GETTING TO KNOW
NEWFOUNDLAND POWER

At Newfoundland Power, we are committed to being there for you, our customers, whenever, wherever you need us. Day or night. No matter what the weather. We have been delivering safe, reliable electricity to the people of our province for 135 years. Today we continue this proud tradition of providing service to over 87% of electricity customers in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Maintaining and operating a $1.2 billion electricity system in one of the harshest climates in the country takes dedication, perseverance and hard work. Our 600 employees are up to the challenge, with an unwavering focus on keeping the lights on for our customers.

269,000

Customers

250,000

Poles

12,500 km

Power Lines

130

Substations

23

Hydro Plants

6

Backup Generators

DOING OUR PART

“Safety, reliability and doing what’s best for our customers, is part of every decision we make. I’m proud of our team for putting our customers first and for the results they deliver.”

Peter Alteen
President and Chief Executive Officer

The Poles and Wires People

We are the ones who keep your lights on, your homes warm and your bread toasted. You can count on us if something happens to the electricity system. Whatever the weather, whenever we’re needed. We work hard every day to maintain one of the most reliable electricity systems in the country.

We know you rely on us to deliver your electricity. We take this responsibility very seriously.

We have been listening very carefully to what you have been telling us is important when it comes to your electricity service. What we have consistently heard is that you expect reliable electricity service at affordable rates.

Maintaining reliability takes thorough planning and continuous improvements, especially given the harsh weather conditions our electricity system must withstand. Ongoing maintenance, necessary repairs and required upgrades to aging infrastructure are essential to keeping our system strong. A well-maintained system is a cost-effective system to operate. Making routine upgrades to prevent an outage is better than having to make emergency repairs when an outage occurs.

We know you are concerned about future rate increases, that’s why we’re doing our part to provide least-cost service. We’ve been working hard to maintain reliability while minimizing our impact on electricity rates. We have consistently beaten inflation when it comes to our operating costs. And there has been no rate increase due to our operations since 2016, up to and including 2020. That’s a five-year period.

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STAYING CONNECTED

Our employees are proud Newfoundlanders and Labradorians. Our desire is to be as helpful as we can, and we’re thankful you notice and appreciate the work we do. Last year you gave us an overall satisfaction rating of 86%, and that increased to 91% satisfaction when you deal with us directly. We’re happy to be of service.

As well as providing assistance on the phone, there is nothing we enjoy more than getting out on the road, meeting you face-to-face in your own communities.

But we know the time you need us the most is if your lights go out. We work hard to provide timely updates about the status, cause and expected restoration time for power interruptions. In 2019, we introduced a new Outage Management System which allows us to respond to outages faster and provide more detail about outages affecting your homes and businesses.

On our website you can find a detailed outage listing and map. You can even search to find the latest information regarding outages that affect you. Sign up to receive outage alerts via text or email so you’ll know if an outage occurs and to be kept updated on progress until your power is restored.

We’ve also upgraded our outage information phone line. We can now handle more calls and provide automatic address-specific outage updates based on your phone number.

Delivering information to you in the way you want is important to us. Almost half of you enjoy the convenience of receiving your monthly bill via email. This means you get your bill more efficiently, and help the environment by saving on paper at the same time.

Timely response to your requests is a priority. On average, we get your power back on in 1.4 hours after an outage, and we repair 85% of street lights within 5 days.

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SEE THE WIRES

Electricity can be a very dangerous business. That’s why safety is not just a word at Newfoundland Power, it’s a way of life. It’s something we think about every minute of every day. Because of this unwavering focus, 2019 was our best safety performance on record.

There is nothing more important than the safety of our employees, our contractors and our customers. In 2019, we launched a new campaign about safety around electricity, reminding everyone to “See the Wires”. We want to make sure everyone stays safe – at home, at work and at play.

We provide our employees with the appropriate tools and training so that they go home to their families safely at the end of every day. Monitoring, reviewing and continuous improvement are key components of ensuring we remain among the best when it comes to our safety practices. Recent audits of our Safety and Environment Management System and our Safety and Environment Compliance confirm that we are compliant with best practices and management standards as well as current legislation and other guidelines. This shows our safety action plans are working.

We put a high emphasis on educating and creating awareness of the dangers of working or being around electricity. Along with our new safety advertising, we provide training seminars and student education. Throughout 2019, we conducted safety presentations to approximately 2,000 students and 250 firefighters and first responders across the province.

Our employees are committed to putting not only their own safety but that of their co-workers at the forefront of everything they do. We celebrate the many safety milestones our employees achieve in recognition of a job well done, a job done safely.

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SUSTAINABILITY.

INNOVATION.

ELECTRIFICATION.

OUR VISION

Being a good member of the community is important to us. We make responsible decisions today, with our sights on tomorrow. Focusing on reducing the environmental impacts of our industry, using technology wisely and helping you to save energy at home and at work.

Our takeCHARGE program helps homeowners, businesses and communities make smart energy choices, saving energy and money. After all, knowledge is power.

