Sustainable Energy

In accordance with Ontario Regulation 507/18 under the Electricity Act, Richmond Hill annually reports and publishes the energy consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of City facilities in the Energy Consumption and GHG Emissions Report.

In 2020, our overall energy consumption decreased by 20.7% and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions decreased by 17.8% as compared to 2019. This decrease was mainly due to closure of City facilities in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

View the 2020 Energy Consumption and GHG Emissions Report.

You can get a paper copy of these reports through the Office of the Clerk, located at:

225 East Beaver Creek Road, Ground Floor
Richmond Hill, ON L4B 3P4 

The Electricity Act requires municipalities to develop and publish energy conservation and demand management plans (Corporate Energy Plans) and to update these plans every five years.  In 2014, Richmond Hill developed its first five-year Corporate Energy Plan, which established the foundation for energy management in City facilities.

In 2019, Richmond Hill updated its Corporate Energy Plan. The 2019 plan will guide the City’s energy management efforts over the next 5 years (2019 - 2023) and it will continue to take a proactive approach to reducing energy consumption and costs. The plan details the projects that will be implemented over the next five years along with the expected energy and cost savings.

View the 2019-2023 Corporate Energy Plan Summary Report.

The full version of the 2019-2023 Corporate Energy Plan, which contains a more in-depth analysis of energy consumption, as well as the details of the projects implemented as part of the 2014-2018 Corporate Energy Plan, is available upon request.

The hard copy of the Corporate Energy Plan (summarized version or the full technical version) can be obtained from the Energy Section in the Corporate Asset Management and Environment Services Division, located at the:

Main Municipal Offices
225 East Beaver Creek Road – 2^nd floor
Richmond Hill, ON L4B 3P4

Renewable energy systems 

Richmond Hill demonstrates its commitment to becoming a leader in sustainable energy use by installing renewable energy systems in City buildings.

Renewable energy systems installed in City buildings:

Outdoor lights conversion to LED project

Outdoor lighting in Richmond Hill takes up a large part of our overall energy usage. There are about 16,000 streetlights, 350 parking lot lights and 1,200 park lights in Richmond Hill.

Until recently, most of our lights were High Pressure Sodium (HPS) luminaires. In 2019, Richmond Hill converted a majority of its outdoor lights from HPS to energy-efficient Light-Emitting Diode (LED) lights. A total of 11,700 streetlights, 700 park lights and 330 parking lot lights were converted to LEDs to reduce energy consumption, costs and associated GHG emissions. As a result of this conversion, the City is saving $650,000 per year in energy costs.

Energy efficiency tips

Richmond Hill encourages energy efficiency through programs such as Earth Hour. The following tips can help you reduce energy use and costs in your home:

• Install a programmable thermostat to avoid unnecessary heating and cooling of your home
• Use ceiling fans to cool your house and circulate air whenever possible
• Use power bars for multiple appliances that can be shut off when not in use
• Draft-proofing your home by adding weather-stripping to doors and windows ensures that cool air stays in your home during the summer and hot air during the winter
• Leave window coverings open during the day to let the sunlight naturally warm your house in the winter
• Switch your lighting from less efficient bulbs to compact fluorescents and Light-Emitting Diode (LEDs).
• Install energy-efficient appliances, such as fridges, washers, driers and dishwashers
• Wrap your hot water tank with an insulating blanket, especially when it's located in an unheated area
• Wrap hot water pipes with insulating material and fix leaking faucets
• Set the thermostat on your hot water tank to a reasonable temperature
• Change furnace filters regularly to save up to five per cent of energy use (every other month or monthly if you have pets)

Learn more power-saving tips.