –

Manitoba Hydro won a prestigious Achievement Award on October 1 for generating energy savings for natural gas customers. Awarded by E Source, an independent U.S. firm that provides research and advisory services to utilities on demand-side management (DSM) and improving customer service, Manitoba Hydro was ranked as achieving the highest natural gas savings per customer among 53 utilities across North America.

Customers across Manitoba continue to reap the benefits of Manitoba Hydro’s Power Smart initiatives, such as the Home Insulation Program.

“The average residential customer participating in our Power Smart Home Insulation Program saves nearly 530 cubic metres in natural gas or $154 on their energy bill per year based on our current rates,” said Lloyd Kuczek, Vice-President of Customer Care and Energy Conservation for Manitoba Hydro.

“Total energy savings for our customers last year under this program alone was nearly 717,000 cubic metres. That represents a reduction of over $209,000 in their energy bills. When you add that to savings since the program’s inception in 2005, customers have saved over 12 million cubic metres of natural gas – equivalent to taking over 4,500 cars off the road for one year in terms of greenhouse gas emissions.”

Customers who heat with electricity also see major savings with the Power Smart Home Insulation Program, added Kuczek.

“The average electrically-heated home saves about 4,300 kilowatt hours per year once they take advantage of this program, which works out to a saving of about $300 annually,” said Kuczek. “In total, participating customers who heat with electricity saved over $327,000 last year.”

The E Source award confirms Manitoba Hydro’s commitment to aggressive energy conservation. This commitment is being continued through investments in the utility’s Power Smart programs that will more than double over the next three years. These investments are expected to offset 66 per cent of projected growth in electricity demand over the next 15 years, and further reduce natural gas consumption. In just the next three years, these investments will save customers an additional $88 million, bringing total cumulative savings to $1.4 billion since Power Smart was launched in 1991.

By 2017 cumulative energy savings since the inception of Power Smart will equal 905 megawatts of capacity and 3,358 GW.h of electricity – equivalent to about half the current electrical needs of all residential and commercial customers in the city of Winnipeg. Over the same period natural gas use will be reduced by 133 million cubic metres – equivalent to twice the current natural gas needs of Brandon’s commercial and residential customers.

Manitoba Hydro offers a wide selection of electric and natural gas Power Smart programs, serving residential, commercial, agricultural and industrial customers. For more information on Power Smart, visit www.hydro.mb.ca.

E Source released the 2013 DSM Achievements and Expenditures report on October 1. Now in its fourth year, the report highlights key industry trends that lend perspective to the 2013 DSM landscape. For more information on E Source, visit www.esource.com.

For more information, please contact:
Scott Powell – Public Affairs, Manitoba Hydro
T: 204-360-4417
spowell@hydro.mb.ca