Toronto Hydro-Electric System Limited (“Toronto Hydro”) has found through a survey with Leger Marketing1 that nine per cent of Torontonians hold on to a lonely sock for at least a year while others  (almost one in five) keep that lonely sock forever in hopes of a reunion with its ‘sole mate’.    Toronto Hydro can help customers battling the lonely sock syndrome in two ways.  

Take a Load Off:  In partnership with Toronto-area The Home Depot Stores, Caplan’s Appliances and the City of Toronto, customers that purchase a new ENERGY STAR washing machine in the months of April, May and June (2010) will receive an $80 instant rebate, a $60 mail-in rebate from the City of Toronto, plus an eco-friendly indoor drying rack (valued at $68.)  ENERGY STAR washing machines not only save water and electricity, front-loading machines may also help to reduce the occurrence of missing socks.2

Toronto Hydro Sock Exchange: For those socks already widowed, Toronto Hydro is now offering the Sock Exchange.  The first 100 customers who send in a photo and brief description of their lonely sock to media@torontohydro.com   will receive a free eco-friendly indoor drying rack.  All candidates will be reviewed for compatibility with other socks in the database.  Owners will be notified and matches will be posted on the website.  For more information on both programs, go to www.torontohydro.com/wash

OTHER LAUNDRY FACTS

• On average, Torontonians spend about 3 hours a week doing laundry.
• Only 19 per cent of dads/husbands are responsible for the laundry.
• Watching television is the most popular past-time while waiting for laundry to be done (61 per cent) followed by house cleaning (55 per cent) and surfing the net (53 per cent).
• Nearly half the Torontonians surveyed who are in a relationship (45 per cent) say that their spouse or partner has ruined their clothing in the wash.
• Where do the socks go?  Almost 25 per cent of Torontonians think that the missing sock has gone to a better place or that a sock gremlin has taken them.  While 49 per cent think that they are likely stuck in other clothes.
• As many as 19 per cent of Torontonians hold out hope for a lonely sock by keeping it forever, while six per cent are hasty, getting rid of it after just one week.
• Demographically, men are slightly more likely to hold on to a lonely sock for only a week (eight per cent vs. four per cent among women). 
• How long do they hold on to the sock? Six per cent hold on to the sock for one week; 18 per cent for one month; 15 per cent six months; 9 per cent for one year and 19 per cent hold on to that sock forever.
• The clothes washer promotion and Toronto Hydro Sock Exchange is valid from April 1, 2010 until June 30, 2010.
• According to the survey, eight per cent of Torontonians are are planning on or thinking about buying a new washer and dryer in the next three months.
• Clothes dryers account for 15 per cent of household appliance consumption.3   
• ENERGY STAR qualified washing machines use at least 30 per cent less electricity than other washers.3   They also use up to 50 per cent less water and the combined water and electricity savings can total almost $68 a year.  As well, if customers use a clothes drying rack even just a quarter of the time (instead of a dryer), they could save another $21 a year. 
• Running a tap for five minutes can use as much energy as leaving a 60-watt light bulb burning for 14 hours.4
• Through its conservation and demand management programs, Toronto Hydro has achieved savings of 121,456 MWh bringing its total savings to approximately 655,010 MWh since the start of its programs in 2005.