IndEco and the EDA

IndEco Strategic Consulting Inc., a proud commercial member of the Electricity Distributors Association (EDA) for over 5 years, has worked with more than 30 EDA LDC members. We have helped these LDCs to develop energy plans and associated work plans, budgets, and schedules, as well as conservation and demand management (CDM) program designs. We have also delivered third tranche and Ontario Power Authority (OPA) standard programs on behalf of our LDC clients. We have acted as third party evaluators for Lost Revenue Adjustment Mechanism and Shared Savings Mechanism applications and have provided strategic advice on regulatory energy approvals. With the MEARIE Group we provide CDM training in program design, delivery, marketing and promotions, CDM economics, monitoring and evaluation, and working with the Ontario Energy Board (OEB).

Included among the LDCs we have assisted over the years are: Barrie Hydro, Brant County Power, Brantford Power, Burlington Hydro, Cambridge and North Dumfries Hydro, Canadian Niagara Power, Chatham-Kent Hydro, Guelph Hydro, Halton Hills Hydro, Hydro One, Hydro One Brampton, Kitchener-Wilmot Hydro, Milton Hydro, members of the NEPA group, North Bay Hydro, Oakville Hydro, Peterborough Utilities Services, PUC Inc., and Toronto Hydro.


We are partnering with The MEARIE Group to deliver a series of 7 CDM courses, including Introduction to the OEB and Utility Regulation and Introduction to the Principles of CDM for CDM Professionals. Click here for details on the courses and registration. IndEco is also providing an inbound call centre service to handle customer inquires about the Electricity Retrofit Incentive Program (ERIP) for Canadian Niagara Power, Niagara-on-the-Lake Hydro, and Niagara Peninsula Energy. We also provided strategic advice to several LDCs on their lost revenue adjustment mechanism (LRAM) and shared savings mechanism (SSM) applications.

In 2011, IndEco is delivering all of OPA's programs for some LDCs, in partnership with Finn Projects. In 2009, IndEco delivered the Power Savings Blitz (PSB) program for Hydro One and Barrie Hydro; assisted with the marketing of ERIP for Brantford Power, Brant County Power, and Welland Hydro through the design and delivery of customer and channel partner workshops (more information is available here). We have prepared numerous LRAM and SSM applications, CDM strategies and CDM strategy addenda. We have developed a calculator to assist with LRAM and SSM applications. We are currently developing Board Approved Program applications for several LDCs. We also trained LDC staff on conservation and demand management (CDM).

IndEco published an article Gearing up for the Green Energy Act: the LDC and CDM in the December 2009 edition of EDA’s Distributor magazine about how LDCs can prepare for implementation of the GEA.

IndEco also had an article on The key role that LDCs play in CDM in Ontario in the December 2007 issue of The Distributor.

Our services to assist LDCs with CDM

IndEco offers consulting services in all aspects of Conservation and Demand Management (CDM), including:

• program planning & approvals
• technology & market assessments
• marketing & promotion
• program management
• monitoring & evaluation
• stakeholder consultation
• SSM & LRAM assistance.

Program planning & approvals

IndEco has experience in developing plans and programs that are efficient and effective, and that have won approval and recognition as innovative from regulators. CDM plans prepared for our clients were among the first to be submitted and approved. We have also designed specific programs dealing with demand response, customer communication, incentives for turning over inefficient stock (e.g. old lighting equipment), for upgrading low-income housing, and for enhancing the energy efficiency of new construction.

We have a deep understanding of the public policy process in Ontario, and OEB requirements, and advise on regulatory utility approvals. We have appeared as expert witnesses regarding CDM approvals on behalf of our clients.

Additional information is available on our strategic planning and regulatory affairs services.

Technology & market assessments

We have extensive experience in analyzing technologies and markets to assess the opportunities and risks that they may offer. Our assessments of technologies consider performance, particularly as part of an overall system, effectiveness at realizing reductions in energy use and emissions, and economic attractiveness. Our market assessments address market potential, customer preferences and choices, institutional and other barriers and ways of overcoming them, and alternatives.

