EDA Re-endorses Whitecap’s MyHydroEye Solution for TOU Web Presentment
EDA RapidSource – February 24, 2011
Reminder: EDA’s SME Transition Committee endorsed TOU Web-Presentment Solution Available for LDC’s Consideration and Review
As members will recall from an EDA RapidSource dated March 26, 2010, LDC‘s were advised that a web presentment solution for TOU implementation for customers, offered by Whitecap Canada Inc., was available for members’ review and consideration. This web presentment proposal was formally requested and then reviewed and endorsed by the EDA’s SME Transition Committee, as part of the Association’s advocacy efforts to maintain LDC’s communication interface with customers.
Members are reminded that the Whitecap proposal is currently available for review and deliberation for all of EDA’s LDC members so that, as the province rolls out TOU rates, all customers have access to their consumption data through web presentment.
For further information contact the EDA’s Afreen Khan, Junior Policy Analyst, at akhan@eda-on.ca or (905) 265-5334.
Electricity Distributors Association (EDA)
Endorses Whitecap’s Time-of-Use (TOU) Web Portal
for Ontario LDC’s
Toronto, Ontario – March 26, 2010 – Whitecap Canada Inc., a Toronto based systems integrator and leading developer of customized software for the Internet, and the Electricity Distributor’s Association, the voice of Ontario's local electricity distributors, the publicly and privately owned companies that safely and reliably deliver electricity to over four million Ontario homes, businesses and public institutions, have come to an agreement on a proposal that enables the EDA’s SME Transition Committee to endorse Whitecap’s TOU web portal software service as a viable solution for any LDC in the province of Ontario needing to present consumer electricity consumption via the internet.
Over the past two years Whitecap has developed custom TOU web portals for Toronto Hydro, as well as Hydro One and Hydro Ottawa, the latter two being fully integrated with the IESO’s MDM/R system to pull interval data for TOU presentment.
Based on those learnings and at the request of numerous smaller LDC’s in the province, it was logical for Whitecap to develop a generic TOU portal service that all other LDC’s could utilize for their TOU web presentment.
Whitecap is offering their solution in the Software as a Service (SaaS) model. For one low monthly fee, as well as a very competitively priced annual license fee, any LDC choosing to use the service can be up and running in a matter of a few weeks. The service provides a full, rich functionality where your customers can view their electricity consumption in numerous and meaningful ways, as well as set up personal usage alerts enabling a customer to pro-actively manage their electricity costs and consumption downward. The portal can be completely branded to comply with each LDC’s unique branding standards, so it appears as an integral part of your own web site. Whitecap’s solution is hosted at a Tier One hosting facility, which provides a highly secure, fully redundant, high performance experience, completely supported 7 x 24 x 365 days of the year.
Whitecap has also developed extensions for the TOU portal in native applications for both Apple’s iPhone and RIM’s Blackberry.
Robb Carmichael, Whitecap's President & CEO, commented: "Working with three of the province’s largest LDC’s has been a great experience. Their expertise in electricity distribution and consumption management combined with Whitecap's technology know-how has enabled us to develop a unique web application that will make energy conservation fun and rewarding for consumers all across Ontario, while contributing to the province’s goal of distributing load and demand during peak usage periods. A common and familiar user interface regardless of where you are located in Ontario will also benefit Ontario consumers. Working on a project centred on the goal of energy conservation has been highly rewarding. Our TOU Portal represents an excellent showcase for Whitecap’s strengths in technology development and strategic design."
The EDA’s announcement and communication to LDC’s in the province of Ontario is listed below.
EDA Makes Proposed Web-Presentment Solution Available for LDCs’ Consideration & Review
As Members heard during the all-LDC conference call held March 4th, and as was outlined in the February 26th memo issued in advance of that call, the EDA’s long-standing advocacy to preserve LDC rights to maintain your interface with customers, including through web-presentment, has been successful.
The MEI has long held the position that, as part of the rollout of TOU pricing, it wants to ensure each electricity customer in Ontario can access via the web the presentment of their consumption data at TOU rates. The EDA has been and continues to be supportive of this objective.
As part of the Association’s advocacy efforts to maintain LDCs’ interface with customers, the EDA Board committed to the MEI and IESO that the EDA’s SME Transition Committee (Chair Anthony Haines – Toronto Hydro, Vice-Chair Robert Mace – Thunder Bay Hydro, Ed Houghton – Collus Power, Norm Fraser – Hydro Ottawa, Vinay Sharma – London Hydro, and Myles D’Arcey – Hydro One) was prepared to work to facilitate the availability of a web presentment solution for any LDC who wished to consider using it.
To fulfill this commitment, the SME Transition Committee formally requested a proposal from an established web presentment service provider, Whitecap Canada Inc. that is already providing an effective solution to several LDCs in Ontario. The Committee has reviewed and now endorses for members’ consideration and review the attached proposal from Whitecap.
As part of our industry’s commitment to ensure, as part of the rollout of TOU pricing, all consumers are provided access to their consumption data through web presentment, the EDA invites members to review and consider the Whitecap proposal. With respect to the service being offered, members are invited to contact Whitecap’s CEO,