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Sharing everything we know about Ontario’s new ULO rate plan option.

On November 1st, 2020, a new era began in Ontario’s electricity market with the introduction of the Tiered Pricing Plan and Customer Choice Rates. Fast forward three years and the Ontario Energy Board is on track to introduce a new pricing plan, the Ultra-low Overnight (ULO) Electricity Price Plan. Regulated Price Plan (RPP) customers, a classification that includes most Oshawa Power customers, will now have the choice to switch freely between three different pricing plans.

The availability of a new choice raises new questions. Which plan is best for you? How can you make the right choice to save on your electricity bills? The answer to these questions, much like for the choice between TOU and Tiered Pricing, hinges on a variety of factors including your lifestyle, current energy use habits, and ability to shift your load away from On-Peak hours.

To help you understand more about the new ULO Plan — how it works, proposed rates, and who this plan may be best suited for — we’ve rounded up everything we know about the new ultra-low pricing to help you feel confident in your choice.

Background

With energy demand steadily increasing year-over-year in Ontario, and a marked increase in demand from the electrification of transportation expected in the coming years, the Ontario Energy Board is working to develop new strategies to encourage the shifting of demand to Off-Peak and overnight periods.

The ULO Pricing Plan was designed with electric transportation in mind. As electric vehicle (EV) adoption gathers momentum and Ontario sees an increasing number of EVs hitting the roads, we know that something must be done to mitigate the possibility of soaring peak demand caused by vehicle charging. By charging an ultra-low rate during periods of lowest forecasted demand, this will encourage consumers to charge EVs or use their highest consuming electronics overnight, helping customers save on their electricity bills and our provincial energy grid manage peak demand.

Much like the current TOU pricing plan, the ULO Plan incentivizes shifting your energy use overnight. Where the plans differ, is in the hours and energy costs for that off peak usage.

Launch Date

The Ontario Energy Board has announced that Local Distribution Companies (LDCs) across Ontario will be allowed to begin offering the new ULO Pricing Plan as early as May 1st, 2023. By November 1st, 2023, all LDCs in Ontario will be required to offer the ULO Pricing Plan to their customers.

New ULO Rate price periods. Actual rates remain TBD.

Hours

The ULO Pricing Plan is structured similarly to the TOU Pricing Plan, with customer usage falling into distinct Pricing Periods depending on the time of day and day of the week. Where the new plan differs is in the actual hours considered On-Peak, Mid-Peak, and the new Ultra-low Overnight. Another key difference under the ULO Pricing Plan, is the inclusion of an additional Weekend and Holiday Off-Peak class.

Let’s have a look at how these hours breakdown for the ULO Pricing Plan:

PRICE PERIOD	HOURS
On-Peak	Weekdays, 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Mid-Peak	Weekdays, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. and 9 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Weekend Off-Peak	Weekdays & Holidays, 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Ultra-Low Overnight	Everyday, 11 p.m. to 7 a.m.

While the hours are new, you can see that the general idea remains the same as under TOU pricing — if you’re looking to minimize your electricity costs and maximize your savings, shifting your usage to periods of low demand is the way to go.

ULO Rates

PRICE PERIOD	RATES
On-Peak	24.0¢/kWh
Mid-Peak	10.2¢/kWh
Weekend Off-Peak	7.4¢/kWh
Ultra-Low Overnight	2.4¢/kWh

Tips

It’s time to answer the burning question — should you switch to the new ULO Pricing Plan when it becomes available? The answer, once again, depends on your habits and lifestyle.

If you are someone who works evenings or schedules most of your energy use to occur overnight, this plan may make sense for you and allow you to save on your electricity bills.

For owners of EVs, this plan may also be a great way to lower your cost of ownership and find even more savings. By managing your home energy use and ensuring all charging takes place overnight, this plan could lead to significant cost reductions.

Alternatively, if you are someone with a large family or who is home using electronics every evening, the ULO Pricing Plan is likely not ideal for you.

The good news about Customer Choice Rates is that Ontario electricity consumers have the power to switch freely between their options. Wondering if a certain plan might help you save? Give it a shot! After one bill, you are always free to switch back.

