Author: Josh McCulloch

Did you know during the holidays in the winter and summer months, electricity is charged at off-peak pricing? Oshawa Power bills our customers based off of Ontario Energy Board Time-of-use (TOU) pricing for the electricity commodity portion of their bill.

Take advantage of holiday savings and do tasks like laundry on a holiday, weekends, or later in the evening. To check your bill balance or make a payment, use our website to experience seamless service through our online billing system.

Visit here to to sign up for e-billing.

Want to save some more?

Visit the Ontario Energy Board Time-of-use holiday schedule.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

International Close-Out of Solar Energy Management System Pilot

Oshawa, ON, February 12, 2019 – Oshawa Power announces the wrap-up of the international partnership component for their Solar Energy Management System (SEMS) pilot. The utility will provide high-level results during the regularly-scheduled City Council meeting at 6:30 pm, February 19th, City Council Chambers, 50 Centre Street South, Oshawa. Members of the public and press are invited to attend.

The pilot consisted of a unique partnership between the City of Oshawa, Oshawa Power, Tabuchi Electric and the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO), a Japanese governmental organization that promotes research in the renewable energy field. The $1.2 million initiative involved the participation of 30 homes in Oshawa utilizing solar energy, an advanced smart inverter and a lithium-ion battery to simultaneously produce, store, and manage energy from their own home.

The pilot demonstrated and quantified beneficial climate change adaptation strategies as well as benefits to both the consumer and the utility such as virtual power plant functions. As a result of this effort, SEMS are proven to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and aid their users in climate change adaptation. The project was successful in providing its users with a source of energy during power outages, along with electricity bill savings of over 50%.

Oshawa Power extends gratitude to NEDO, Tabuchi Electric and the City of Oshawa for enabling this leading project. Prior to kick-off, a project of this scale, with these aims had not yet taken place in North America.

Team members will attend the closing results forum next Tuesday to perform a final review of the project. Detailed results from the pilot will be posted on Oshawa Power’s website at a future date.

For questions, email cdm@opuc.on.ca

About Oshawa Power: Oshawa Power provides safe, reliable and efficient electricity distribution services to over 58,000 customers in the City of Oshawa. For more information visit https://www.oshawapower.ca/

OSHAWA POWER

FEBRUARY 12, 2019

OSHAWA– Weather reports are predicting 15 to 25 cm of snow, ice pellets, possible freezing rain and strong winds of 70 -80 km/h to hit Oshawa today. Oshawa Power is following the storm conditions and watching for impacts on the electricity grid.  Snow and ice build-up on poles and wires and strong winds can cause outages. We have crews prepared to handle any service disruptions in a safe and efficient manner.

Please be cautious if you see a fallen tree limb or fallen powerlines. 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.

If you identify a potential tree hazard that needs to be addressed please contact us using our message form, https://www.oshawapower.ca/contact-us/ and provide us the details. We will send a crew out to address the issue.

If you experience an outage, follow our updates on Twitter and Facebook, or check our outage map opuc.on.ca/outages. If you need to report an outage you can call 905-723-4623.

Oshawa Power encourages customers to be prepared for power outages before the power goes out. 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.

Click here for more tips and visit the City of Oshawa’s website for city updates. 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. For more information visit https://www.oshawapower.ca/

On November 27, 2018 Oshawa Power hosted its first Contractor Safety Day. The workshop hosted guest speakers from the Ministry of Labour (MOL), Electrical Safety Authority (ESA), Infrastructure Health and Safety Association (IHSA) and CHS Health & Safety Solutions Inc. Our speakers focussed on powerline safety, public and worker safety, and accident prevention. An alarming fact is that the province of Ontario suffered 5 electrical-related fatalities in 20171, all of which were preventable.

“Our message today is that we are here to support contractors who are conducting work in our service territory. We will assist them in their efforts to ensure the safest work environment possible when working around or near electrical infrastructure. Through education and communication we can maintain Oshawa’s stellar safety record. Prevention is key,” said Sarah Del Gatto, Health and Safety Manager, Oshawa Power.

