Electricity FAQ
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Many appliances that we have in our homes today still consume electric power while we are away. We may not notice them using electricity, because they are silent.
Here is a list of a few items your home may have that use power while you're away: aquariums, block heaters, dehumidifiers, cordless phones, answering machines, furnace fan motors, freezers, pumps,
refrigerators, security systems, television sets, waterbeds, and water heaters.
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Electrical inspections should be done anytime any changes are made to the electrical wiring of your home.
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When leaving a room for more than a few minutes turn the light off. Leaving a light on will use more energy than turning it off. The energy used in turning on an incandescent light bulb is used up in
the first 0.04 seconds of operation.
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You shouldn't choose an appliance based only on its purchase price. Also take its "second price tag" into consideration - the cost of the energy needed to run the appliance over its lifetime. Since
major appliances last an average of 13 to 21 years, choosing an energy-efficient model can add up to substantial savings over time. Take time to read the EnerGuide label that is now on every major
appliance by law. The EnerGuide label tells you how the appliance you're considering compares with other makes and models.
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The largest users of electricity include an air conditioner, clothes dryer, block heater, water heater, freezer, refrigerator, and furnace.
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Periodically, scheduled interruptions are required to perform maintenance on our system or to your meter. These infrequent interruptions are intended to be of short duration. If an outage is planned
for your area you will be notified.
Unplanned interruptions are usually a direct result of storm damage, vehicle accidents, animals, or other unexpected events. Utilities Kingston can be reached 24 hours a day by calling 613-546-1181.
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It's the unit of electricity that your meter measures and for which we bill you each month. A kilowatt-hour [kWh] is 1,000 watts of electricity used in one hour. For example, if a 100 watt light bulb
is on for one hour per day for 30 days that's 30 days X 100/1000 = 3 kWh
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A power surge is an increase in voltage. It can damage sensitive electronic equipment like computers. Some electronic home entertainment equipment may also be vulnerable.
Protecting your valuable electronic equipment and data from surges or other changes in the power supply is usually simple and low cost. Your equipment dealer can advise on the device(s) and procedures
that can protect your equipment from power surges.
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Showers are cheaper. It takes 128 litres of water to fill an average bathtub three-quarters full. But a 7-minute shower requires only 67 litres of hot water (if you use a water-saving shower head,
with a flow of 9.5 litres per minute). Having showers instead of baths could cut your hot water consumption by about 50% and save you money.
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Utilities Kingston requires 48 hours notice in order to connect a service.
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A power line can carry 4,000 to 345,000 volts of electricity. Which it is why one should be VERY careful when near them, and NEVER touch, or go near power lines that are down. The best thing to do in a situation like that is call your local utilities to have them fix it.
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The main difference between circuit breakers and fuses is that circuit breakers can be reset while fuses operate only once and then must be replaced. If your breakers or fuses trip repeatedly, call an electrician because you may have a problem with your electrical system.
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