We hope that this information helps you better understand the new Ultra-low Overnight Pricing Plan and allows you to make an educated choice about which plan works best for your lifestyle.

Customer Choice

Looking for more information about your options under Customer Choice Rates? Check out our Customer Choice page to get all the details and find out how to make your choice.

Powering a city of more than 175,00 people is a task that requires extensive planning and careful coordination, not only to ensure our grid is designed to be as resilient as possible but to ensure all of our critical systems are working together to provide first-class service to the City of Oshawa. In order to ensure we can continue to offer industry-leading reliability, we rely on the expertise provided by an adept team of engineers.

From veteran electrical engineers to talented engineers in training (EITs) that will help shape the future of electricity distribution in our province, our team has helped us build a modern, innovative utility that is prepared to power the Oshawa of the future.

In honour of National Engineering Month, we sat down with three members of our team to discuss their experience as engineering professionals in the power industry.

Who are you and what is your discipline?

Maged Yackoub (P. Eng.): Hi I’m Maged, CTO & Director Business Transformation here at Oshawa Power. I am a Computer Engineer, receiving my P. Eng. designation about 7 years ago and working in the utility industry for about 15 years.

Aiyappa Devanira Ganapathy: My name is Aiyappa, I joined Oshawa Power as a Distribution EIT late last year. I graduated from the University of Windsor in 2021, majoring in Electrical Engineering.

Amir Altaf (P. Eng., PMP): Hello, I am Amir Altaf. My background is Electrical Engineering with a specialty in Power Systems. I have been a Senior Distribution Engineer with the Oshawa Power team since the beginning of 2023 and worked in the power industry for more than a decade previously.

What inspired you to pursue a career in engineering?

Maged: For as long as I can remember I’ve delighted in problem-solving and designing unique solutions. The ability to innovate and continue to learn and build on previous experience to solve a wide range of problems that inevitably arise made engineering a natural outlet for me.

Aiyappa: Much like Maged, I’ve always enjoyed problem-solving and researching the different tools that can be used to find solutions. The use of logic to solve problems has always been highly intuitive to me and combined with my love of mathematics, engineering seemed like a pathway that would be highly motivating and offer the gratification and sense of accomplishment that comes with seeing my ideas come to life.

Amir: For me, I’ve always viewed engineering as a way to contribute to society and help create solutions to problems affecting all living things on our planet. The ability to design tools and techniques that help improve lives, benefit the environment, etc. is highly motivational to me. Engineering encourages analytical thinking and seeks answers to questions like what, who, and how?

How did your engineering career lead to the utilities sector?

Maged: It started very early for me with a co-op term as a developer at a local utility. Upon my graduation, this translated into a full-time job as I continued working towards my engineering credentials.

Aiyappa: Landing in the utility sector was really a happy accident for me. I also got started on a co-op term with another Ontario-based utility and returned for all my required co-op terms during my degree. This experience not only led to a full-time role after graduation but inspired a passion for the industry, both for the technical aspects that excite me and the sense of community within the sector.

What has been your greatest challenge so far?

Aiyappa: No professional challenge can compare to moving to a new country in pursuit of my career and the distance between myself and my family has been my greatest challenge. Their support and faith in me makes me want to work even harder and knowing that they take pride in my career path is something I find comfort in.

Amir: Right from the beginning, the pursuit of my Master’s Degree in Electrical Engineering was a huge challenge. The amount of work and dedication that goes into our training is often more difficult than the challenges we face further along in our career. My personal goal of breaking into the Canadian public utility sector was also a huge challenge that I was proud to accomplish in 2019.

What is your proudest contribution to a project as an engineer?

Aiyappa: I take pride in every project that I’ve been a part of so far but being so early in my engineering career, I’m confident that my proudest achievements are still to come!

Amir: Delivering multiple station design, procurement, and construction projects is something I am incredibly proud of. These projects are often highly complex and allow the utility to improve reliability and contribute to the growth and resiliency of the local community.

What advice would you give to someone interested in pursuing engineering?