The event was well attended by local contractors, safety professionals, and service providers. Oshawa Power in partnership with industry speakers and attendees took the first step in establishing industry relationships that strengthen our region’s resolve in achieving zero workplace incidents.  . Electrical safety is everyone’s responsibility.

“It was encouraging to see the level of interest and engagement among all attendees who are striving to improve safety through enhanced cooperation and communication. Safety is a culture that needs to be fostered and supported through industry leadership; Oshawa Power is here to do that for anyone working in our region. Our goal is to protect workers and the general public. Safety is paramount,” commented Matt Strecker, Vice President, Engineering and Operations.

Contractors who are performing any type of work around or near the electrical distribution system in Oshawa can call Oshawa Power for a safety consultation free of charge. Oshawa Power will help identify potential hazards, provide recommendations regarding safe work practices, and if necessary, provide a quote for any work that the utility may be required to do, in order to achieve safe working conditions, if the cost or scope required  exceeds  basic allowances outlined in the Conditions of Service.

Contractors also have access to a new website feature called Contractor’s Corner. Contractor’s Corner can be found on Oshawa Power’s homepage and provides easy access to service application forms, service upgrade forms, guidelines, requirements and any additional information relevant to contractors.

Attendees who participated in Contractor Safety Day include:

  • ABB
  • Black and Macdonald
  • Brass Inc.
  • Burman Energy
  • CFI Electric Ltd
  • Chin Fatt Ltd
  • Cliff Bruton Safety Consulting Inc
  • Electrical Safety Authority (ESA)
  • Enbridge Gas
  • Guillevin
  • Hayatt Electric Contracting
  • Infrastructure Health & Safety Association (IHSA)
  • Lamplighter Electric
  • Lit Electrical Contractors Inc.
  • Ministry of Labour (MOL)
  • Monteiro Electric
  • Ontario One Call
  • Professional Personnel & Skilled Trades
  • Superior Solutions Contracting
  • Tharanee Electrical Services
  • Townsend Electric
  • Toronto Transit Commission (TTC)
  • Westmore Poleline & Electric Inc.

 

 

1 Source: ESA and Coroner Records

OSHAWA – October 24, 2018 – There is a work stoppage at Canada Post in the form of rotating strikes which can cause delays in the delivery of your hydro bill to you and in turn, your payment to us.

Oshawa Power is reminding customers that hydro accounts are still required to be kept current. If you currently receive your hydro bill by mail we are encouraging customers to enroll into our E-Billing program so the delivery of you bill is uninterrupted. You can enroll into our E-Billing program by visiting www.oshawapower.ca/ebilling. E-Billing gives you access to your account’s balance, billing history, due dates and consumption history.

Additionally, if you currently send you payment through the mail we are encouraging customers to instead pay their bills through:

  • online banking,
  • telephone banking,
  • their financial institution in person,
  • our convenient credit card service by visiting https://ipn.paymentus.com/rotp/osp or by calling 1-800-420-1663*.

Don’t have access to a computer? Please call us at 905-723-4623 Monday to Friday 8:30am-4:30pm and we will assist you with alternative options. We are here to assist you, by working together we can get through this postal disruption with as little inconvenience as possible.

We will be monitoring this situation closely and will provide any updates as they come available on our website at www.oshawapower.ca.

*A 1.75% convenience fee applies to credit card payments

Please be aware that for the next six weeks, Oshawa Power is undertaking a Customer Satisfaction Survey as part of our electricity distributor scorecards. The survey will take approximately five minutes to complete and will cover topics related to billing, power outages and more.  To establish the required sample of participants basic demographic information will be requested however please take note that we will not be asking for any identifying information such as hydro account number, home address, and credit card or banking information.

Utility Pulse, on behalf of Oshawa Power, will be carrying out the survey via telephone. If you receive a call, please consider participating. Your responses will help us improve the customer experience to Oshawa residents.

