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NPEI Quarterly Newsletters
NPEI would like to thank our customers who helped us raise money by making a difference in our communities during our 2024 eBill Campaign! The campaign, which ran from September 1 to December 31, 2024, encouraged customers to switch to paperless billing, with NPEI pledging to donate $10 to the Niagara SPCA and Humane Society for every customer who made the switch. The funds raised
will help the Humane Society provide critical care, shelter, and adoption services to animals in need.
During the campaign, 4,387 customers made the switch to eBilling, helping us raise $43,870!
“It was wonderful to hear that the staff at NPEI had chosen the Niagara SPCA & Humane Society to receive the amazing support generated from the eBill campaign this year,” said Amelia Canto, CEO of Niagara SPCA and Humane Society. “We are so very thankful for the contribution, especially this year, with the increased need to find forever homes for the pets in our shelters.”
The New NPEI App is Now Available!
The NPEI App provides you with 24/7 access to your NPEI account including your real-time electricity usage, account balance, billing history and more! Customers will need to set up MyAccount before logging into the NPEI app.
The App login information will be the same as your MyAccount login.
NPEI’s Annual Scorecard - Measuring Our Success
Utility Scorecards are issued by the Ontario Energy Board (OEB) to track and show comprehensive performance information for each electricity utility in Ontario over a range of time and for a specific year. Utility Scorecards show data for 20 specific measures within
four key areas of performance: Customer Focus, Operational Effectiveness, Public Policy and Responsiveness and Financial Performance.
Below are just some of the success stories that will be included on this year’s Scorecard that showcase our commitment to Customer Service and Operational Effectiveness.
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Despite our best efforts, power outages and electrical emergencies do occur without warning. We encourage you to plan ahead and be prepared.
Local emergency responders recommend that residents prepare and plan to be self sufficient for 72 hours in an emergency situation. For more information on outage preparation please visit our website.
If you are ever without power, be sure to check our Outage Map, which provides information on power outages occurring within our service territory. The Outage Map provides details on the outage including location and the number of customers affected.
The NPEI Kids’ Safety Contest is Back!
NPEI is looking for students to get creative and have some fun by submitting a creative entry that illustrates a positive safety message.
The theme of this year’s contest is “Call Before You Dig, It’s The Law.” There are underground hazards that we must be aware of. Hitting gas, electric, or other high-pressure pipes and lines could have fatal consequences. We must all prevent damages to protect our communities. Never assume it is safe to dig.
This year, students can use their creativity to submit entries other than just a picture, as long as it fits on an 8.5 x 11 piece of paper. Students can submit:
- A hand drawn poster
- A poster made digitally using graphic design
- A poem, short story or song lyrics
Students in grades 1-8 who reside within the NPEI service territory (Niagara Falls, Pelham, Lincoln and West Lincoln) will be eligible to submit an entry for a chance to win a $100 gift card and NPEI gift basket. One winner will be selected in each of the following 3 categories: grades 1-3, 4-6 and 7-8.
For full contest details please visit our website!
Winter/Spring Envery Saving Tips
1. Install a programmable thermostat and have it automatically adjust when you’re asleep or away from home.
2. Spring is the ideal time to change your furnace and air conditioner filters, which have been collecting dust all winter.
3. Your ceiling fans should be turning in a clockwise direction to help push warm air down into your home.
4. Close the curtains at night to keep in warm air. Open them during the day to let in sunshine.
5. Unplug electronics that you are not using to avoid phantom power loss.
The NPEI eBill Campaign Is On Now! Make the Switch, Make a Difference!
For every customer that switches to eBilling between September 1 and December 31, 2024, NPEI has pledged to donate $10 to the Niagara SPCA & Humane Society to enhance the lives of pets in need.
Help us to make a difference in our communities and reduce our environmental footprint by switching to eBilling. Some other great reasons to switch to eBilling include:
- You will have access to our refreshed, Green Button certified MyAccount Customer Portal.
- You can view your billing, meter reading and usage history anytime.
- You can view your energy usage online by the hour, day or month.
- You have the ability to download and print your bill if needed.
- It’s easy to use and simple to register.
- It’s a safe and secure way to receive your bill each month.
- You will be helping to enhance the lives of pets in need.