Aiyappa: It is going to be hard, but don’t be daunted by the difficulty of the pursuit. There will be times where you are pushed to your limit but consistency and passion will help you overcome these challenges.

Amir: Start your pursuit with a vast scope. While you may start with one discipline in mind, by exploring Electrical, Mechanical, Civil, etc. you may find that something you didn’t expect sparks a passion in you. You will have time to specialize later on, experiencing a wide variety of disciplines will help make you a better engineer.

Maged: Learn to work hard and to document everything – your brilliant ideas, solutions, and even conversations are worth nothing in time if they are not documented properly. It isn’t always the ‘smart’ people who succeed, but those willing to put in the work and commit to continuous improvement as a way of life. Always ask yourself and others how things can be done better next time, humbly accept criticism and advice and keep trying to be the best you can be.

Lastly, no matter what, be honest and pursue truth. There is no situation in which the objective truth is not the right way forward, even if it comes at a cost to you!

When the time comes to complete home maintenance or tackle renovations, we understand that costs can add up. Learning to do-it-yourself (DIY) can be an effective way to keep costs down while learning new, valuable skills. But when it comes to DIY electrical work, we recommend thinking twice.

Electrical work is not only highly complex and potentially dangerous, but the consequences of DIY electrical work errors can be catastrophic. While homeowners in Ontario have the option to take on minor DIY electrical work, Oshawa Power agrees with the Electrical Safety Authority’s take on this option — leave it to the pros.

Licensed professional electricians have the tools, expertise, and know-how to ensure your electrical work is completed safely and in accordance with the Ontario Electrical Safety Code (OESC). Hiring a pro could not only avoid costly errors that could lead to potential injuries, electrical fires, or home insurance issues, but will also save you time and grant you peace of mind.

If you’re still thinking about taking on DIY electrical work in your home, here are some key considerations to ensure your work is completed safely and up to code.

Know the Code

All electrical work completed in Ontario is required by law to meet the Ontario Electrical Safety Code (OESC). Updated every three years and approved by the provincial government, the OESC is designed help keep you and your family safe by outlining the standards all electrical installations and products must meet.

Before purchasing the tools and equipment required to complete your DIY electrical work, it is important to familiarize yourself with the OESC. By understanding the standards that your project will be required to meet, you can make an informed decision about how to proceed. While the OESC is a lengthy document, taking time to know and understand Ontario’s standards is the only way you can ensure your project plan will be up to code.

To purchase the most recent version of the OESC, visit the CSA’s website.

Planning Your DIY Electrical Work

You’ve reviewed the code and are comfortable taking on your DIY electrical project, what’s next?

We recommend developing a full project plan, including diagrams, so you can ensure you are working safely and following the OESC. By carefully planning your work, you can ensure no important steps are missed or left incomplete, putting yourself and your home at risk.

When planning your project, it is important to remember that only individuals living in your home can complete electrical work in your home. If your project is large enough to require an extra set of hands, you can hire a license electrician to assist you. Asking friends or neighbours to help you out is prohibited by the OESC and could compromise your project.

Notifying the ESA

After you’ve planned out your project and begun your DIY electrical work, you must ensure you notify the ESA. By Ontario law, once electrical work is underway (even for small jobs!) the ESA must be notified within 48 hours.

Notifying the ESA of project commencement includes a notification fee that varies based on the scope of the work. The ESA has made it easy to learn more about submitting a notification form and associated fees.

Book Your Inspection

ESA inspections are required to help ensure your project is completed safely and up to code. All electrical work completed in Ontario is required by law to undergo inspection. Inspection requirements will vary dependent on the scope and complexity of your project.

Not only is inspection required by-law, but the ESA’s approval grants you peace of mind, knowing your electrical project was completed safely and without risk of future electrical fires or other hazards.

Just Hire a Pro

We know that initials estimates on electrical work can seem pricey, but the time, cost, and risk involved in DIY electrical work usually isn’t worth the minimal savings, if any, it provides. Hiring a pro is always our recommended choice.

