+ What is the Green Button program all about?
Green Button is a data standard that provides energy customers with more choice in how you access your electricity and natural gas data.
With a simple and secure process, customers will be able to securely download (access) or connect (share) their energy usage data in an industry-standard format with registered third parties.
Watch the video above to better understand the Green Button program.
+ What is the benefit of the Green Button Program?
Green Button provides a unified, industry-standard data format, which can be used to analyze and manage a consumer’s energy usage. The introduction of Green Button industry-standard data across Ontario utilities will provide the foundation for the development of new tools and applications for customers to analyze and monitor their energy usage to reduce costs.
Below are just a few of the benefits of Green Button data:
- Improve energy efficiency – Consumers can use Green Button data to identify and compare their energy usage in order to improve energy-efficiency within their home or business.
- Reduce energy costs -By learning their usage patterns and habits, consumers can make informed choices about how much energy they use and when they use it. When consumers use energy during off-peak hours (also known as peak-shaving) and invest in energy-efficient appliances, it saves money and can help reduce strain on the grid.
- Energy conservation –consumers can use their data to conserve energy to help reduce their carbon footprint and protect the environment.
- Green button tools to understand large volumes of energy data will help pave the way for future innovations in the energy sector.
Green Button Data for Residential and Small Commercial Customers:
- Many customers are already viewing their energy data through a customer portal on their utility website. With Green Button, third party apps can analyze the data and provide insights to help customers make sense of their energy use and make informed decisions to help reduce costs.
- With CMD, data is shared on an ongoing basis. This allows third parties to provide insights and alerts on usage trends and changes.
Green Button Data for Businesses:
- For customers with a large number of properties across multiple utilities, Green Button provides a standardized format so that the data they receive from each utility is in a similar format. Green Button third parties in the commercial sector are able to analyze large volumes of data across multiple facilities to provide energy management advice.
- With CMD, data is shared on an ongoing basis. This allows third parties to provide insights and alerts on usage trends and changes including monitoring the impact of energy efficiency measures taken.
- Green Button will also make it easier for facilities to complete mandatory government reporting requirements.
+ What can I do with the data I download?
When you download your data, you can review it yourself, upload it to an application to analyze, or send it to a third-party vendor to analyze.
+ How can I access Green Button?
You can download your Green Button data one of the following ways:
From MyAccount:
Log in to MyAccount
- Click the Smart Meter Tab.
- Click Downloads.
- Select the Green Button.
- Follow the prompts to select the data you would like to download.
- Click Download.
- An XML file containing your selected data will be downloaded.
- This file can be shared with a third-party or uploaded to a Green Button app to view.
From the Milton Hydro Website:
- Go directly to the Green Button Portal .
- Enter your required account information to validate that you are the account owner (Note: You will need to have a recent bill handy).
- Select the Download My Data tab.
- Follow the prompts to select the data you would like to download.
- Click Download.
- An XML file containing your selected data will be downloaded.
- This file can be shared with a third-party or uploaded to a Green Button app to view.
+ How do I know that my data is secure?
Milton Hydro has been certified by the
Green Button Alliance. This is the industry standard to ensure compliance with data sharing and security standards.
Third-party vendors must also be certified by the Green Button Alliance to be authorized as a registered vendor. Before you authorize a third-party vendor, be sure to carefully read the terms and conditions on their website so that you understand how they will use, share, or retain your data.
+ What format will my data be downloaded in?
When you download your data, it will be in an industry-standard XML format. Please note that XML files are designed to be read and analyzed by computer applications, not humans.
+ What data is shared with the authorized third-party vendor(s)?
When authorizing a third-party vendor to access your data, you will select the type of data you want to share with them and for which account (if you have multiple accounts).
You can select your Energy Usage Data, Billing Data and/or Account Information to be shared. Your utility provider will share the type of data you have selected and authorized for that account.
+ How do I find a third-party vendor to share my data with through Green Button?
Data can be shared with authorized third-party vendors that have registered with and been authorized by Milton Hydro to use
Connect My Data.
Below is a list of third-party vendors currently registered with Milton Hydro:
- Currently, there are no third-party vendors registered with Milton Hydro. Customers will not be able to share their data with third-party vendors until Milton Hydro has registered a third-party vendor.
+ Who do I contact for help with using the Green Button program?
Our
Customer Service team would be happy to speak with you about the Green Button program. They can be reached M-F 8:30 am – 4:30 pm at (905) 876-4611.
You can also contact the
Ontario Energy Board at 1(877) 632-2727.
+ Can a vendor submit an authorization form on behalf of a customer to access their data?
Customers are required to make their own authorizations online through one of the authorization methods.
The customer must also authenticate with the utility before the security token can be exchanged with the utility and data can be shared.
+ How long does a third-party vendor have access to customer data?
The customer selects the duration for which the data will be shared with an authorized third-party vendor, along with the frequency that the data will be shared.
The customer can revoke access at any time.
+ Can I stop sharing my data with a third-party vendor?
Yes, you can stop sharing your data with a third-party vendor at any time.
To do so, simply go to the Data Shares tab within the Milton Hydro Green Button portal, select the vendor you would like to stop sharing your data with, and click Revoke.
+ How long will my data be shared with an authorized third-party vendor?
When authorizing a third-party vendor to access your data, you select the duration and frequency that you would like to share your data for.