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FAQs |
General Inquiries
Residential Signup
and Support
Green
Electricity
General Inquiries
What mix of energy generation sources
does Bullfrog Power use?
All of our power comes from 100% EcoLogoM certified
renewable energy sources. Our mix comprises approximately
80% low-impact hydro and 20% wind power. For more information
on our suppliers, click here.
Is Bullfrog Power licensed by the Ontario Energy Board (OEB)?
Yes, Bullfrog Power is licensed by the OEB as an electricity retailer. Our license number is ER-2005-0288. This license allows Bullfrog Power to operate as an electricity retailer throughout Ontario
Is Bullfrog Power publicly traded?
Bullfrog Power is a privately held company, and is not currently listed on any stock exchange.
Residential Signup
and Support
Do
I need any special equipment or wiring?
No. You do not need any
special equipment or wiring to switch to renewable energy.
Nor are service calls to your home necessary to get you
started. You will continue to draw power from the Ontario
grid as you always have, and we ensure that the amount
of renewable power you purchase is put onto Ontario's
electricity grid.
Where will my bill come from?
As a residential metered customer of Bullfrog Power, you will receive your electricity bill from your local utility. The Bullfrog Power charge will appear on the Electricity line of your local utility bill.
When will I receive my first Bullfrog Power bill?
Once you have completed the Bullfrog Power contract, we will contact your local utility to have you switched over to Bullfrog Power. The local utility will let us know the date of your next scheduled meter read. Your switch to Bullfrog Power will become effective after this meter read, which could take two months after you have completed the sign up process. You will get your first Bullfrog Power charge on your local utility bill on the next billing period after the switch, which could be another two months. In short, it could take two months from the time of signup to become bullfrogpowered, and another two months until Bullfrog appears for the first time on your utility bill.
What are all the line items on my bill?
All residential electricity bills in Ontario comprise four
main components:
1. Electricity: this is the cost of the electricity supplied to you. Bullfrog Power electricity costs 8.9 cents per kilowatt hour. This is the only portion of your bill that changes when you sign up with Bullfrog Power.
The charges for the remaining three components of your bill remain the same when you switch to Bullfrog Power from your current utility. Bullfrog Power does not keep any portion of the delivery, regulatory, or debt retirement charges. These are passed on to the appropriate entities.
2. Delivery: the cost of delivering electricity from generators to your local utility and then to your home or business. The charge is set by the Ontario Energy Board.
3. Regulatory: the costs of administering the wholesale electricity system and maintaining the reliability of the provincial grid. This charge is set by the Ontario Energy Board.
4. Debt Retirement Charge: this charge is set by the Ministry of Finance and is designed to pay down the residual stranded debt of the former Ontario Hydro.
What is the current rate for the electricity
component
of the service?
8.9 cents per kilowatt hour (kWh). For the term of your contract, you will not be billed more than 8.9 cents per kWh, and if you sign up now, this price is guaranteed for one year. Plus, you may terminate your contract at any time.
What is the rate for "regular" electricity
from my
local utility?
Your local utility charges you 5.0 cents per kilowatt hour (kWh) for your first 600 kWh/month of consumption and 5.9 cents per kWh above 600 kWh.
Will the electricity rate fluctuate?
Your Bullfrog Power price for electricity is guaranteed for one year. You can rest easy knowing that you will only ever pay 8.9 cents per kWh for the duration of your contract. Plus, you may terminate your contract at any time.
Why does green energy cost more?
Green energy is more expensive to produce than dirty power, but is more valuable as it does not pollute our air or our water. We pay our generators a premium for green electricity, which acknowledges its greater value and signals the market to build more. Bullfrog Power also uses a portion of the green premium to help develop new, renewable generation. A growing number of new turbines have been commissioned as a direct result of the demand for green power from Bullfrog’s commercial and residential customers. In the longer term, with advances in renewable power generation technologies, and with increased demand for renewables, production is likely to become more cost-effective. The price difference between green and conventional electricity should therefore reduce over time.
How do I make my payments?
You pay your bill directly through your local utility. You can select from the various payment options that your local utility makes available to its customers.
What if I want to terminate my contract?
You may terminate your
contract with Bullfrog Power at any time, and switch
back to your local utility.
How much notice must I give for cancellation?
You may terminate at any
time. You're not locked in. You will be switched at the next available meter reading by your local utility. You will be responsible
for the remaining charges until you are switched.
Are there any cancellation fees?
There are no cancellation
fees.
Is there any charge for switching from my local utility to Bullfrog Power?