2024 Electrical Safety Survey
NPEI values the safety of our employees and our customers. We will begin conducting our 2024 Electricity Safety Awareness Survey during the month of October. This survey will help us to evaluate our efforts and advise us where we can make improvements in informing the public about electrical safety. If you receive a telephone call or email inviting you to take part in the survey, we would greatly appreciate your participation.
SAFETY FAST FACTS:
- Call or Click before you dig – Ontario One Call 1-800-400-2255 or ontarioonecall.ca.
- Keep your body and objects at least 3m (10ft) away from overhead power lines.
- NEVER touch or tamper with any electrical distribution equipment on the ground.
- Stay at least 10m (33ft) or roughly the length of a school bus away from downed overhead power lines.
- If a power line falls on your car, stay inside until help arrives. Only get out if there is a fire.
Keeping Your Power On - How Do We Do It?
Providing a safe and reliable source of electricity for our customers is the mission of NPEI. We have created a short video to explain how NPEI is powered by a highly skilled, local workforce. Since our NPEI crews are local, we use our knowledge of the areas to respond quickly and safely. We are constantly innovating and utilizing the latest technology to support our communities’ energy needs. Click here to watch the video!
NPEI’s Annual Scorecard - Measuring Our Success
Utility scorecards track and show comprehensive performance information for each electricity utility in Ontario over a range of time and for a specific year. Utility scorecards show data for 20 specific measures within four key areas of performance: customer focus, operational effectiveness, public policy and responsiveness and financial performance.
NPEI has met or exceeded our targets in each of these measures in 2023. Our full scorecard can be found on the NPEI website. Below are just some of the success stories that are included on this year’s NPEI scorecard.
SAIDI = Sum of all interruption durations / Average number of customers served
NPEI’s 2023 average number of hours that power to a customer was interrupted is 1.45, while NPEI’s target is an average of duration of less than 1.81. NPEI has implemented a number of preventative measures to increase our reliability and identify negative trends in feeder performances related to reoccurring outage causes.
SAIFI = Number of customer interruptions / Average number of customers served
NPEI’s SAIFI result for 2023 is 1.17, while NPEI’s target is an average of 1.64. NPEI has adopted a proactive, balanced approach to distribution system planning, infrastructure investment and replacement programs to ensure the safe and reliable delivery of electricity while balancing ratepayer and utility affordability.
Telephone Calls Answered On Time
NPEI’s Customer Service Representatives received over 44,800 calls from its customers in 2023. A Customer Service Representative answered a call in 30 seconds or less in 88.11% of these calls. This number well exceeds the Ontario Energy Board’s mandate of a 65% target.
Winter Electricity Rate Schedules
The Ontario Energy Board (OEB) sets the rates that NPEI charges for the electricity you use in your home or small business. Winter electricity rates, schedules and thresholds will be in effect beginning on November 1, 2024 and will be in place until April 30, 2025. As soon as the OEB announces the winter electricity rates, NPEI will communicate this to our customers on our website and social media. Please check these channels regularly. Residential and Small Business electricity customers are able to choose a rate plan that best suits their lifestyle and household energy needs by giving them the option of choosing between Time-of-Use, Tiered or Ultra-Low Overnight rates. To see the current electricity rates and thresholds, please click here.
Clearances
Clearances around electrical power lines are established to ensure safety for both the public and workers. Proper clearances prevent unnecessary power outages and allow space for operating, maintaining and replacing the electricity distribution infrastructure.
NPEI should be contacted prior to any activity within three (3) metres of electrical infrastructure, such as tree trimming or maintaining, renovating or adding onto a building. According to the Ministry of Labour’s Occupational Health and Safety Act and the Electrical Safety Code, only NPEI employees or approved contractors can work in proximity to these power lines.
Remember to always stay at least three (3) metres from overhead power lines and ten (10) metres away from downed power lines.
Fall/Winter Energy Saving Tips
1. Change your furnace filter to ensure your unit is operating efficiently.
2. Clear your furnace vents to allow for proper air flow.
3. Open your window curtains or blinds to let sunlight in.
4. Install a programmable thermostat and automatically lower the temperature at night.
5. Change your lightbulbs to energy-efficient LEDs.
6. Consider adding insulation to your home to keep the heat in this winter.
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Congratulations to Our Kids’ Safety Poster Contest Winners!
