You may receive an email and/or a text/SMS from Hydro Ottawa regarding planned power interruptions scheduled for your address (service address). Automated telephone calls will continue for some customers.
Notifications are sent to the telephone number and email address that we have on file for your account. They will only be sent when a power interruption is scheduled for your service address.
These messages do not demand payment or offer a refund.
These notifications are for informational purposes only. Please do not reply to these notifications, replies are not monitored.
If you have any questions, contact us for assistance.
To report a power outage, submit your report online (login required), through the Hydro Ottawa App or call our 24/7 outage line at 613-738-0188.
Information on current outages is available here.
If you spot a downed power line, keep a distance of at least 10 meters (33 feet or the length of a school bus), call 911, and report the damage to Hydro Ottawa.
To update your billing (mailing) address without changing your service address, please contact a Customer Service representative online or by telephone at 613-738-6400. You can also do it via your MyAccount.
On November 1, 2019, the Ontario government introduced the Ontario Electricity Rebate (OER) under the Ontario Ontario Rebate for Electricity Consumers Act, 2016.
The Ontario Electricity Rebate reduces the pre-HST costs on customers’ bills by 13.1%.
Low-volume consumers with a monthly demand less than 50kW or consumption less than 250,000 kWh are automatically eligible.
The following customer types are eligible:
- Low volume accounts (meaning the account has a demand for electricity of 50 kilowatts or less, or uses not more than 250,000 kilowatt hours of electricity per year); this includes residential and many small business customers;
- Farms;
- Long-term care homes; and
- *Multi-unit complexes that are predominantly residential, such as condominium and apartment buildings.
*Multi-unit complexes that are predominantly residential, such as condominium and apartment buildings must complete and submit the OER Self-Declaration form to Hydro Ottawa to attest their eligibility.
For a definition of all of the above terms please refer to the OER Self-Declaration form.
Did you know? If your account is a low volume account, such as ‘’residential and small business customers’’ or relates to a farm or a long-term care home, you don’t need to sign up to receive the rebate. The rebate is applied automatically to your Hydro Ottawa bill each month.
If you have one of these accounts but you are not already receiving the OER, please contact us. If you are not sure whether you are already receiving the OER, check your last Hydro Ottawa bill.
Effective July 1, 2022, the Ontario government expanded eligibility for some residential and other low volume consumers:
- Common areas in individually metered multi-unit complexes that contain at least 50 per cent residential units, such as condominiums;
- Retirement residences that are not long-term care homes, but do not meet eligibility criteria as a residential multi-unit complex; and
- Residential mobile home parks.
For a definition of the above terms please refer to the OER Self-Declaration form or Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s).
Notice Requirements
In order to receive the OER, consumers who now qualify under the expanded eligibility requirements will need to submit the OER Self-Declaration Form to Hydro Ottawa in which you attest your eligibility.
We recommend that you use the fillable PDF form to submit your request.
- Email: [email protected]
- most efficient way to process your request
- Fax: 613-738-6403; Attention: Customer Service
- Mail: Hydro Ottawa, PO Box 8700, Ottawa, ON K1G 3S4; Attention: Customer service
Your bill is available through your online account. If you don't have one yet, registration is easy – it takes just a few minutes.
You can register for equal monthly billing by enrolling in our Equal Monthly Payment Plan.
The Equal Monthly Payment Plan (EMPP) is available with and without Pre-Authorized Payment (PAP) withdrawals.
Once you have enrolled, your equal monthly payment will be due or automatically withdrawn from your bank account on the due date indicated on your bill. If you require a fixed due date or payment withdrawal date, you may request the fifth of every month.
You can register for EMPP online. In order to register, log in to MyAccount. If you don’t have an online account, create one today. All you need is a valid email address. Log in or register for MyAccount and select “Manage payment plan”.
Some conditions apply. More information about this payment plan is available here.
To report a Hydro Ottawa electricity bill payment, contact us by telephone at 613 738-6400 or by email.
If you wish to report a service invoice or layout payment, contact us by email at [email protected] with your name, 20 digit Reference Number and payment amount.
Credit balances may be refunded by cheque.
If you have closed an account with a credit balance, a refund will automatically be issued 21 business days after we prepare your final bill. A cheque will be sent by mail to the billing address or the forwarding address listed on your account.
Balances of less than $5.00 will not be returned by mail.
Hydro Ottawa may transfer the credit to another active account under the same name.
Your online account is updated as payments are received. Payments may take up to five business days to be applied, depending on the method of payment.
If a pre-authorized payment is returned due to non-sufficient funds (NSF), a Returned Payment *Charge plus any bank charges will be applied to your account. These charges will be withdrawn on your subsequent due date, at the same time as your monthly payment.
If you cannot pay the balance owing, your payment plan will be suspended until your account is up to date.
If you need help paying your bill, financial assistance programs are available. Give us a call and we’ll find one that works for you.
*Please refer to our “Other Charges” page for a list of charges and fees that may appear on your Hydro Ottawa bill.
You can register for Pre-Authorized Payment (PAP) online. You will first need to set up an online account.
If you don’t have an online account, create one today. All you need is a valid email address. Log in or register for MyAccount and select “Manage payment plan”.
If you experience a problem, contact us.
Hydro Ottawa does not accept payments in person. We do, however, offer many other options to allow you to make simple, on-time payments.
If your account is at risk of disconnection, please submit your payment at a financial institution, and forward the receipt (proof of payment) by email to [email protected].
Hydro Ottawa offers automated payment plans where the amount due is automatically withdrawn from your bank account on the due date. While credit card payments are an accepted payment method, they are a one-time payment option at this time.
Hydro Ottawa offers many different options to allow you to make simple, on-time payments. Choose the method that’s most convenient for you.
First, ensure that you are enrolled in online billing by navigating to the Billing section of your online account.