Licensed Electrical Contractors (LECs) have proven their skills and expertise to the ESA and will help take the hassle out of completing your project by handling everything for you. Plus, hiring a licensed professional means your job is fully insured, eliminating some of the risks associated with completing electrical work around your home.

Find a Licensed Local Contractor

Finding a local LEC is a simple process. The ESA’s Lookup Tool helps you quickly find LECs across Ontario and provides their contact details.

Now that you understand the considerations and risks involved with completing DIY electrical work in Ontario, you can make an informed decision about how to proceed with your project. Whether you hire a pro or choose to do-it-yourself, we encourage you to always comply with local regulations to ensure you keep yourself and your loved ones safe from electrical hazards.

National Homemade Soup Day, celebrated every February 4th, couldn’t have come at a better time this year. With a polar vortex taking hold across Ontario, this weekend is set to bring some of the coldest temperatures of the year.

We know that warming up on the coldest of days can be difficult and cause our home heating systems to work overtime. A warm, hearty soup could be the perfect meal to help combat the cold, and with these 5 low energy recipes made using small appliances, you could avoid the high-usage day that comes with the cold.

While most daily cooking uses a large appliance like your oven or stove top, using a smaller appliance such as a slow cooker, instant pot, or microwave to prep your meals could lead to significant savings.

Switching to small appliances doesn’t have to be difficult. In fact, most small appliance recipes are significantly easier and require less clean up. Even most of your favourite recipes can be easily adapted for small appliance cooking.

Don’t believe us? Check out these 5 soup favourites that can be made with small appliances!

Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup

Let’s start things off with a classic! Chicken noodle soup is the perfect soup for the winter, sure to warm you up and help you get over inevitable winter sicknesses.

This classic chicken noodle soup is made with simple ingredients that can be found at nearly any grocery store and is ready in under 30 minutes.

The best part? Depending on the dish, instant pots can be as much as 8 times more efficient than using the oven!

Slow Cooker Chili

Whether you’re someone who considers chili a soup or someone who thinks it’s a stew, one thing we can all agree on is that homemade chili makes a great winter warmer and an even better Super Bowl snack.

While this recipe does include a brief use of the stove top to brown your beef, this slow cooker chili recipe spends the bulk of its cooking time in the crock pot.

Just how efficient is choosing the crock pot over the stove top? Slow cookers generally only use 50 to 300 watts. With a standard incandescent bulb using 100 watts, it’s like swapping the stovetop for a couple light bulbs!

Toaster Oven Roasted Tomato Soup

Another soup standard, this roasted tomato and basil soup can be made low energy by swapping the traditional oven roasting process for roasting in the toaster oven.

Adapting this recipe isn’t as difficult as it sounds! This simple calculator makes it easy to convert recipes for the toaster oven while using less than half the energy of a traditional oven.

For bonus savings, make your accompanying grilled cheese (let’s face it, they should always go together!) in the toaster oven too.

No Cook Gazpacho

A soup with no cooking? You better believe it! This tomato-based gazpacho requires absolutely no heat to prepare.

While gazpacho is not a traditional winter soup, this is a delicious recipe to change things up or to save for the warmer months. The fresh summer flavours will instantly transport you to a warm, sunny day, even when it is -20°C outside.

Looking to make this one more winter and energy-friendly? Skip the cooling process and serve at room temperature (we like it better that way!).

Microwaved Habitant™ Soup

Okay, we know that it’s technically National Homemade Soup Day, but who can resist this Canadian classic? This French Canadian staple is one of Canada’s best known soups and always hits the spot, staying true to the traditional early-20th century recipe.

Just open the can, fill your bowl, and pop it in the microwave! Dinner (or lunch) is ready in just a few minutes while using up to 60% less energy than heating it up on the stovetop.

However you prefer to celebrate National Homemade Soup Day, try sticking to small appliances. Over the course of a year, switching even one meal a week to a small appliance can lead to big electricity savings!

As we enter hockey season, we are excited to support a 2-year commitment for this important, local community-focused program. The Oshawa Generals and Oshawa Power reward students who excel in academics, athletics, and extracurricular activities with tickets to support the Generals.