There is no charge for switching to Bullfrog Power. When you terminate your account with your local utility, however, they will charge you for the Regulated Price Plan variance amount that would be added to your utility bill even if you did not switch to Bullfrog Power. You will pay this amount regardless of whether you switch to Bullfrog Power or not – it is just a matter of when you have to pay it. The variance amount reflects the difference between what your utility paid to generators for electricity and what consumers like you paid to the utility. For those customers who remain with their utility, the charge will be rolled into the new electricity rates being introduced in the fall of 2008. People who switch to Bullfrog Power will have to pay it sooner, i.e., when they are leaving their utility. For more information on the Regulated Price Plan and current variance amounts, visit the Ontario Energy Board web site
What happens if there is a power outage?
Your local utility will continue to maintain the infrastructure that delivers power to your home, and you will continue to draw power from the Ontario grid as you always have. The reliability of your service will therefore be unaffected by the switch to Bullfrog Power. In the event of a power outage, you should call your local utility directly. Visit our power outage information area for the relevant telephone numbers.
Who maintains the wires that deliver electricity to my home?
Your local utility will continue to maintain the infrastructure that delivers power to your home, and you will continue to draw power from the Ontario grid as you always have. The reliability of your service will therefore be unaffected by the switch to Bullfrog Power.
What happens if I move?
You can easily switch your Bullfrog Power account to your new home if we provide service in your new location. If you are already a Bullfrog customer and you are moving within the same service area as your current utility then you must inform the utility that you wish to remain with Bullfrog Power as your retailer at your new home (if you don't, we'll have to re-enroll you as a Bullfrog Power customer once you move in to the new location). Once the utility confirms your request, please let Bullfrog Power customer service know.
Call us at 1-877-360-3464 or email us at info@bullfrogpower.com as soon as you have your move date and new address.
What happens if I move within the same Local Utility Area?
You can easily switch your Bullfrog Power account to your new home if you move within your utility's service area. Please call your local utility to inform them of your move in and out dates. They will then send us a message and we can move your Bullfrog account over to the new place. You will have to let the customer rep know that you would like to remain with your retailer (so they don't drop your account with Bullfrog). This is called a seamless move with the retailer.
Once your utility confirms your requests, please let Bullfrog Power customer service know your new address, new phone number and email address.
What happens if I move out of my Local Utility Area?
If you are moving out of your utility's service area you will have to contact your current utility and inform them of your move out date. You will also have to contact the new utility and set up an account with them.
Once your utility confirms your requests, please let Bullfrog Power customer service know your new address, new phone number or email address.
Once you've moved in and have received your first bill from the new utility, please feel free to sign up for Bullfrog Power with your new account information at www.bullfrogpower.com.
What happens if I move to a location that is not metered or that is billed by a third party for electricity (i.e. a condo, rental unit)?
Please call your local utility to inform them of your move out date. They will then send us a message to confirm the closure of that account. You can expect to receive the final bill for that bullfrogpowered residence after your move out date for the power you consumed before the move out date. We will require a forwarding address from you. Once your utility confirms your requests, please let Bullfrog Power customer service know your new address, new phone number and email address.
If you would like to bullfrogpower your new residence that is billed by a third party or is not metered, you can do so through our newest green power offering. This offering allows you to layer the green premium on top of your new electricity provider’s charges, whether those are absorbed into your rent or you are billed for them directly. Click here for more information.
Green
Electricity
How is
Bullfrog Power generated?
Bullfrog Power sources
all of its electricity from power generation facilities that meet
the federal government's Environmental Choice Program
EcoLogoM standard for renewable, low-impact
electricity. Our energy mix is a blend of clean wind
and low-impact hydro power that is 100% renewable, emission-free,
and has minimal impact on local habitats.
Will my power source be reliable?
What if the wind isn't blowing?
All Bullfrog Power's electricity is sourced from EcoLogoM-certified water and wind generation facilities. The electricity produced by these sources is injected onto the Ontario grid, the common power pool that delivers power to homes and businesses throughout the province. When you sign up for Bullfrog Power, you continue to draw your electricity from the grid, meaning that your power supply is just as reliable as it always was. The difference is that you are now supporting renewable power with your electricity dollars, rather than coal, nuclear, oil and gas.
How does wind power work?
Wind turbines produce electricity by capturing kinetic energy from surface winds, and converting that energy to electricity. Wind power produces no smog-inducing emissions.
How much power can a wind turbine
produce?
A single large-scale wind turbine produces enough energy to power 350 to 500 homes. Clustered together in a wind farm, turbines can produce enough energy to power thousands of homes.
