Dear Valued Customers:

We are actively monitoring the current situation with the COVID-19 virus and the effects on our community. We would like to keep you informed to what is happening within Oshawa Power relative to the COVID-19 Virus. We are practicing social distancing and while we are business as usual, we are taking precautions to ensure the safe well being of our employees and community.

Oshawa Power remains open for business to serve our customers. In response to the increasing worldwide number of COVID-19 cases, we take the health and safety of our customers, employees, their families and the community very seriously. This includes working to ensure we continue to provide you with the level of service you need and expect of us. We want you to know that your safety and the safety of our employees will remain our top priority as this situation continues to evolve.

We are staying informed.

We continue to monitor information resources closely and are following the latest guidance from local, provincial and federal health authorities, including the CDC, Health Canada and World Health Organization and the Region of Durham, to ensure that our practices are aligned with the latest recommendations for mitigating risk in the spread of the virus.

Connect with us your way.

In an effort to support social distancing there is a variety of flexible ways to connect with us to ensure your needs are met.

For account inquiries, you can:

Contractors can utilize Contractor’s Corner at https://www.oshawapower.ca/contractors-corner/

We are ready to serve you.

We understand your concerns during this time, so we are taking additional steps to keep our spaces safe for you and our employees. We have increased deep cleaning of our office, every business day, including sanitizing all surfaces, door handles, phones, chair handles, desks, reception areas, and washrooms. We have reduced scheduled visitors and converted scheduled meetings to remote meetings wherever possible. For any staff that have recently travelled outside of the country we have implemented a 14-day self-isolation quarantine before they can return to work. Our staff are here from 8:30am-4:30pm Monday to Friday and ready to serve. If you do come into our office, please take comfort in knowing that we are trying to be as preventative as possible.

In protection of our employees and community, if you are feeling unwell we ask that you do not come into our office.

How to pay your bill.

Oshawa Power accepts payment made:

  • Pre-authorized payment
  • Telephone or internet electronic payment services offered through your financial institution
  • Chartered banks, trust companies and most credit unions
  • By cheque by mail (allow 5 days for delivery)
  • By Visa, MasterCard and American Express only. A convenience fee will be charged for paying bills using this service – go to credit card payment
  • There 2 dropboxes that you can leave your payment:
    • One external dropbox, north of our main doors
    • One internal dropbox located in our lobby

***We no longer accept cash at our main office.***

You can speak to us live.

We are committed to being here for you: our Customer Service team can assist with any inquiries you may have. If you require any special assistance, we encourage you to reach out to us to discuss options.

We will keep you informed.

We are committed to keeping our lines of communication open to inform you of the latest developments. If you need us, we are here to help. For updates, we encourage you to visit us online, follow us on Facebook, or Twitter @oshawapower.

While we understand that there have been several positive cases of COVID-19 in Durham Region, the risk for our community remains low. Stay up-to-date on COVID-19 and learn the facts about this virus via durham.ca/NovelCoronavirus

We recognize that ongoing news related to COV-ID 19 is rapidly changing; we want you to know that providing reliable service, public safety and wellbeing are our first priority. Oshawa Power is here to assist you, support your needs and we will keep the lights on.

Sincerely,

 

Ivano Labricciosa

President and CEO

Oshawa Power
 

 

Update – October 10, 2018:

We are receiving reports from multiple customers that they are in receipt of a text message stating they have a refund waiting for them for their hydro account coming from a phone number 1-613-572-5623.

These text messages are not from Oshawa Power and we do not use text message as a form of communication at this time. If you have any questions please call us at 905-723-4623. If you have been a victim of this scam please call the Fraud Unit at Durham Regional Police at (905) 579-1520, ext. 5232.

Originally Posted July 18, 2018

Oshawa Area Email Scam

Oshawa Power has received reports in our Customer Service department that some local customers have received fraudulent email messages with the subject “Email Interact Refund Hydro Bill Payment Notice”. These email messages claim there is a refund for you and instruct you to click on a link to provide personal information.  Oshawa Power does not send out refunds using text message or email communication.  Oshawa Power also does not solicit for private information over these channels.  If you have any question please do not hesitate to contact us at 905-723-4623 or emailing us here .