“Oshawa is a hockey town, so it was a natural fit for us when the General’s approached us. Rewarding students for their achievements with local experiences we know they will enjoy is wonderful. The Generals and Oshawa Power are long-standing community citizens, and supporting our next generation of leaders, on the ice and in the class makes sense.”

– Denise Carpenter, Interim President & CEO, Oshawa Power

Letter from a 3rd grade student at Dr. S.J. Phillips Public School

Oshawa Power will also use this opportunity and partnership to amplify a continued focus on public safety messaging with kids and parents in the region – starting with electrical safety.

“We know that effective public safety messaging helps communities protect themselves in emergencies and disasters related to all hazards. Together, with sharing accessible visuals and messages, we hope to help educate our young community to keep them safe and remember to know what to do in emergencies.”

– Jennifer McHugh, Communications Manager, Oshawa Power

For Additional safety information, review these resources

Safety & Outages
Kids’ Safety
Vehicle Safety

Heating and cooling your home is no small expense. It’s estimated that more than 60% of your home energy costs are associated with keeping your home cool in the summer and warm during the winter.

However, installing a heat pump could be the answer to driving down your heating and cooling costs and saving you hundreds of dollars every year. Heat pumps offer an efficient alternative that can replace both your heating and cooling systems (some can even replace your water heater!).

From saving you money on your bills, to decreasing your carbon footprint, and reducing maintenance costs, the benefits of heat pumps make them a great choice for your next home energy upgrade.

What is a Heat Pump?

Heat pumps are devices that move heat from one location to another. Simple right? But how do they work?

While many different types of heat pumps are available, the basics remain the same; they are a heat transfer device. By moving, or transferring, heat from one location to another rather than burning fuel, heat pumps can operate at a much higher efficiency (up to 600%!) than other HVAC solutions.

In simple terms; a heat pump will transfer heat from the outside air to heat your home or transfer heat from inside your home back outside to cool your home.

Benefits of Heat Pumps

We’ve put together a list of some of the benefits of heat pumps to help you decide if installing a heat pump makes sense for your home:

Heating and Cooling Savings

Let’s get this one out of the way: do heat pumps offer savings over traditional HVAC systems? Yes!

Heat pumps can reduce the cost of electric heating by up to 50%. For homes heated with natural gas, heat pumps can still lead to yearly savings of more than $100 (and rising).

Lower Maintenance

Compared to traditional HVAC systems, heat pumps have the benefit of a much less grueling maintenance schedule. Regular yearly maintenance can generally be accomplished by the homeowner, with professional check ups recommended every 3 to 5 years.

As a bonus, heat pumps often replace two systems; your A/C and furnace, decreasing the need for maintenance even further!

Rebates and Loans

While the benefits of heat pumps are obvious, the installation cost can be a hurdle for many homeowners. However, with many local and federal programs in place to help retrofit your home, you may be eligible for grants, rebates, and/or low-interest loans to make a heat pump more affordable.

Increased Efficiency

For the environmentally conscious, heat pumps offer a massive opportunity to reduce your personal carbon footprint. Recent numbers show that heat pumps can reduce your carbon consumption for heating and cooling by between 20% and 70%.

Safe Choice

With no internal combustion, heat pumps offer a safer solution for your home. Switching to a heat pump can help make furnace fires and carbon monoxide leaks a thing of the past.

Is a Heat Pump Right For Me?

Heat pumps are a great solution for most residential spaces, but aren’t ideal for everyone. To find out if a heat pump is right for your space, check out the Durham Greener Homes program and book a free consultation with a Home Energy Coach.

Your Home Energy Coach will help you determine if a heat pump is right for your home, what other energy efficiency upgrades you could benefit from, and help you find rebates and low-interest loans to make your home retrofit affordable.

Oshawa Power is dedicated to helping build the next generation of innovators across the power and utilities sector. Through our paid co-op and internship programs, we enable students from across Ontario to gain real world experience directly related to their area of study.