Are wind turbines dangerous to
birds?
Bullfrog Power only sources energy from wind farms that meet the federal government's Environmental Choice Program EcoLogoM standard. This standard includes criteria focused on the protection of concentrations of birds, including endangered bird species. In addition, most major studies indicate that properly situated wind turbines pose minimal risk to birds. A 2001 study of wind farms in the United States and the UK, for example, found minimal ecological impacts on bird populations (Kerlinger; Avian Issues and Potential Impacts Associated with Wind Power). Relatively speaking, wind turbines kill very few birds compared with other sources. The Erickson study (Erikson et al.; A Summary and Comparison of Bird Mortality from Anthropogenic Causes with an Emphasis on Collisions) also found that of every 10,000 bird fatalities in the United States, less than 1 is caused by wind turbines compared to 5820 by buildings/windows, 1370 by high-tension lines, 1060 by household cats and 850 by vehicles. Bullfrog Power will also work with its producers to assess and minimize impacts on the local habitat of new wind power projects.
What is low-impact hydro? What
is the difference between low-impact hydro and regular
hydro?
Low-impact hydro refers to hydroelectric generation that minimizes disruption of local habitats. Many large hydro generation facilities cause major ecological damage to the local habitat and wildlife. Bullfrog Power only sources energy from water power generation facilities that meet the federal government's Environmental Choice Program EcoLogoM standard. This standard requires that water power facilities meet a range of environmental criteria including the protection of indigenous species and habitat, and measures to minimize fish mortality and to preserve fish migration patterns.
How do I know that the volume of
green electricity I purchase is really being delivered
to the grid?
All of Bullfrog Power's suppliers are required by the Environmental Choice Program EcoLogoM standard to guarantee that they produce at least as much EcoLogoM electricity as they sell. Additionally, Bullfrog Power has retained Deloitte to verify and audit our green power production levels on an annual basis. To review the most recent audit, click here.
Could Bullfrog Power handle a sudden, large increase in demand? Could you run out of power?
Bullfrog Power has secure and flexible arrangements with a number of suppliers to ensure we can meet the current and future requirements of our customers. Additionally, Bullfrog Power is investing in bringing more renewable power online. In this regard, two new wind turbines were commissioned in the fall of 2006 at the Sky Generation wind farm site on the Bruce Peninsula to service Bullfrog Power customer demand. In early 2007, in partnership with Schneider Power, Bullfrog announced the commissioning of two more new turbines on Manitoulin Island. In the fall of 2007, a new wind farm in Ravenswood was announced in partnership with Sky Generation. As our customer base grows, we will continue to help bring more new renewable power online. In the unlikely event that we should ever face a situation in which demand exceeds the supply we have available, we would temporarily refrain from signing on any new customers until we had addressed the supply deficit by commissioning new renewable power generation projects.
Does green energy reduce greenhouse
gas emissions?
Wind power and low-impact hydro do not produce emissions that contribute to either climate change or air pollution.
How much greenhouse gas and smog-inducing emissions are displaced when we choose to buy clean, green electricity from Bullfrog Power?
To answer this question, Bullfrog Power has developed an Emissions Calculator.
To read about how we prepared this calculator, click here.
To download our emissions calculator (microsoft excel), click here.
Does Canada have good wind power resources?
With its long coastlines,
generous land, and ample high winds, Canada offers an
ideal environment for wind power production.
How do I set up my own turbine or small hydro generation?
As an electricity retailer, we are not currently involved in the installation of power generation systems, but if you are interested in learning more about generating power from your own site, you may wish to visit the Canadian Wind Energy Association site at www.canwea.ca or the Ontario Water Power Association at http://www.owa.ca/. Please contact the Ontario Power Authority directly if you have any questions about selling your electricity to the Ontario grid. You can visit their website at http://www.powerauthority.on.ca/ for more information about their Standard Offer Program.
How can I conserve? Worried about the extra costs of going green?
Bullfrog Power advocates conservation in order to reduce your environmental footprint and your electricity costs. We offer several conservation tips at: http://www.bullfrogpower.com/clean/conservation.cfm . Conserving can help reduce not only your electricity charges but also the regulatory, debt retirement and a portion of the delivery charges on your bill. Please keep in mind that every utility differs in how they calculate the administrative charges. If you are interested in the breakdown of these fees, please visit your local utility’s website or call their customer service line.
The Kerr Family reduced their electricity consumption by about 60% more than offsetting the premium paid for green power. You can view their story here. By cutting your consumption of electricity, not only are you helping the environment, but you are also reducing the overall cost of your electricity bill.
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