2019 was a very busy year for our energy efficiency experts. Over 500,000 Instant Rebates were provided at the cash on products like LED light bulbs, weatherstripping and more. Our takeCHARGE website received over 376,000 visits from those looking for advice and rebates. We participated in 328 energy conservation events and presentations and the takeCHARGE Kids-In-Charge program was delivered to over 3,100 students.

In 2019, we also expanded on our energy efficiency resources for business, including promoting case studies and videos to help business owners realize their opportunities for energy efficiency by seeing how others have saved.

In total, takeCHARGE programs helped save 42.3 GWh in 2019, enough electricity to power approximately 8,000 electrically heated homes.

Innovative thinking and technology go hand in hand. Both bring direct benefits to our customers. All new street lights installed now use LED technology. As well, when a fixture reaches the end of its useful life, we replace it with an LED fixture. LED street lights give better light, require less maintenance and use less energy. As a result there is a 9-20% savings on the monthly rate for a standard street light.

2019 was the second year of full Automated Meter Reading implementation. Through ongoing technology improvements in 2019, there has been an additional reduction of 28% in estimating bills.

As we look ahead, there will be opportunities to use electricity in different ways. This is often referred to as electrification. Switching to an electric vehicle is one example of electrification. Instead of spending money at the gas pump to fill your car each week, it could be more beneficial to charge your electric vehicle at home. We will be there to provide you with the information you need to learn more about electric vehicles and other exciting innovations. One thing is certain, the future will look much different from the past.

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“ALL NEW STREET LIGHTS
WE INSTALL USE
LED TECHNOLOGY.”

Our Team

The more than 600 employees of Newfoundland Power shape our story. Our employees live and work in communities all across our province. They are your friends, your neighbours, your families. Working late at night in all kinds of weather, to get the job done. We are immensely proud to have a team with diverse backgrounds, skills and experiences, and who are passionate about keeping the lights on for the people of our province.

In 2019, our workforce continued to change as we welcomed new employees and said farewell to longstanding employees. We are embracing these changes. Stability and strength comes from balancing proven experience with the excitement of new people inspiring new ideas.

We are creating an environment that fosters new and innovative ways of doing things to ensure we are continuing to meet your expectations. It’s about seeking new ideas and taking a second look at the effectiveness of what we do to see if we can become more efficient. Our SHIFT network of ambassadors are there to help take great ideas to the next level and make them a reality.

Every employee has their own story. We value and celebrate the uniqueness and diversity of our employees. We are committed to a culture of openness where everyone feels safe to bring their whole selves to work. We know our similarities and differences generate innovative ideas and strong results. Together we are stronger.

The health and wellbeing of our employees is important to us. We help them stay healthy by providing information, training and a range of support networks. We introduced Power Moves this year, a new ergonomic and soft tissue injury awareness program. Employees are encouraged to take the time to use body preparedness exercises to ensure they are ready for the work they have to do.

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“SAFETY IS PART
OF EVERYTHING WE DO.”

GIVING BACK

Our employees are the faces you see, working side by side with community partners and rolling up their sleeves to make the places we call home even better. Giving back means so much more to us than just providing financial support. It’s about leading by example, touching the lives of others and creating long lasting, meaningful relationships. We are proud to say that the total value of our overall contribution in 2019 was approximately $570,000.

The passion our employees, retirees and customers have for cancer care in our province is second to none. Through their support, our corporate charity, Power of Life, has raised $4.5 million to date to provide much-needed equipment and comfort to cancer patients and their families. Cancer care comes in many forms – a cuddle bed that provides the warmth and closeness of loved ones for cancer patients can mean so much. We are honoured to help make the cancer journey of our fellow Newfoundlanders and Labradorians a little easier.

Building a sustainable environment and community for future generations is important to us. For over 20 years, our annual EnviroFest has brought together employees and community partners from across our province. In 2019, we initiated five more beautification projects. We enhanced a walking trail at the Municipal Day Park in Reidville; planted trees and created a community garden at The Neck on the Eastport Peninsula; beautified the Clarenville Rotary Trail; planted trees and laid sods at the Carbonear Walking Trail; and, upgraded the beach and installed picnic tables at Duck Pond Park in Bauline. These projects create new green spaces and make lasting environmental improvements to be enjoyed by all.

We are longtime supporters of the Community Food Sharing Association. Over $200,000 cash has been collected, and almost $875,000 worth of food has been donated since we began our partnership in 1999. Helping those in need is just one of the many things our employees are dedicated to.

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Leadership Team

Our leaders are experienced, diverse and dynamic Newfoundlanders and Labradorians. They are committed to safely operating Newfoundland Power as one of the best run electrical utility companies in Canada.

Peter Alteen President and CEO
Byron Chubbs Vice President, Energy Supply and Planning
Paige London Vice President, Finance, Chief Financial Officer
Gary Murray Vice President, Customer Operations
We are committed to continue managing our operations in a way that minimizes our impact. We are ready for what the future holds. Although innovation and technologies may change the way we deliver and use electricity, what’s important to you will always be what’s important to us. We’ll continue to do our part…for our customers, our communities and our province. We are focused on being there for you in the years ahead. Whenever. Wherever.