Whether the next generation of talent ends up at Oshawa Power or works elsewhere in the industry, we know that providing hands-on experience is key to solving the problems of tomorrow and building a sustainable electrical system.

We spoke to some of our students about their experience with Oshawa Power:

Jonel Reglos

B. Eng – Electrical Engineering at Ontario Tech University

Why did you want to join Oshawa Power for your co-op term?

I wanted to join Oshawa power in order to gain experience in the electrical utility sector. Beyond that, the City of Oshawa is continually expanding and I believed that I would be able to work on exciting projects that would help facilitate the City’s growth while learning more about the energy sector.

What is the biggest takeaway from your experience that will help you build your career?

At school, I learned more about theory, while here at Oshawa Power I am able to apply that theory and develop an in-depth knowledge about what goes on at an electrical utility. This knowledge has helped me build a foundation that will allow me to take the next steps in my career.

Do you have any tips for future generations of students at Oshawa Power?

Yes! Make the most of your experience at Oshawa Power. There is so much to learn and it is up to you, as an individual, to seek out and grasp that knowledge.

Rahman Mohammed

B. Eng – Electrical Engineering at Ontario Tech University

Why did you want to join Oshawa Power for your co-op term?

When it was time to start looking for co-op opportunities, I found that electric utilities are the best place to start for electrical engineering students. As a mid-sized LDC, I thought Oshawa Power would provide an exciting opportunity for cross-departmental learning and developing an understanding of the different day-to-day needs across both residential and commercial services.

What is the biggest takeaway from your experience that will help you build your career?

One of the biggest takeaways for me is just the understanding of how much goes into delivering electricity across the city. From transmission lines, to substations, and eventually the transformers at a smaller neighborhood level, it gave me a new perspective on how I view roads, neighbourhoods, and urban planning.

Do you have any tips for future generations of students at Oshawa Power?

Always ask questions! I found that asking questions when you are unsure goes such a long way. The people here understand that we are learning and are always open and respectful when it comes to answering our questions. Even if they didn’t know the answer, they would always point me in the right direction to find the person who could help me solve the problem.

Niranjan Shrestha

MASc – Electrical & Computer Engineering at Ontario Tech University

Why did you want to join Oshawa Power for your co-op term?

As an international student with an electrical engineering background, I had always wanted to gain experience at a power utility company in Canada. Oshawa Power stood out as a diversified and innovative company with a rich history. Having such a long history and still remaining at the forefront in innovation and renewable energy solutions, Oshawa Power stood out to me as a great place to acquire experience.

What is the biggest takeaway from your experience that will help you build your career?

With such supportive and helpful colleagues, I’ve learned that proper communication is so important within an organization. Effective communication with your colleagues, supervisors, managers, etc. is essential to gain a level of trust that allows work to be completed efficiently. Developing these communication skills make it easier to work with all kinds of people in order to work effectively.

Do you have any tips for future generations of students at Oshawa Power?

Be confident in the skills and knowledge that you already have. Try to leverage your experience in a way that is beneficial to both yourself and the company.

Thank you to this year’s group of co-op students for all of the amazing work they contributed to Oshawa Power. We are excited to see what the future has in store for this group of talented individuals.

Are you interested in experiencing our co-op program?

Head on over to our careers page to view current openings or join our Talent Network to stay in touch about future roles.

For our first ever customer photo contest, we asked you to share the places that represent Oshawa to you and you delivered!

With more than 120 photos submitted, your photography helped showcase some of Oshawa’s most beautiful and historic locales. From family fun at Lakeview Park to the bustling Ontario Tech campus, and everywhere in between, your submissions helped shine a light on all the amazing spaces Oshawa has to offer.

Congratulations to Merle Cole, Todd Murrison, Freida Smit, Kathy Rifkin, and James Dawson, who’s winning photographs are showcased below.

📷: Merle Cole

📷: Todd Murrison

📷: Freida Smit

📷: Kathy Rifkin

📷: James Dawson

These winning photographers will receive a $100 gift card to a local business of their choice, and a custom calendar featuring their photographs.