Phishing

This is a type of identity theft where criminals use email to try to bait you into fake or hoax websites. Once there, you are asked to disclose confidential financial and personal information, like passwords, credit card numbers, access codes or Social Insurance Numbers.

Emails tend to look authentic, featuring corporate logos and layouts similar to the ones used by institutions for legitimate communication. Because these emails can look so official, unsuspecting recipients may reply to them, resulting in financial losses, identity theft and other fraudulent activity.

Smishing

Scam artists have also found a way to send fraudulent messages to mobile phones. Smishing is similar to phishing, except that it is received via text message or SMS (Short Message Service).

Keep in mind all the points mentioned above when speaking about phishing. The intention behind text message phishing is the same as regular email phishing and the content and tone of the message is very similar.

Vishing

The term comes from “voice” and “phishing”. Vishing uses telephone communications in combination with email or the Internet to steal information and money from unsuspecting consumers. There are a few different methods con artists use. Typically you are contacted by either a recorded phone message or by email and directed to call a phone number or go to a website to enter personal information.

Always remember that Oshawa Power will never send you unsolicited emails or SMS messages asking for confidential information, such as your passwords, credit card and account numbers or personal identification numbers.

As we enter into this well-deserved long weekend make sure you’re ready to handle the heat.

Ontario is beginning a week long heat wave that will surely impact electricity demand on the grid.  During times of extreme heat overall usage climbs due to air conditioners, dehumidifiers and pools.  Conversely, our refrigerators and freezers work harder to maintain cooler temperatures.

What you may end of with next month is a higher bill due to the warmer weather.  Oshawa Power is sharing these tips to help keep your bills lower:

  • Instead of using a clothes dryer – hang your clothes outside
  • Close your blinds or curtains to block the sun’s heat from coming inside
  • Instead of using your air conditioner, open your windows and turn on your bathroom and kitchen exhaust fans to circulate the air
  • Use a programmable thermostat for times that you are away
  • Turn on the ceiling fans and portable fans
  • Use a timer on your pool pump and run in the off peak times
  • Don’t stand in front of an open fridge looking for a snack, try to keep the cool air in

Venturing outside this weekend to celebrate Canada Day?  Remember these heat safety tips:

  • Stay hydrated! Keep cool drinks with you while outside or in the car if you are travelling somewhere
  • Cool down in the shade or cooling centres. If you’re at a pool, take a dip to cool off.
  • Be aware of the weather forecast, heat alerts and air quality reports
  • Check on vulnerable family members or neighbours to make sure they are ok
  • NEVER – leave your children or pets in a parked car

If you like to learn more about conservation or more safety tips please visit www.oshawapower.ca/conservation

www.oshawapower.ca/safety-and-outages/

 

For Immediate Release

Oshawa, ON – Oshawa Power is launching a new and innovative pilot that will help local residents to take charge of their electricity costs while also helping Ontario’s power system run more efficiently. The Peak Performance program is a unique opportunity; open only for a limited time to residents of Oshawa.

Peak Performance is designed to help customers shift their energy use so they can reduce their electricity costs. The program features new pricing structures that offer cost-savings during off-peak times. To help customers shift to the cheaper off-peak times, Peak Performance also includes energy management tools such as an advanced web portal, feedback and alerts, specially-trained customer service representatives and an interactive state-of-the-art smartphone app called Peak. This suite of tools is customized for each participant. The goal is to support customers through offering best-in-class information, delivered how and when they need it.

Peak Performance is one in a series of pilots in the province approved by the Ontario Energy Board (OEB). Oshawa Power has partnered with Publicis.Sapient to design and manage the locally delivered program.

“When we launched Ontario’s Fair Hydro Plan, our government delivered significant and immediate relief on electricity bills for all residential electricity customers and as many as half a million small businesses and farms across the province. With affordability as a top priority, I’m pleased the Ontario Energy Board and Oshawa Power are taking the next step in offering more flexibility and choice to families, while helping to reduce electricity bills even further,” stated Glenn Thibeault, Ontario’s Minister of Energy.