Results from the survey will be included in Oshawa Power’s next annual scorecard.  Should you have any questions please contact our office by phone at 905-723-4623 or by emailing us here and we will be happy to help you.

To see Oshawa Power’s past scorecards visit Oshawa Power’s Regulatory Affairs page and for more information on Electricity Distributor Scorecards, visit the Ontario Energy Board.

Oshawa Power is also conducting an online 6-part Cost of Service Survey. Customers can participate in the development process of our upcoming Rate Application. We will be releasing 6 individual surveys each targeting different areas of the business. We will use your thoughtful answers to prioritize our Capital investment plan to ensure that we meet and exceed your expectations. To participate in the first survey click here.

September 10, 2018 – Oshawa residents will find out as early this week whether they’ll face a possible strike later September by mail carriers and plant workers at Canada Post.

A strike mandate vote was completed by Canada Post employees Sunday September 9, 2018.  If they voted in favour Canada Post can face either a strike or lockout by September 26, 2018.

Oshawa Power would like to encourage our customers who are not already set up with online access to their electricity accounts to call us at 905-723-4623 or emailing us here to set up access. Customers are still required to pay their bills by the due date.

As an alternative to just having online access, customers can also set up their electricity accounts on eBilling so their monthly bill will be emailed to them directly and alert them when a billed has been generated. Click here to learn more http://www.oshawapower.ca/ebilling/.

eBilling allows immediate access to your account information, energy consumption tracking, download copies of your bill including the amount due and due date, helping you avoid any late penalty charges.

eBilling-capture

Bill payments can be made by pre-authorized payment, telephone or electronic payment services offered through your financial institution, or by the drop box located on the outside north corner of our office building located at 100 Simcoe Street, South, Oshawa.

Oshawa Power is monitoring this situation closely and will work to reduce any inconvenience for our customers.

Please note: E-Mission has grown into a region-wide initiative in partnership with the Region of Durham and Elexicon Energy. The bill credit and survey mentioned within this release are no longer available. For more program information please visit the new E-Mission website.

Oshawa, Ontario – Oshawa Power is proud to announce the launch of E-Mission; our new, full-serve electric vehicle (EV) strategy aimed at preparing our infrastructure, community, and customers for the increasing electrification of transport. E-Mission is a three-pronged initiative that strives to:

  •  Educate by offering our customers a robust collection of resources that will help them develop a complete understanding of the EV landscape;
  • Empower through providing a streamlined experience for adopters to make the transition easy and affordable; and,
  • Evolve through strategically updating our energy infrastructure to ensure our grid is up to the challenge of the electrification and proactively meets the needs of EV adopters.

To kick-off E-Mission, Oshawa Power will be gathering and analyzing hyper-local EV usage and adoption data. We’re calling on residents of Oshawa with EVs to fill out our EV survey and redeem a bill credit of $25 (the typical cost of charging your car for a month). Residents without EVs or those who live outside Oshawa can also fill out a survey for a chance to win valuable rewards.

“As an industry-leading utility, Oshawa Power takes pride in being at the forefront of new trends in the sector” said Ivano Labricciosa, President and CEO of Oshawa Power and Utilities Corp. “Our aim is to build value for our rapidly growing and evolving customer base. That’s why E-Mission’s focus is on working with customers to understand their wants and needs when it comes to electric vehicles”.

For more details about E-Mission, visit Oshawa Power’s launch event at Autofest 2018. The launch will educate participants on electric vehicles featuring a close-up look at two modern EVs provided by the EV Society, a DC Fast Charge 50 kW EV charging station provided by e-CAMION, a classic McLaughlin-Buick, and interactive activities.  There will also be many give-aways from our partners at the Canadian Automotive Museum, Parkwood National Historic Site and Save On Energy. Autofest takes place at Lakeview Park, Oshawa on August 25th and 26th.

For more information, or to fill out our EV survey visit www.oshawapower.ca/e-mission today.