NPEI would like to thank and congratulate all the winners of the 2024 NPEI Kids’ Safety Poster Contest! These students, in grades 1-8, submitted posters and were chosen by NPEI staff as the winners in each of the three age categories: Grades 1-3, 4-6, and 7-8.
Their posters centered on our theme to “Gear Up For Safety” and perfectly highlighted the importance of personal
protective equipment for NPEI staff. Well done and thank you again to all of the students who entered our contest!
Tree Trimming
When trees are close enough to potentially contact overhead power lines, public safety and the uninterrupted supply of electricity can be compromised. NPEI has a responsibility to ensure our electricity distribution system is safe and that it operates reliably. If you notice a tree that is interfering with our power lines or poses a hazard, please report it to 1-877-270-3938.
NEVER attempt to prune or cut down a tree near powerlines. A tree falling onto a powerline can cause serious injury or death. NPEI will be happy to connect you with a qualified and insured professional. For more information on Tree Trimming please click here.
Understanding Your Electricity Bill - Where Does Your Money Go?
Have you ever wondered where the money goes when you pay your electricity bill? We have created a short video to help educate our customers on the breakdown of an NPEI electricity bill, and show how every dollar that customers pay to NPEI for distribution is invested back into our communities. This ensures that your money stays local, where it matters most. Watch the video here!
Best of Luck to the NPEI Local Scholarship Program Recipients!
NPEI believes in the importance of supporting education and encouraging students to pursue a career in the electrical trades. Every year through our Local Scholarship Program we provide $1,500 to students to continue their education in Electrical Engineering, Powerline Technician and related Business Programs. This year through our scholarship program, nine students received a total of $13,500,
administered by Niagara Community Foundation to pursue their post-secondary education. Congratulations to all of these students!
Claira Corkery - Westlane Secondary
Cole Traver - E.L Crossley Secondary
Daniel Charest - Saint-Jean-de-Brébeuf
Ethan Vercesi - A.N Myer Secondary
Kade Martin - Stamford Collegiate
Matthew Thompson - West Niagara Secondary
Nick Cervantes - Saint Paul Catholic
Owen MacDonald - Blessed Trinity Catholic
Ryan Franco - Saint Michael Catholic
Test Your Safety Knowledge and Answer These Questions!
1) When undertaking outdoor activities – such as standing on a ladder, cleaning windows or eaves, climbing or trimming trees – how close do you believe you can safely come to an overhead power line with your body or an object?
2) How close do you believe you can safely come to a downed overhead powerline, such as a downed line caused by a storm or accident?
3) If you were in a vehicle – such as a car, bus, or truck – and an overhead powerline came down on top of it, what do you think the appropriate action would be?
Answers:
1) Three metres away from overhead powerlines
2) Ten metres, or the length of a school bus, away from downed powerlines
3) Stay in the vehicle until the power has been disconnected
Summer/Fall Energy Saving Tips
1. Install weather stripping around your windows and doors to keep drafts out and maintain the temperatue of your house.
2. As the daylight hours begin to shorten, your use of lights will increase. Use LED lighting for the highest efficiency.
3. Now is the perfect time to change your air conditioner and furnace filters. This will help keep your units running more
efficiently.
4. Wait until you have a full load of dishes or clothes to wash to save energy.
5. Use the bathroom fan when you take a shower or bath to remove heat and humidity from your home.
Moving Information
Whether you are looking to establish a new account with NPEI, move within our service territoryor close your account, we are here to help. By using our MyAccount Customer Portal or our online forms, we have made moving easy for you! Landlords and property managers can also manage the electrical service for their rental properties. We require notice of at least three business days in advance of any moves.
For more information or to access our online forms please click here.
The Ontario Energy Board (OEB) sets the rates that NPEI charges for the electricity you use in your home or small business. Summer electricity rates began on May 1, 2024 and will be in place until October 31, 2024. With Time-of-Use (TOU) and Ultra-Low Overnight (ULO) rates, the price depends on when you use electricity. With Tiered rates, the price depends on how much electricity you use overall in a month. Customers can choose the rate plan that best suits their household energy needs by completing the customer election form in the
MyAccount Customer Portal. To view the current electricity rates, please click here.
Thank you for helping us give back to our communities!