“By engaging in this pilot we can facilitate and inform the conversation around electricity pricing and contribute to the OEB’s work to develop pricing that can give customers in Oshawa greater control over their electricity costs while also helping to improve system efficiency,” commented Ivano Labricciosa, President and CEO at Oshawa Power. “This pilot will empower our customers with information to guide how they use their electricity to best suit their needs. We are proud to bring this kind of innovation to Oshawa.”

“Having informed conversations about approaches for reducing consumption is increasingly important. Doing so requires data-driven insights, the right tone of voice and advanced channels for supporting customers.  We are excited about partnering with Oshawa Power on this effort and helping to advance the OEB’s work to revamp pricing options for residential customers,” added Ravi Parakkat, director and North America Utilities lead at Publicis.Sapient.

Peak Performance Pricing will run for a 12-month pilot period and is only open to 1,500 Oshawa residents. Oshawa Power is recruiting participants NOW.  Please contact cdm@opuc.on.ca or (905) 723-4626 ext 5346 for details or to register.

 

About Oshawa Power:

Oshawa Power provides safe, reliable and efficient electricity distribution services to over 58,000 customers in the City of Oshawa.  Oshawa Power is part of the Oshawa Power and Utilities Corporation family of companies.

Oshawa Power and Utilities Corporation is the holding company for a diversified group of four subsidiaries involved in energy distribution, telecom ventures, clean power generation and solar energy generation.  Oshawa Power and Utilities Corporation is wholly owned by the Corporation of The City of Oshawa.  For more information, visit www.oshawapower.ca .

About the Ontario Energy Board:

The Ontario Energy Board (OEB) has selected a number of Ontario utilities, including Oshawa Power, to explore alternative pricing options for residential customers to give them greater choice and more tools to better understand and manage their electricity use.

The OEB is the independent regulator of Ontario’s electricity and natural gas sectors. It protects consumers and makes decisions that serve the public interest. Its goal is to promote a sustainable and efficient energy sector that provides consumers with reliable energy services at a reasonable cost.

About Publicis.Sapient:

Publicis.Sapient, the digital business transformation hub of Publicis Groupe, helps clients drive growth and efficiency and evolve the ways they work, in a world where consumer behavior and technology are catalyzing social and commercial change at an unprecedented pace. With 19,000 people and over 100 offices around the globe, our expertise spanning technology, data sciences, consulting and creative combined with our culture of innovation enables us to deliver on complex transformation initiatives that accelerate our clients’ businesses through creating the products and services their customers expect. For more information, visit www.publicis.sapient.com.

Peak Performance Pricing Media Release PDF

Customer Notice

May 7, 2018

Are you still overdue on your Hydro Bill?

OSHAWA – Oshawa Power began delivering disconnect warnings, as required under its regulatory obligations, to customers who have not met their payment requirements.  As per scheduling of the collection process, electricity disconnects will begin on May 16, 2018.

As a result of the Ontario Energy Board’s winter disconnection moratorium, the volume of accounts eligible to be disconnected is much higher than in prior years.  As a result, we expect that the call volume into our Customer Service Centre to be much higher than normal.  Although we have cost-effectively ramped up staff in anticipation of the additional call volumes, customers may have difficulty getting through once the disconnections begin.

In order to address the volume of accounts in arrears effectively and efficiently we are encouraging customers to please contact us before receiving a final notice so we can make arrangements with them and avoid disconnection.

Please note, that as a customer service gesture we are waiving the prescribed delivery fee of $30 for the disconnect warnings for this month only while we process the backlog of customers in arrears.  However if your service is disconnected you will be required to pay a reconnection fee prior to your service being reconnected.  As per Ontario Energy Board approved rates, a reconnection at the meter completed during regular business hours is $65.00 plus HST.  A reconnection at the meter completed after regular business hours is $185.00 plus HST.

Please be aware that with the expected high volume of disconnected customers we cannot guarantee same day reconnect.  We will do everything we can to have customers restored the same day that payment and fire safety consent is received, however it may take longer.  In the event that someone over the age of 18 is not on site at the time of reconnection, fire safety consent (verbal or written) is required from the account holder.

