Category: News Alerts

Along with the shift to Winter Time-of-Use hours and Tier limits, Oshawa Power customers will see changes to the Electricity portion of their hydro bills starting this November. In line with the Ontario Energy Board’s directive, we are announcing the following changes to electricity rates, effective November 1, 2023.

Time-Of-Use (TOU) Pricing:

PRICE PERIOD	PRICE
Off-Peak	¢8.7/kWh (+¢1.3)
Mid-Peak	¢12.2/kWh (+¢2.0)
On-Peak	¢18.2/kWh (+¢2.9)

TOU Pricing usage periods will also shift to winter hours on November 1, aligning with seasonal energy consumption patterns.

Tiered Pricing:

USAGE TIER	PRICE
Tier 1	¢10.3/kWh (+¢2.0)
Tier 2	¢12.5/kWh (+¢2.2)

Residential Tiered Pricing customers will also see a shift to winter tier limits and be charged Tier 1 rates for their first 1,000 kWh of usage, followed by Tier 2 for additional consumption during their billing period. Non-residential Tiered Pricing customers will still have a Tier 1 limit of 750 kWh of consumption.

Ultra-Low Overnight (ULO) Pricing:

PRICE PERIOD	PRICE
Ultra-Low Overnight	¢2.8/kWh (+¢0.4)
Weekend Off-Peak	¢8.7/kWh (+¢1.3)
Mid-Peak	¢12.2/kWh (+¢2.0)
On-Peak	¢28.6/kWh (+¢4.6)

In addition to electricity rate changes, Oshawa Power customers will see the Ontario Electricity Rebate increase from 11.7% to 19.3%. This rebate is automatically applied to each customer’s bill and is intended to help make electricity bills more manageable.

These adjustments reflect various factors, including market conditions and provincial investments in building a sustainable, and reliable, energy future for Ontario. Customers can expect an impact on their bills; however, the exact effect will vary based on individual usage patterns.

We understand that these changes may pose challenges for some of our customers. Oshawa Power offers Financial Assistance programs designed to help those who may be struggling to manage their bills. More information about available programs can be found at www.oshawapower.ca/assistance.

Winter Energy Savings Tips:

As the temperature drops and winter approaches, here are a few high-impact tips that can help you improve efficiency and save on energy costs:

Prevent Drafts

Check for gaps around your windows and doors, and apply caulking or weather stripping to seal them. This simple step prevents warm air from escaping and cold air from entering.

Programmable Thermostat

Programmable thermostats allow you to customize your heating schedule to help you save on heating costs at night or when you are not home.

Let the Sunshine In

Sunlight is a free way to warm your home! During the day, open the blinds and let in the rays. Close your blinds at night to keep the warmth inside.

Insulate Your Home

Proper insulation in your attic and walls can significantly reduce heat loss.

Maintain Your Heating System

Regular maintenance ensures your heating system runs efficiently, reducing energy consumption. A simple seasonal filter replacement can maximize efficiency and keep the air clean in your home.

Unplug Electronics

Even when turned off, electronics can draw power. Unplug chargers and devices not in use to save energy.

Oshawa Power is committed to providing the information customers need to make informed decisions about their energy consumption and pricing plans. For more information on Customer Choice and pricing plans available to our customers, visit www.oshawapower.ca/customer-choice.

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Media Contact

communications@oshawapower.ca
905-723-4623

Oshawa Power, in collaboration with Scout Environmental, a Canadian not-for-profit organization focused on engaging Canadians in sustainable actions, are excited to announce the launch of a digital electric vehicle (EV) education tool designed to support EV awareness and adoption across Oshawa and the Durham Region. With a $110,790 investment through Natural Resources Canada’s Zero Emission Vehicle Awareness Initiative, Oshawa Power and Scout Environmental launched an interactive guide and awareness campaign aimed to assess and address gaps in EV knowledge in our local community.

As part of its commitment to a low-carbon energy transition, Oshawa Power is committed to supporting education initiatives that work to support EV adoption and encourage the use of electric and alternative-fuel vehicles locally and across Canada through research, innovation, community engagement, and infrastructure development. Powered by Manyways, the interactive digital guide provides valuable information that will help:

• Gather expected power usage information from homeowners to assist in current and future grid planning;
• Debunk common myths and promote public confidence in EVs by providing basic education on EV options, andcharging methods.