NPEI would like to thank all of our customers who helped us raise money and make a difference in our communities during our 2023/2024 eBill Campaign! From October 1, 2023 to March 31, 2024, NPEI invited customers who were receiving paper bills to switch to paperless billing (eBilling). NPEI pledged to donate $10 to local charitable non-profit organizations for every customer that made the switch. During the campaign, 1,754 customers made the switch to eBilling, helping us raise $17,540 for these charitable non-profit organizations!
May 13 to May 19 is Powerline Safety Week
As part of its commitment to fostering an Ontario safe from electrical harm, the Electrical Safety Authority partners with local distribution
companies across the province to raise awareness about the risks posed by powerlines. Powerline Safety Week emphasizes the safety behaviours people should practice when in close proximity to powerlines, including staying three (3) metres back at all times and ten (10) metres back from downed powerlines. Visit www.npei.ca for more great information on how you can stay safe around powerlines!
Landscaping Around Electrical Equipment
NPEI would like to remind residents to refrain from placing any plants, fencing or any other decorations within three (3) metres green transformer boxes. This equipment needs to remain easily accessible to our crews to be able to safely and effectively complete their work.
Choosing Your Electricity Plan
Residential and Small Business electricity customers are able to choose a rate plan that best suits their lifestyle and household energy needs by giving them the option of choosing between Time-of-Use (TOU), Tiered or Ultra-Low Overnight (ULO) rates.
With Time-of-Use prices, the price depends on when you use electricity. There are three TOU price periods - On-Peak, Mid-Peak and Off-Peak. With TOU pricing, you can help manage your electricity costs by shifting your usage to lower price periods when possible.
With Tiered prices, you can use a certain amount of electricity each month at a lower price. Once that limit (called a threshold) is exceeded, a higher price applies. Tiered prices give you the flexibility to use electricity at any time of day at the same price, although that price will change if you exceed the threshold during the month.
With Ultra-Low Overnight prices, customers will be billed according to the day of the week and time of day they use electricity, but with an ultra-low overnight rate that encourages high electricity usage activities overnight when province-wide electricity demand is lower.
Click here for more information on Electricity Rate Plans.
Spring/Summer Energy Saving Tips
1. Delay turning on your air conditioner until the temperature outside increases.
2. Clean your air ducts. Ensuring your ducts are free and clear will increase the efficiency of your furnace and air conditioner.
3. Keep your ceiling fan rotating in a counter-clockwise direction.
4. Use a programmable thermostat and set the temperature higher when you are sleeping or away from home.
5. Use your outdoor grill or have meals that do not require the oven to be on to reduce excess heat in your home.
Lucky the Squirrel's Safety Tip
“Plant trees away from powerlines!”
Avoid the problem now, before trees grow up into the powerlines. If your trees have already grown into the powerlines, contact NPEI or a utility arborist. Do not prune trees around powerlines yourself!
Kids' Safety Poster Contest
The NPEI Kids’ Safety Poster Contest is on now! NPEI is looking for students to get creative and have some fun by designing a poster that illustrates a positive safety message. Students must be in grades 1-8 and must be a customer of NPEI to be eligible to submit a poster for a chance to win a $100 gift card and a NPEI gift basket. One winner will be selected in each of the following three categories: Grades 1-3, 4-6 and 7-8. Visit www.npei.ca for more information and enter your poster for a chance to win!
NPEI wants all students to help us get the word out! We want you to create a poster this year centered around the theme of “Gear Up For Safety” that will highlight the importance of personal protective equipment for NPEI staff. This could include hard hats, safety glasses, safety gloves, flame-resistant clothing, safety boots or all of the above!
Posters must be submitted by June 7, 2024 and must be submitted with an official Poster Contest Entry Form found on the NPEI website. Posters can be submitted by email to contest@npei.ca, by mail to the NPEI office or in the Dropbox located in the Niagara Falls office parking lot.
For more information the NPEI Kids' Safety Poster Contest click here.
Payment Assistance Programs
NPEI understands that there are times when customers may have difficulty paying their electricity bills on time. We are here to help our customers. The Niagara Region’s Utility Benefits program assesses individuals that may quality for utility relief benefits. Customers may qualify for programs such as the Low-Income Energy Assistance Program (LEAP), the Niagara Emergency Energy Fund (NEEF), the Ontario Works and Ontario Disability Support Program Discretionary Benefits program or the Ontario Electricity Support Program (OESP). To learn more about these and other programs available to our customers, click here.