Key takeaways:
- Enova Power has five simple tips to help minimize the impact hot weather can have on electricity bills.
- Extreme heat can add strain to electricity distribution infrastructure, but thanks to proactive investment in reliability, there have been no heat-related outages in Enova Power’s service territory this summer.
- Peak Perks is a provincial program that lets customers help ease the strain on the provincial electricity grid by giving the Independent Electricity System Operator the option to turn down air conditioners by no more than two degrees Celsius for no more than three hours on very hot days.
It’s been a warm couple of weeks and people everywhere are doing what they can to keep cool.
With air conditioners and fans running overtime, electricity use starts to climb, which can lead to sticker shock on electricity bills.
Fortunately, there are simple, everyday things customers can do to minimize the impact of hot weather on electricity bills.
Five tips to keep cool without sacrificing comfort:
- Set your thermostat a few degrees higher when you are away from home.
- Keep doors and windows closed and seal any gaps with weather stripping to keep cool air in and hot air out.
- If you are on Time-of-Use or Ultra-Low Overnight pricing, run your major appliances, such as dishwashers and washing machines, during the evening or overnight when electricity prices are lowest.
- Close blinds or curtains during the hottest part of the day to prevent the sun from heating up rooms.
- Run ceiling fans counter-clockwise to help air conditioners work more efficiently.
How does hot weather impact reliability?
During periods of extreme heat, like we’ve had in the last couple of weeks, electricity use increases significantly as more people rely on air conditioners and other cooling devices to stay comfortable. This higher demand means more electricity is flowing through our distribution system, causing equipment such as transformers, cables, and other electrical components to work harder than they normally would.
Just like a vehicle can overheat if it is pushed too hard for too long, electrical equipment can also become stressed during prolonged periods of high demand combined with high outdoor temperatures. While our equipment is designed to operate safely in hot weather, extreme conditions can increase the likelihood of equipment failures, which can result in localized power outages.
At Enova Power, our Operations and Control Room teams closely monitor the system and perform ongoing maintenance and upgrades throughout the year to help ensure the system remains as reliable as possible, no matter the weather. In 2025, we invested more than $56 million in capital projects to strengthen the resiliency of our system and replace vital infrastructure, including tree trimming and vegetation management, replacing aging infrastructure, and adding more smart switching devices, which allow our team to quickly re-route power to minimize the impact when outages occur.
Thanks to this proactive investment, Enova Power has not seen any outages that have been directly attributed to extreme heat this summer, but if we do, our highly skilled teams are ready to respond, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
You can help protect Ontario’s electricity system!
By signing up for Peak Perks, residential and small business customers can help reduce the strain on Ontario’s electricity system and get paid for participating!
Here is how it works:
By signing up, customers allow the Independent Electricity System Operator to adjust thermostats slightly, no more than two degrees Celsius for up to three hours, during periods of peak electricity demand on the hottest summer days.
Participants are always notified before any adjustment and can opt out at any time.
As a bonus, customers receive a $75 virtual prepaid Mastercard by signing up, and a $20 virtual prepaid Mastercard for each year they stay enrolled.