Currently, Oshawa has surpassed 1,000 registered EVs, with 811 BEV and 300 PHEV drivers – and that number is steadily growing. Learn more about EV ownership from local owners and check out the tool at group.oshawapower.ca/moving-forwards.

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Try It Out!

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Quotes

“Oshawa Power is focused on collaborating with partners to develop innovative solutions, such as this digital experience, that inspire public confidence in the ability of our local power distribution system to support the increased demand that will come with widespread transit electrification — a key enabler for increased EV adoption in our community and across the country.”

– Daniel Arbour, President & CEO, Oshawa Power

“The adoption of electric vehicles is one way that Canadians can reduce our reliance on fossil fuels, and make the transition to a greener economy. Oshawa Power has shown leadership in its commitment to low-carbon energy future, and Scout and our technology partner Manyways are thrilled to be working with them to help Oshawa Power customers better understand and access EVs in their community.”

– Catherine Wood, Program Director, Scout Environmental

“Our government is committed to creating a cleaner and greener economy. Zero-emission vehicles are critical to our strategy to reach net-zero by 2050, but we know that this is a new reality for many Canadians. That is why we are making this investment today, which will help educate Canadians on the new, greener options available to them. Providing more information on EVs to Canadians is a great step to help with the adoption of low-carbon energy alternatives.”

– The Honourable Mark Holland, Minister of Health, Member of Parliament for Ajax

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Media Contact

communications@oshawapower.ca
905-723-4623

Oshawa Power is currently conducting our Customer Satisfaction Survey to gather feedback on issues ranging from electricity pricing to customer communications, service satisfaction, and more.

Oshawa Power has partnered with UtilityPULSE to conduct its 2023 Customer Satisfaction Survey. Beginning in early October, randomly selected customers may receive a telephone call or email invitation from UtilityPULSE requesting participation in the survey.

UtilityPULSE is a reputable opinion research company that has conducted surveys on behalf of utilities across the province, including Oshawa Power, for many years. You can learn more about UtilityPULSE at www.utilitypulse.com.

Our Customer Satisfaction Survey will take approximately 10 minutes of your time, and we would greatly appreciate your participation. This survey is an important tool that helps Oshawa Power gauge the effectiveness of our various services – what we’re doing well and where we might better focus attention to improve our service delivery to customers across Oshawa.

Oshawa Power is excited to announce the introduction of three new initiatives designed to simplify account management, improve data transparency, promote conservation, and help Oshawa residents save on their electricity bills.

To help streamline the customer experience Oshawa Power has launched a new and improved MyOshawaPower customer portal – the next step in simplifying the way customers manage their electricity accounts. This initiative will bring new features to customers enrolled in eBilling and create a ‘one-stop shop’ for all activities related to your electricity account.

The new MyOshawaPower will continue to allow customers to view their electricity consumption, compare usage to past periods, pay bills, receive outage notifications, and much more. These features will be available on a brand new, simplified interface, allowing you to spend less time managing your account whether you are accessing it on the go or from the comfort of your own home.

In addition to providing account-level insights and management, MyOshawaPower will now feature Green Button integration allowing customers instant access and sharing of their personal electricity data, all with the click of a button. Improving the transparency and accessibility of personal data will provide valuable insight into energy habits and encourage the development of conservation and cost-saving strategies for Oshawa Power customers.

“We understand that energy consumption varies drastically between families and businesses and this initiative will help customers further understand how to adjust their individual usage to ultimately increase control over their bills,” said Daniel Arbour, President and CEO of Oshawa Power. “Consumption data can also now be shared third-parties that may help customers develop strategies to reduce energy use or change pricing plans to find savings.”

Along with the implementation of Green Button, the Ontario government’s plan to provide consumers with more ways to keep costs down, save money, and take control of their energy bills includes the introduction of a new Ultra-Low Overnight (ULO) pricing plan. The new pricing plan expands on the provincial government’s Customer Choice initiative, allowing customers to choose from three available pricing plans: Time-of-Use pricing, Tiered pricing, and the new ULO pricing. Available to Oshawa Power customers as of October 13, the new pricing plan will encourage consumers to shift their usage to off-peak hours – when provincial demand is at its lowest – by offering the lowest possible price per kWh.