With so many outstanding submissions, we chose an additional five honorable mentions who’s photographs will also appear in our calendar. Each of these photographers will receive a copy.

📷: Angela Wylie

📷: Steven Kelly

📷: Malcolm McNeil

📷: Linda Bazowsky

📷: William Balfour

Thank you to all who participated in our #CaptureOshawa contest and helped make it such a success!

To further celebrate the beautiful images you captured, we put together a full gallery featuring more than 120 stunning photos of our City.

Let us know your favourites and share more photos of your favourite places on Twitter by tagging @oshawapower and using the #CaptureOshawa hashtag!

A safe and reliable supply of electricity to our homes is something we often take for granted. We wake up, turn on the lights, start the coffee maker, and go about our day without thinking twice.

But did you know that the electrical equipment in your home and around our city can be very dangerous?

To help you stay safe and maintain peace of mind, we’ve gathered 12 important electrical safety tips. Follow these electrical safety tips to ensure you avoid potentially life changing electrical hazards.

🏠 At Home

Don’t Mess with Meters

The electrical meter attached to your home is not just used to measure your consumption. This is also a critical point where electricity passes from the grid into your home.

Touching your meter or meter base could lead to a dangerous electric shock. If you notice your meter is loose or damaged, give us a call and we will have it repaired by a pro.

Test Your Devices

After a power surge, it is important to check on your electronic safety devices to ensure they are still in working order.

Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCIs) and Arc Fault Circuit Interrupters (AFCIs) are important safety devices to protect you from shocks and electrical fires. Locate the test or reset buttons on your devices to ensure they are working after a surge.

If your home has hardwired smoke or carbon monoxide detectors, it is important to test these devices after a surge. A device failure could have dire consequences.

Stay Safe During Outages

Despite our best efforts, power outages are inevitable. Follow our Emergency Preparedness guide to keep your family prepared in the event of an outage.

When outages occur, it is important to immediately shut off any cooking appliances. Once power is restored, these devices may turn back on, causing a serious fire hazard if they have been forgotten.

Tame the Tangle

As our dependence on electronics continues to grow, more and more devices need to be plugged in around our homes. It is important to manage these devices without overloading outlets or power bars. Power bars and extension cords should never be plugged into each other.

The stress created by overloading a power outlet can lead to electrical fires and cause serious property damage, severe injury, or even death.

Replace Frayed Cords

With electrical injuries accounting for more than 20,000 visits to emergency departments per year in North America, it is important to do our best to avoid one of the most common hazards.

Frayed wires and power cords are a common and often overlooked issue in Canadian households. Locating frayed cords and replacing them could help prevent electric shock and/or fires.

Hire a Pro

There is no such thing as an amateur electrician. Do-it-yourself electrical work can be extremely dangerous and lead to serious injury or death.

We recommend hiring an Electrical Safety Authority (ESA) licensed electrician to complete any electrical work around your home. Use the ESA’s Contractor Locator tool to find a licensed electrician near you.

🌇 Around Our City

Call Before You Dig

Before taking on an outdoor project at home or around the city, contact Ontario One Call to ensure it is safe to dig.

Contact with underground electrical infrastructure can not only present a significant risk to your safety, but you could be held liable for any damage you cause.

Get Off the Green Box

Pad mounted transformers (informally known as green boxes) contain high voltage electrical equipment.

For your safety, avoid making contact or tampering with pad mount transformers and never allow children to play on or near electrical equipment.

Look Up, Look Out

Powerlines and pole mounted transformers can cause deadly shocks. When working outdoors, always look up and look out, so that you know exactly where overhead electrical equipment is.

You don’t have to touch this equipment to get a deadly shock. Electricity can jump or “arc” to you or your tools if you get too close. Always remain at least 3 meters from overhead electrical equipment.

Stay Clear of Substations

To ensure safe and reliable electricity across Oshawa, we operate 9 individual substations. These locations contain dangerous high voltage equipment and should never be entered.

If you lose something inside a substation or notice something unusual occurring at or near a substation, contact our team to inspect the area.

