Today, the provincial government announced its decision to suspend winter time-of-use pricing and periods. Effective immediately and for a period of 45 days, Ontario electricity customers will pay only the off-peak rate (10.1 cents/kWh) no matter the time of day or day of the week. During this period, farms, small businesses and residential customers will not be billed at on-peak (20.8 cents/kWh) or mid-peak (14.4 cents/kWh) rates.

Throughout the COVID-19 outbreak, Hydro Ottawa has been working closely with the Ontario Energy Board and Ontario Ministry of Energy, Northern Development and Mines, to address customer concerns about managing electricity costs. Hydro Ottawa unequivocally supports the provincial decision to offer off-peak pricing during this challenging time for Ontario residents.

Hydro Ottawa has already taken pro-active measures to support customers, including:

• Extending the provincial winter disconnection ban scheduled to end on April 30, 2020, by an additional three months (July 31, 2020) for all residential and commercial customers;
• Suspending all collection actions until July 31, 2020;
• Offering flexible payment plans in order to provide customers with more time to pay outstanding balances on their account if needed; and
• Reminding customers experiencing financial hardship that it offers several financial assistance programs, including emergency relief.

Taking additional precautions for its workforce and understanding the essential service it provides to the Nation’s Capital, Hydro Ottawa has suspended all non-critical work and planned outage disruptions across the city in an effort to support residents staying safe and working from home.

www.hydroottawa.com