Our assessments have included assessments of both energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies, and of markets in the residential, commercial, industrial and institutional sectors.

A brief description of our approach to these assessments is here.

Marketing & promotion

We have assisted LDCs in the design and delivery of marketing plans for third tranche and OPA Standard LDC Programs. We have: prepared media alerts, media advisories, and radio and newspaper ads; worked with local community business associations and chambers of commerce to market and promote LDC CDM programs; and designed, assembled, and attended LDC booths at community events to promote LDC programs. We have organized and managed inbound and outbound call centres to handle program-related inquiries and arrange for appointments for assessments and retrofits.

IndEco staff members are trained in community-based social marketing and employ these techniques in the design and delivery of marketing and promotion plans.

Program management

As LDCs have rolled out the programs identified in their plans, we have been there to help them with this process. For example, we have managed programs relating to demand response, low-income retrofit initiatives, and stock turnover. We have also done project management for LDCs related to the OPA LDC Standard Programs such as Summer Savings, peaksaver, Electricity Retrofit Incentive Program (ERIP), and Power Savings Blitz (PSB). In some cases for ERIP and PSB, we have delivered turnkey program delivery solutions for our LDC clients.

Monitoring & evaluation

Monitoring and evaluation are essential to ensuring that CDM programs are realizing the results anticipated, and to make adjustments when they are not. IndEco has designed systems and procedures to ensure efficient and effective monitoring of programs, and evaluation methods and tools to report on program screening and results in compliance with Ontario Energy Board requirements. IndEco is an approved OPA Evaluator for OPA Programs.


Our evaluations address process and impact evaluations, including socio-economic impacts. David Heeney, President of IndEco, spoke recently at the Energy Utilities and Environment Conference (EUEC) on recent IndEco work on measuring the employment and other socio-economic impacts of conservation. More information is here.

Stakeholder consultation

Effective stakeholder consultation is essential to the success of CDM. Effective consultation can generate enthusiasm and buy-in, and help to strengthen the business case. Successful consultations are also essential to obtaining timely regulatory approvals and gaining recognition for successes.

At IndEco we understand these consultation issues and have the experience, motivation and dedication to help you. We design and implement consultation and consensus-building processes that build trust and produce positive results.

On behalf of our LDC clients, we have consulted with regulators, program participants, and intervenors in order to improve program design and implementation, and to facilitate regulatory approvals.

More information on our stakeholder consultation services.

LRAM and SSM assistance

For an LDC, making a Lost Revenue Adjustment Mechanism (LRAM) and Shared Savings Mechanism (SSM) claim is an opportunity to recover losses and earn profits, respectively. LRAM adjusts energy rates to account for revenues lost due to participation in CDM activities. SSM ensures that a shared incentive exists between an LDC and ratepayers that further promotes participation in conservation and demand management.

At IndEco, we are pleased to assist in preparing LRAM and SSM claims that are representative of the energy and power savings achieved by an LDC, but are fair to its ratepayers. By calculating LRAM and SSM claims first-hand or by acting as the independent third party reviewer required by the OEB for all LRAM and SSM claims, IndEco will ensure that claims are substantiated, clearly detailed and meet the standards of the OEB.

A turnkey LRAM and SSM tool developed at IndEco greatly simplifies the calculation of LRAM and SSM for an LDC’s CDM portfolio. By taking simple inputs, the tool produces sophisticated output, including a breakdown of LRAM and SSM claims by rate class, funding source, program, and year, as well as 30-year projections of energy and power savings due to CDM programs. The tool can help clarify the breakdown of LRAM and SSM amounts and simplify any potential interrogatories related to LRAM and SSM. More importantly, output from the calculator can help incorporate energy savings into load forecasts and can show shareholders and the public the positive results of an LDC’s CDM activities.

Related information

Please do not hesitate to contact us to discuss your CDM issues, and how we can assist you in addressing them.