🚗 On the Road

Stay Back, Stay Safe

If you come across a downed wire on our City streets, always assume it is a livewire and remain at least 10 meters (the length of a school bus) back. You are encouraged to help keep others away from the wire(s) and clear of the area.

These wires can be extremely dangerous and should be reported to both Oshawa Power and 9-11 immediately.

Remain in Your Vehicle

If you are in a vehicle and a powerline lands on your vehicle, do not attempt to remove the powerline. Remain in the vehicle and encourage any observers to stay at least 10 meters back.

Immediately contact 9-11 and Oshawa Power and do not exit the vehicle until a utility worker informs you that it is safe to do so.

If you must exit your vehicle due to a fire or other emergency, follow the ESA’s guide to safely exiting your vehicle.

Don’t Be Shocked

Electrical hazards are dangerous, but most can be avoided by practicing simple electrical safety. Following these electrical safety tips can help keep you safe from potential hazards at home, outside, and on the road.

For more electrical safety tips, visit the Electrical Safety Authority’s website.

To find more home safety tips from industry experts, click here.

Bring Electrical Safety to Your Classroom

Are you or someone you know a local educator looking to bring electrical safety knowledge to the classroom? Reach out to our team to request a visit!

With Labour Day behind us and children of all ages heading back to school, we’ve put together a list of back to school energy saving tips to help you keep conservation top of mind and save on your power bills.

From lunch prep tips, to taking advantage of having an empty house, here are 7 of our favourite back to school energy saving tips to help you manage your power bill this school year.

1. Adjust the thermostat before you leave

An empty home presents a big energy savings opportunity. If your home sits empty during the day while your family is at work or gone to school, you can adjust your thermostat to help save on energy costs during the day while giving your HVAC system a much needed break.

When it comes to home heating and cooling, small changes can make a significant impact. Adjusting your thermostat by a single degree could save you 1-3% on your energy bills.

2. Embrace natural heating and cooling

Don’t rely on your home HVAC system to do all the work. When it comes to heating and cooling, sunshine can make a big difference to the temperature of your home.

Combining a thermostat adjustment with controlling the level of sunshine entering your home can lead to significant energy savings. Turning down your thermostat and letting the sunshine in, or turning up your thermostat and using blinds to keep the sunshine out can keep your home at the right temperature while saving you money.

3. Keep the fridge closed during meal prep

When prepping lunches, building the habit of limiting yourself to two fridge openings. Open once to take out your ingredients and once to place them back in.

The average fridge is only actively cooling about 10% of the time and relies on insulation to keep your food cool. The more you open the door, letting cool air out and warm air in, the harder your fridge has to work on cooling, driving up your energy usage.

4. Use MyOshawaPower to track your energy use

Tracking your energy use can be a simple way to understand which habits are costing you money and which habits are helping you save on energy bills.

Sign up or login to your MyOshawaPower account to view your daily usage, compare pricing plans, and find more tools that can help you keep your energy costs low.

5. Charge your electronics overnight

Charging electronics to a full charge overnight can help customers on a Time-of-Use (TOU) pricing plan save significantly on power bills.

By limiting charging to between 7p.m and 7a.m., you can take advantage of Off-peak energy rates. Currently, Off-peak rates are approximately 31% lower than Mid-peak rates and 69% lower than On-peak rates, giving you the opportunity to find significant energy savings by shifting your usage. Click here to view current TOU rates.

6. Turn out the lights

The most basic energy saving tip is still an important habit to keep in mind. While increases in lighting efficiency have helped reduce the overall cost of lighting, it still accounts for nearly 4% of total energy use in Canadian households. Before you leave in the morning, walk around the house and turn off any lights that are left on.

7. Be aware of standby power

Did you know that many of your electronics still draw power when they are turned off?

This phenomenon is known as standby power and can account for up to 10% of the average Ontario energy bill. Consider installing smart power bars or plugs to combat standby power used by unused electronics.

Keeping these 7 simple back to school energy saving tips in mind can help you keep your energy costs down this school year and beyond.

Looking for more simple tips to help decrease your energy costs? Click here to find more low-cost ways to save.