To learn more about eBilling and gain access to MyOshawaPower, click here.

For full Ultra-Low Overnight pricing details, click here.

For more information about the Green Button initiative, click here.

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About Oshawa Power

Oshawa Power is dedicated to the evolving needs of our customers as a leading enabler of integrated critical energy and infrastructure. Oshawa Power is wholly owned by the great City of Oshawa.

Media Contact

communications@oshawapower.ca

Oshawa Power is proud to announce that we are charging forward with the introduction of four new Ford F150 PowerBoost hybrid trucks to our light duty fleet.

Serving more than 61,000 customers across 145km², our fleet plays an integral part in the service we provide to the City of Oshawa. Making up the largest portion of our fleet, our light-duty trucks are used on a daily basis for general transportation and lighter duty work. With the introduction of our new hybrid trucks, crew members will traverse our city with the help of an onboard electric battery powered by regenerative braking. This eco-friendly option will contribute to an increase of approximately 35% in fuel economy over previous fleet vehicles.

“As more and more of our customers make the switch to electric vehicles, we want to learn first-hand how we can transition our fleet to lower emissions and support a greener future,” explained Manager of Health, Safety, Security, and Environment (HSSE) & Fleet, Wade Rowland. “Our goal is to eventually adopt a fully electric fleet, starting with our light-duty vehicles, without compromising our ability to safely complete the heavy duty work involved for our crew.”

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Oshawa Power Manager of HSSE & Fleet, Wade Rowland, poses with one of the LDC’s newest hybrid pickups.

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Accounting for greater than 30% of Ontario’s total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, transportation currently ranks as our province’s largest contributor to carbon emissions. With technological improvements and increased availability of low-carbon transportation alternatives, there is a substantial opportunity to create a cleaner future for our community through transportation electrification. As part of our responsibility to a low-carbon energy transition, we are committed to transitioning to a fully-electric light-duty fleet by 2030.

With plans to begin introducing fully electric models as current fleet vehicles reach end of useful life, we will also closely track GHG emissions from our overall fleet in order to effectively monitor and assess the impact of the transition on our overall emissions.

Our new hybrid trucks are not just a symbol of change; they are a tangible embodiment of our commitment to reducing our carbon footprint. In Ontario, switching to an electric vehicle (EV) can lower GHG emissions from personal transportation by up to 95%. By integrating hybrid, and eventually fully electric, trucks into our fleet, we hope to inspire others in the community to embrace sustainable transportation alternatives and contribute to building a cleaner, more sustainable local community.

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Interested in learning more about the Oshawa Power fleet? Take a look under the hood!

Learn More

As part of our mission to maintain a local electricity grid that will reliably support Oshawa’s future, Oshawa Power aims to nearly eliminate the risk of pole fires by 2026 with our Porcelain Changeout Program.

The local utility’s program, which kicked off in 2021, will see crews replace thousands of porcelain switches and insulators across the City of Oshawa with new, modern polymer-based alternatives.

While traditional porcelain materials have been used across the industry for decades due to their insulating properties, they carry an increased risk of pole fires caused by ‘tracking’. This phenomenon occurs when condensation containing airborne debris causes build up on electrical equipment. Generally caused by road salt or other road debris kicked up by motor vehicles, the build up occurring on porcelain equipment allows high voltage electricity to ‘track’ across metal brackets and to the wooden poles causing high impact pole fires.

The resulting fires may cause faults in the local grid, leaving customers in the area without power. Outages caused by pole fires are often longer lasting than other outage types as crews must first extinguish intense electrical fires before performing a pole replacement among other repairs.

“As we look to build Oshawa’s grid of the future, we are extending our focus beyond automation and digital technologies. In our industry reliability is king and sometimes the simplest solutions, such as using higher quality, more resilient materials, can mitigate risks and improve reliability for years to come,” said Mike Weatherbee, Oshawa Power’s Managing Director. “Our strategy of ‘strategic engineering’ is about putting the right technologies in place to ensure Oshawa has one of the strongest local grids in the province.”