-30-

Media Contact:
Sheila Risorto
Marketing and Communications
Oshawa Power
905-723-4626 ext 5243
srisorto@opuc.on.ca

Oshawa, ON – Oshawa is experiencing a long heat wave that is increasing the electricity demand on the grid. So far this month we have seen an increase of 10% electricity demand over the same time period last year.  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.  As a result, Oshawa Power is preparing all residential and commercial customers to expect higher than normal bills.

Oshawa Power is sharing these tips to help keep your bills lower:

  • Check your account online and monitor your usage daily – don’t wait until your next bill to find out how much electricity you have used, find out now and make changes if necessary https://ecareets.opuc.on.ca/myDSM/login.asp
  • Instead of using a clothes dryer – hang your clothing outside
  • Close your blinds or curtains to keep out the sun’s heat
  • 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, or turn the temperature up on your central air system when you are away from home
  • Turn on any ceiling fans or portable fans for air circulation
  • 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

Not finding relief at home from the heat?

Visit public places like a mall, recreation facilities, public libraries or Oshawa Senior Citizen branches to cool down.

Need help paying your bill?

Oshawa Power is available to assist you in managing your bill.  Please visit http://www.oshawapower.ca/need-help-paying-electricity-bill/ to learn more or reach out to Oshawa Power at 905-723-4623 to discuss your options.

Venturing outside?

Remember these heat safety tips:

  • Consider spending the hottest part of the day in public buildings that have air conditioning
  • Stay hydrated! Keep cool drinks with you while outside or in the car, if you are travelling
  • 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
  • Don’t forget your sunscreen!
  • Check on vulnerable family members or neighbours to make sure they are ok
  • NEVER leave your children or pets in a parked car

Be prepared.

During times of extreme weather and demand additional strain is added to the grid.  As a result, the number of power outages can increase.  Oshawa Power will continue to work as quickly as possible to keep the power on for their customers.  Be prepared with an emergency items on hand including flashlights, radio, first aid, batteries, water, sunscreen, and food.  Learn more here: https://www.oshawa.ca/residents/develop-an-emergency-kit.asp

If you like to learn more about conservation or more safety tips please visit

www.oshawapower.ca/conservation

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

About Oshawa Power:

Part of the Oshawa Power & Utilities Corporation (OPUC) family of companies, Oshawa Power provides safe, reliable, and efficient electricity distribution services to over 58,000 customers within the City of Oshawa. Our company is an active member of the Oshawa community that continuously pursues innovative opportunities and solutions that deliver quality service, safety and low customer rates.  Oshawa Power is the recipient of a number of awards including the 2017 Electricity Distributors Association’s (EDA) Environmental Excellence Award, Hexagon SI’s Innovation Award in Infrastructure and the Infrastructure Health & Safety Association’s (IHSA) Certificate of Recognition (COR™) for three years standing.

To learn more about Oshawa Power or the OPUC family of companies please visit www.oshawapower.ca, follow us on Twitter @oshawapower or visit us on Facebook /oshawapower.

Please be aware that for the next six weeks, Oshawa Power is undertaking a Public Awareness of Electrical Safety Survey as part of our electricity distributor scorecards. The survey will take approximately five minutes to complete and will cover safety topics related to power lines, green transformer boxes and more.  To establish the required sample of participants basic demographic information will be requested however please take note that we will not be asking for any identifying information such as hydro account number, home address, and credit card or banking information.

Utility Pulse, on behalf of Oshawa Power, will be carrying out the survey via telephone. If you receive a call, please consider participating. Your responses will help us better target our public safety communications to Oshawa residents.

Results from the survey will be included in Oshawa Power’s annual scorecard, set to be released this fall.  Should you have any questions please contact our office by phone at 905-723-4623 or by email at  contact us and we will be happy to help you.  For further information on the Public Awareness of Electrical Safety Survey, please visit the Ontario Energy Board.

To see Oshawa Power’s past scorecards visit Oshawa Power’s Regulatory Affairs page and for more information on Electricity Distributor Scorecards, visit the Ontario Energy Board.