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Home > About Hydro One Networks > Our Services > Conditions of Service
As part of our commitment to provide you with safe and reliable electricity
service, we've clearly outlined the best way for us to do business together.
Please take a few minutes to read some of our Conditions of Service below,
or download our bill insert A
Summary of our Conditions of Service (PDF - aussi disponible en
français).
Our Privacy Policy
Protecting your privacy and the confidentiality of your personal information
has always been an important aspect of the way we do business. We collect
personal information, primarily from our customers and from other sources
like credit bureaus to:
- Verify your identity (e.g., name, address, phone number, and date
of birth, etc.);
- Set up your Hydro One account for electricity and electricity delivery;
and
- Confirm your credit history.
We use and disclose your personal information only to:
- Understand your needs and eligibility for products and services;
- Manage and develop our businesses and operations;
- Inform you about the electricity market and rates;
- Confirm your credit history from time to time;
- Process past due accounts; and
- Meet legal and regulatory requirements.
We do not sell your personal information. In order to measure our performance
and develop service improvements for you, we may conduct surveys. To do
so, we may disclose your information to third parties, who are bound by
strict confidentiality contracts to use the information for the sole purpose
of the survey. If you don't want your information used in this way, contact
us and we'll withhold it.
You may request that we do not collect or use your personal information.
However, doing so may affect our ability to deliver electricity services
to you. We will advise you if this is the case. Learn more about our Privacy
Policy.
Our Security Deposit Policy
Security deposits are collected to secure payment of future charges. Security
deposits may be collected when a customer initially applies for service
or fails to maintain a good payment history.
Customers are considered to have a good payment history is all of the
following conditions are met:
- No more than one disconnection notice has been issued;
- No more than one cheque or pre-authorized payment has been returned
for non-sufficient funds (NSF); and
- No collection or disconnection trip has occurred.
Customers must show good payment history for the following periods of
time:
- One year for residential customers and bulk-metered residential condominium
corporations that have self-declared;
- Five years for non-residential customers with less than 50 kW demand;
and
- Seven years for non-residential customers with greater than 50 kW
demand.
We encourage customers to maintain a good payment history to avoid having
to pay a security deposit. If a security deposit is required, it's calculated
as 2.5 times the customer's average bill for monthly billed customers.
For bi-monthly or quarterly billed customers, the average bill is multiplied
by 1.75 or 1.5, respectively.
Customers who have received two or more disconnection notices in a 12-month
period will be required to pay a security deposit. This deposit will be
calculated on the highest actual or estimated bill.
We review all security deposits annually to determine whether the deposit
should be refunded due to the establishment of a good payment history;
adjusted (increased or partially refunded) based on a change in consumption;
or remain unchanged. Once a customer has established good payment history,
the security deposit will be refunded with interest. Interest earned will
be paid quarterly and upon return of the security deposit or closing of
the account. Learn more about our new Security
Deposit Policy.
Rates and Charges
Our Delivery rates include variable and fixed distribution charges, transmission
network and transmission connection charges. These charges vary according
to your rate classification — residential, farm, seasonal, general
service, etc.
In addition to Delivery, we also collect charges, on behalf of other
parties, which are passed through to you. These include Electricity, Regulatory
Charges and the Debt Retirement Charge.
Rates and charges apply from the date you become responsible for the
service, even if you do not actually begin using electricity at that time.
For current information about the approved rates and charges that apply
to your rate classification, visit our Customers
section on our website or contact us.
Payment Options
You may pay your bills by cheque or money order mailed with the remittance
stub portion of the bill to Hydro One Networks Inc.; in person at most
Canadian financial institutions; by pre-authorized payment; or by automated
banking machines, telebanking or Internet bill payment offered by your
bank or credit union.
Another convenient payment option is eBilling through epostTM,
Canada Post’s free online mail delivery service. With eBilling, you
can view and pay your electricity bill safely and securely online. You
can access epostTM from within your online banking session at your financial
institution or directly at www.canadapost.ca/epost.
All payments must be in Canadian dollars. We also offer a budget billing
plan to most of our customers that helps them budget their bills.
Late Payment Charges
Bills are due on the billing date. A late payment charge is applied and
shall be paid by the Customer if payment is not received within twenty-one
(21) days of the billing date. Hydro One’s late payment charge is
1.5% per month, compounded monthly (19.56% per year). Late payments are
calculated from the billing date to the date the next bill is issued.
The late payment charge of 1.5% is applied to the outstanding balance.
If partial payment is made within twenty-one (21) days of the billing
date, the late payment charge will apply only to the amount outstanding
after deducting the partial payment. Late payment charges will be added
to the Customer’s next bill.
Non-payment of your electricity bill may lead to disconnection. Our first
choice is to work with customers to keep their accounts in good standing.
If you're experiencing financial difficulties, let us know — we'll
do our best to work out a payment arrangement that's mutually acceptable.
