If you've ever wondered how much electricity you consume, now you can find out — just by going online.
Hydro-Quebec has recently made an online tool available which allows users with next-generation meters to create a profile and then, track their power consumption — both in terms of kilowatt-hours and dollars.
The Consumption Profile will allow you to break down your daily, monthly, and yearly consumption, and compare it with last year's numbers. The utility says it will also give you a better understanding of your own electricity consumption habits, encourage you to consume less, and get a better understanding of variations in electricity consumption due to temperature.
Marc-André Pouliot with Hydro-Quebec suggests you may want to keep temperature in mind as you look at your figures — because last year's mild winter is expected to give way to a colder, snowier winter.
"It's true that last year it was quite a warm winter," Pouliot says. "It's hard to predict the weather, but it's sure that if you compare two different winters, the coldest one will be the most expensive one for the customers."
He wants to remind users, too, that home heating can account for roughly half your hydro bill.
Hydro-Quebec is also reminding users there are several ways for you to keep your heating bills down this winter: turn your thermostat down when you leave the house or during the night, don't heat unused rooms, use electronic thermostats which are more precise than the conventional kind, make sure your heating devices are properly cleaned, and make sure openings in outside walls are properly sealed off.