For customer convenience we have added a new button on our website homepage www.oshawapower.ca for customers to provide proof of payment and fire safety consent.  This will help the customer get their electricity restored without having to call into the Customer Service Centre.

If you need to speak with one of our representatives please call Customer Service at 905-723-4623 Monday to Friday 8:30am- 4:30pm to discuss your options.

OSHAWA – Oshawa Power’s electrical grid was hit early Friday evening due to the massive wind storm that passed through southern Ontario.  Overall there were 23,161 customers that experienced a power outage at some point during Friday evening.

Our first outage was reported at 5:40pm and Oshawa Power invoked their Emergency Preparedness Plan as outages were reported.  All crews were available to begin the assessment and restoration process.  Our communications were up and running and active throughout the outage.  Real-time updates were shared through our social media channels, website outage map and through a media release.

Once the wind subsided and it was safe, crews began restoring service.  Service restoration began at 8:00pm using a staggered approach throughout the city.  By 2:25am Saturday morning all customers were fully restored.  Oshawa Power continues to work on repairing damaged equipment caused by the storm.

Oshawa Power would like to thank our customers for their patience and support while we worked to restore power as quickly as possible.

Now that the storm has subsided we are advising customers to please take a moment and inspect their property for potential damage and hazards.   The Electrical Safety Authority (ESA) is advising Ontarians in areas most affected by the wind of the last two days to take a moment and check for damage to their home or property’s electrical system.  Even if power has been restored or never went out, you may have electrical pipes/masts pulled away from the building or sagging electrical wires.  These could be shock or fire hazards and should be repaired.

If you identify a hazard on your property contact a Licensed Electrical Contractor to check it and make the necessary repairs.  Click here to learn more.

If you identify a potential tree hazard that needs to be addressed please contact us using our message form and provide us the details and we will send a crew out to address this issue.

As a reminder whenever there is a power outage you can check our Outage Map or check our social media feeds Facebook and Twitter @oshawapower for updates.

Media Contact
Sheila Risorto
Marketing and Communications Analyst
srisorto@opuc.on.ca
905-723-4626 ext 5243
905-439-1930

Are you currently overdue on your Hydro Bill?

OSHAWA – Starting May 1, 2018 the Ontario Energy Board’s ban on collection disconnects during winter months ends.  Unfortunately some customers have used the winter disconnection ban as an opportunity to not pay their bills because they were not in danger of losing service.   As a result of the ban, we have seen customer account balances accumulate. Many customers may now have a difficult time paying their balance back to the utility.

The impact of the winter disconnection ban significantly increases the number of accounts in a position where they can be facing service disconnection and the cost of collection activity.  It also decreases the recoverability of balances.  Oshawa Power works extremely hard to mitigate losses so we can keep our rates low. The impact of receiving late payments or no payments lead to increased rates for the ratepayers and/or delayed infrastructure upgrades which is why we would prefer to work with you to achieve a solution that works for both of us.

We want to work with our customers to avoid disconnection, Oshawa Power offers many programs and repayment plans to assist families and are encouraging customers to reach out to us if they need help.

Here at Oshawa Power we are not in the business to disconnect service.  The disconnection process is costly and we like to avoid it as much as possible.   We work closely with numerous social agencies in the Durham Region and the city of Oshawa to offer assistance and ease the burden of paying utility bills for low income individuals and families. We want to help our customers keep their service, and help to keep their accounts current. If you are having trouble keeping up with your bill please call us before you get your final notice.  We would like to help as many people as possible avoid disconnection.  If we can help people before it comes to the point of disconnection it’s a win-win.

Please call Customer Service at 905-723-4623 Monday to Friday 8:30am- 4:30pm to discuss your options.

OSHAWA, ON April 16, 2018 – Oshawa Power is pleased to report that small areas affected by this weekend’s ice storm have been fully restored and Oshawa is 100% powered.

Oshawa Power was monitoring this storm very closely and our field crews and emergency team were on high alert and prepared to respond when needed.  At any given time we had no more than 300 customers without power.