Disconnection and Reconnection
We may disconnect or limit the amount of electricity you can consume if
you default on any of your obligations under our Conditions of Service,
including non-payment of your electricity bill. We may also disconnect
or limit the amount of electricity you can consume if we have reason to
believe that our assets have been tampered with at your address or that
there is a threat to personal safety or to the reliability of any part
of the distribution system. We may also disconnect the electricity by
order of the Electrical Safety Authority. Reconnection or restoration
of the electrical service will occur only after the reason for disconnection
or limitation is remedied. We're not liable for any damage related to
disconnection or limitation.
A collection charge will apply when we make a trip to collect payment
for an overdue account, to disconnect service, install a load limiter
or reconnect your service.
Space and Access
In order to read your meter or inspect and repair our equipment, we need
access to your property and may need to enter your premises. Please keep
the path to your electricity meter clear. Providing us with access to
your meter is your responsibility. If accessing your meter is an ongoing
issue, we may require your meter to be relocated at your expense.
Tree and Vegetation Management
You're responsible for all tree trimming and tree and brush removal for
the overhead power lines on your property that serve only your home or
business. Due to the danger of working around overhead power lines, unqualified
individuals should never attempt to cut down trees or trim branches close
to or touching overhead power lines. We strongly recommend that
you hire a certified utility arborist or a qualified electrical contractor
to do this work.
Clearances between trees and power lines must conform to the Ontario
Electrical Safety Code. Clearance requirements are summarized on our website.
More safety tips can be found in our pamphlet Steer
Clear of the Zap Zone (PDF - 313 KB). A copy of the Ontario Electrical
Safety Code may be obtained from the Electrical
Safety Authority.
Temporarily Disconnect Your Service
Once a year, during normal business hours, we’ll disconnect and then
reconnect your electricity service for free so you can arrange to upgrade
or maintain your electrical equipment, including trimming your trees.
Please give us as much advance notice as possible to schedule the work.
Marking Underground Cables
We will mark the location of all of our underground cables without charge,
if asked. We need five working days' notice to schedule this work. Unless
it's an emergency, there will be a charge for locating and working on
underground cables after normal business hours.
Your Electrical Equipment
Power lines, poles and other equipment located on customer-owned property
supplying only a customer’s home or business are owned by the customer.
When a transformer is located on customer-owned property and the power
line supplies only the customer’s home or business, the line is owned
by the customer and the transformer is normally owned by us.
The meter that tracks your electricity consumption is also owned by us.
This ownership ends at the meter base, which then feeds into your electrical
panel. Therefore, any maintenance requirements for the meter base are
your responsibility.
In these situations, you’re responsible for the installation and
maintenance of the power line and other applicable customer-owned equipment.
For your safety, remember that this work must be inspected by the Electrical
Safety Authority. You must comply with all applicable laws, including
(but not limited to) the Ontario Electrical Safety Code, and you must
ensure that your equipment is properly identified and connected for metering
and operation purposes.
Our Electrical Equipment
We will repair or replace, at our expense, any of our equipment on your
property that fails due to ordinary wear and tear. For any other damage,
you are responsible for paying us the value of our equipment or the cost
to repair or replace the equipment.
In some cases, alterations may be necessary to your structures, pavement,
landscaping, etc. to enable us to access and repair equipment. We always
attempt to minimize this disruption, but we cannot guarantee or assume
the costs of returning your property to its original state.
You must not erect a building or plant any gardens, trees or shrubs that
could obstruct or endanger any of our equipment, or interfere with the
safe operation of the distribution system.
Power Interruptions and Surges
From time to time, events beyond our control can cause power interruptions
or voltage irregularities. Therefore, we cannot guarantee a continuous
or constant supply of power and will not be liable for any damages caused
by a lack of power, power outage or surge. Also, planned interruptions
to your electricity service do occur. While we try to provide you with
advance notice of such interruptions, we may be unable to do so; and in
such situations, the interruptions will proceed as planned, and we will
not be liable for any damages caused during such planned outages.
Closing Your Account
If you decide to close your account, please give us seven days' notice
to allow us time to read your meter and issue your final bill.
Implied Contracts
We have an implied contract with every customer connected to our distribution
system. Anyone who takes or uses electricity that we deliver is responsible
to pay us for it. The terms of the implied contract are embedded in our
Conditions of Service, our Distribution Licence, our Rate Schedules, the
Ontario Energy Board Distribution Rate Handbook, the Distribution System
Code, the Standard Supply Service Code and the Retail Settlement Code,
all as amended from time to time.
Any implied contract for the supply of electricity will be binding upon
the heirs, administrators, executors, successors and assigns of the person(s)
who took or used electricity supplied by us.
Disputes
If you have a complaint, please call our Customer Communications Centre
toll-free at 1-888-664-9376 or e-mail them at CustomerCommunications@HydroOneNetworks.com.
If the service representative cannot resolve your complaint, we have an
established internal complaints process that will be followed. If we cannot
resolve your issue, it can be escalated to the Ontario
Energy Board.
Check out the full current Conditions
of Service (PDF 674 KB - 101 pages) or call our Customer Communications
Centre at 1-888-664-9376. A fee for printing, postage and handling may
be charged.
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