To complete this program, Oshawa Power is including porcelain changeouts as a part of all projects under our Capital Rebuild program. So far, through the Porcelain Changeout Program, we have replaced approximately 60% of our existing porcelain infrastructure with polymer-based alternatives. The program is expected to reach completion by 2026.

Oshawa, Ontario – Local dignitaries and leaders from within the business community are joining today to celebrate the launch of Durham Broadband, a new kind of high speed internet service that focuses on Durham’s economic development and is owned by Oshawa Power and Utilities Corporation (a municipal corporation of the City of Oshawa).

Durham Broadband was established in 2002 under the banner Oshawa PUC Services and quickly became the Region’s largest fibre optic infrastructure supplier. The company’s re-launch and updated strategic vision come in recognition of the increasing need for high speed internet to support evolving business practices, innovation and smarter cities. Durham Broadband is being made available to the broader business sector to spur-on socio-economic outcomes across the Region and put its eight local communities at the forefront of Canada’s economic modernization.
To effectively support economic development, Durham Broadband has a mandate to target priority areas and offer highly competitive solutions including:

• Price match guarantees;
• Superior speeds to any other local supplier;
• Flexible service levels and packages;
• No contracts; and,
• A unique dual-homed network that creates 100% system redundancy.

The brand is also pursuing an aggressive 5 year, multi-million dollar expansion plan that will see underserved areas connected. It is projected that this initiative will bring government investment in broadband via shared grant applications at the federal and provincial levels. Securing such grants would mean that Durham Broadband and its collaborative partner, the Regional Municipality of Durham, would be able to stretch high speed internet farther, sooner and for less cost.

“Oshawa has a need for high-speed reliable internet solutions, and with our extensive network of dark fibre this was the logical next step,” stated Matt Strecker, VP of Engineering & Operations, and the Divisional Lead for Durham Broadband. “Local business told us they need better network coverage, reliability, redundancy and capacity, married with excellent customer service. By focusing our attention locally, and building the networks our Region demands, we can provide service that is unmatched,” continued Strecker.

For a limited time only, businesses wishing to sign-on will receive deep discounts and special signing bonuses. Businesses should visit www.durhambroadband.ca for more information today.

Oshawa Power & EnerFORGE join Electricity Human Resources Canada Leadership Accord, commit to building diverse and inclusive workplace

Oshawa, Ontario – Oshawa Power and their affiliated low-carbon energy services provider, EnerFORGE, are proud to announce their signing of the Electricity Human Resources Canada (EHRC) Leadership Accord on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (“the Accord”). In signing the Accord, Oshawa Power and EnerFORGE are joining together with a growing number of industry leading companies in making a commitment to help build a strong culture of diversity and inclusion throughout the Canadian electrical industry.

“We’re proud to solidify our commitment together as a team by signing the Leadership Accord. Diversity, equity, and inclusion are the foundation to innovation, community leadership, and living our corporate values. We acknowledge the importance of continuous improvement as we work to build a culture of respect and inclusion at Oshawa Power & EnerFORGE.”

– Ivano Labricciosa, President & CEO

Oshawa Power and EnerFORGE have pledged to implement a set of clearly benchmarked initiatives developed by the EHRC and intended to foster an inclusive workplace culture. The commitment includes a two-year review to examine the organizations’ progress and develop a refreshed strategic pathway to meeting the aforementioned benchmarks.

“Our operations extend into growing and diverse communities. We recognize the tremendous opportunity this means for our organization with respect to leveraging a broad base of talent that is both representative of our customers and key to future success.”

– Nancy Brandon, Director, People & Business Services

Operating in the heart of the Durham Region and throughout the Greater Toronto-Hamilton Area, Oshawa Power and EnerFORGE are headquartered in one of Canada’s most culturally diverse areas. Building a culture of diversity and inclusion is an important step in the organizations’ approach to better understanding the needs of each customer group in order to deliver exceptional services across their territory.

Media Contact
Josh McCulloch
jmcculloch@opuc.on.ca
905-242-3186