Our crews were dispatched on Saturday to address multiple non-service affecting motor vehicle accidents to repair equipment and about 10 service affecting outages on Sunday.  The outages were primarily caused by tree contacts and accumulated ice buildup.  Our crews worked tirelessly throughout Sunday night clearing the lines to get the power restored as soon as possible to minimize inconvenience for our customers.

Now that the storm has subsided we are advising customers to please take a moment and inspect their property for potential damage and hazards.   The Electrical Safety Authority (ESA) is also advising Ontarians in areas most affected by the ice and wind of the last two days to take a moment and check for damage to their home or property’s electrical system.  Even if power has been restored or never went out, you may have electrical pipes/masts pulled away from the building, sagging electrical wires, or water and ice damage.  These could be shock or fire hazards and should be repaired.

If you identify a hazard on your property contact a Licensed Electrical Contractor to check it and make the necessary repairs.  Learn more here.

If you identify a potential tree hazard that needs to be addressed please contact us using our Message form and provide us the details and we will send a crew out to address this issue.

As a reminder whenever there is a power outage you can check our Outage Map or check our social media feeds Facebook and Twitter for updates.

We would like to thank our customers for their support and patience while our crews worked to restore the power safely.

Oshawa Power advises that all power is restored PDF

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Media Inquiries:
Sheila Risorto
Marketing and Communications Analyst
905-723-4626 ext 5243
905-439-1930
srisorto@opuc.on.ca

Oshawa – Environment Canada is warning that an ice storm is likely this weekend in the Oshawa area.  Freezing rain is expected Saturday afternoon and continue into Saturday evening.  Freezing rain may become mixed with or turn over to ice pellets at times, with some areas receiving a few centimetres of the ice pellet mess.

It is expected that it will persist into Sunday.  Ice buildup of 10 to 20 mm appears quite likely across the region by Sunday morning. Ice accretion may be considerably less in areas very close to Lake Ontario as temperatures there may actually remain very close to the freezing mark.

Ice accumulations of this magnitude combined with gusty northeast winds to 60 km/h may result in widespread power outages due to fallen tree limbs and power lines.

Downed powerlines may be energized and are dangerous. If powerlines are down, stay at least 10 metres away (the length of a school bus), and call 911 immediately. To report outages, Oshawa Power customers should call 905-723-4623.

Oshawa Power will continue to monitor this storm.  Our field crews and emergency team are on high alert and prepared to respond.

Oshawa Power is also proactively coordinating with the Electrical Safety Authority to streamline the repair process for customers who may incur damage to their meter mast as a result of the storm. If a customer’s electrical equipment is damaged, customers need a Licensed Electrical Contractor to make repairs before Oshawa Power can safely restore power.  Learn more here

If you experience an outage you can follow our updates on Twitter  or Facebook @oshawapower or monitor our outage map at www.oshawapower.ca/outages .

Oshawa Power is encouraging customers to be prepared for power outages before the power goes out. Emergency Management Ontario and local emergency responders recommend that residents prepare and plan to be self-sufficient for 72 hours in an emergency situation.

  • Please make sure that you have flashlights and batteries available.
  • Do not use charcoal or a gas barbecue, camping heating equipment or portage generators indoors as they produce deadly carbon monoxide gas.
  • Before you leave home, please do walkthrough of your home just as you would when going on vacation and make sure all appliances are turned off such as stoves, ovens, coffeemakers, etc.

Stay safe and informed.

About Oshawa Power:

Oshawa Power provides safe, reliable and efficient electricity distribution services to over 58,000 customers in the City of Oshawa.  Oshawa Power is part of the Oshawa Power and Utilities Corporation family of companies.

Oshawa Power and Utilities Corporation is the holding company for a diversified group of four subsidiaries involved in energy distribution, telecom ventures, clean power generation and solar energy generation.  Oshawa Power and Utilities Corporation is wholly owned by the Corporation of The City of Oshawa.

Media Inquiries:
Sheila Risorto
Marketing and Communications
Oshawa Power
w‐905‐723‐4626 ext 5243
c‐905‐439‐1930
srisorto@opuc.on.ca