Most of the time, your online bill notification (email) has been accepted by your service provider. Problems with delivery are most often associated with spam/junk mail settings as well as internet security and anti-virus applications. How your email, internet security or anti-virus applications are configured may determine if your online bill notification can be successfully delivered.
To correct this, we recommend adding @hydroottawa.com to your 'Safe List'.
If you have recently changed or modified your email address, but did not update your online profile:
- Sign in to your online account;
- Once logged in, click Profile;
- Update your email address and click Update.
Yes, with one exception. You cannot print out your bill and take it to your financial institution or mail it to Hydro Ottawa for payment.
You can access your online bill from any web browser that supports 128 bit encryption.
- Google Chrome (recommended)
- Microsoft Internet Explorer 11+ or Edge
- Mozilla Firefox
- Apple Safari
To check the encryption level on your browser, click 'Help', 'About', and it will be listed.
No. Once you have registered for online billing, you’ll receive an email notification when your next bill is available. You will, however, be able to print or save your online bill at your convenience.
If you would like to cancel your online billing registration, contact us by telephone at 613 738-6400. A Customer Service representative will assist you.
Registration takes just a few minutes. First you need to create an online account. Once this is complete, all you need is a valid email address.
Online billing is a convenient, secure and environmentally friendly way to view your electricity bill. Once you have registered for MyAccount, you will receive an email notification (to the email of your choice) when your bill is ready for viewing. You can pay your online bill by telephone or online through your financial institution, or by enrolling in an automated payment plan.
- Click the dropdown arrow in the search bar at the top center of your screen (pictured below).
- A list of your accounts will appear.
- Select the account you want to view.
No, you do not need to be a Hydro Ottawa customer to create a MyAccount profile. All you need is a valid email address to sign up.
If you are a Hydro Ottawa customer, it is recommended you add your account number(s) to your profile to gain access to a number of services and tools like notifications and outage reporting. For this, you will need a Hydro Ottawa bill from the past 12 months.
Yes, you can view your usage and generation data in MyAccount. Click the Usage icon to explore detailed information from September 1, 2024, onward.
NOTE: Historical data is not available online. Should you require this information (prior to September 1, 2024), please contact us at hydroottawa.com/contactus.
If you receive a message that your account has been locked, it may be that an incorrect password has been attempted more than six times. As a security measure, your account has been locked for 24-hours. Should you require access prior to the end of the 24-hour period, a Customer Service representative would be happy to unlock your account for you at 613-738-6400.
Computer security experts advise that you may put your information at risk when you use a public computer for personal business. While Hydro Ottawa uses numerous security measures to protect your personal information on our website, the use of public computers may compromise the security of your information. Public computers include those in schools, libraries, and internet cafés.
For maximum security, you may want to avoid using public computers when enrolling or modifying your personal or banking information.
We use several methods to ensure that your information is secure:
- Your email and password are unique identifiers that only you know. This information is personal and confidential and should not be shared.
- We use SSL (secure socket layers) which ensures that your connection and information are secure from outside inspection.
- We use 128 bit encryption to make your information unreadable as it passes over the Internet.
- We automatically sign you out of a session if it is inactive for 20 minutes.
Hydro Ottawa makes every effort to ensure that access to your online account is up to date with emerging technology. There may be web browsers, however, that are not compatible. We encourage you to refer to information provided by your web browser for help with troubleshooting and known product issues. To ensure you are also receiving an optimal browsing experience, we suggest upgrading to the latest version of your browser.
We are continuously working to improve the online account experience and resolve any technical issues.
If you’re having trouble viewing your usage, it may be an error related to Internet Explorer or Safari.
To work around this issue, try logging into your account and viewing your usage through Google Chrome or Firefox.
If this does not fix the issue, please contact us.
Adding an additional account to your existing online account with Hydro Ottawa can be completed online.
- Login to your existing online account.
- Click on the ‘Add account’ icon.
Image
If you experience any difficulty adding or removing an account, contact us.
No. In order for someone to access your account through the app or our website, they need your password. We have security measures in place to safeguard your online account. For instance, consecutive failed login attempts result in the user's online account being locked.
We made this change because one of the most common complaints with our website was related to the login system. Customers were forgetting their username and having trouble retrieving their password.
To make the process even easier, you can now sign in using your Facebook or Google account. Once your Facebook or Google account is linked to your online account, signing in can be done with just one click.
Your password is active immediately after you reset it.
If you have forgotten your password, go to the online account page and click "Reset password”. Enter your email address and an email will be sent to you to reset your password.
You have two options for electricity supply.
You can buy electricity from Hydro Ottawa through the Regulated Price Plan (RPP) where prices are set by the Ontario Energy Board (OEB), or sign a contract with a company that sells electricity, also known as an electricity retailer.
If you buy your electricity under the RPP, there are different types of price plans to choose from: Time-of-use (TOU), Tiered, or Ultra-low overnight (ULO) rates.
Time-of-Use (TOU) – TOU has three price periods, and you pay a different rate for electricity depending on the time of day and day of the week you consume it. Prices are highest during on-peak, when energy demand and cost is high, medium during mid-peak, when energy demand and cost is moderate, and lowest during off-peak when energy demand and cost is low.
Ultra-Low Overnight (ULO) – Similar to TOU rates, under ULO, the price depends on when you use electricity. ULO has an additional price period, different set of rates and offers an ultra-low overnight rate in exchange for a higher on-peak rate.
With ULO pricing you are charged according to the day of the week and time of day that you use electricity. There are four price periods: on-peak, mid-peak, weekend off-peak, and ultra-low-overnight. The ULO plan sets a very low price for the overnight period, however, the on-peak price is significantly higher.
This plan could be beneficial to those who consume a major portion of their electricity overnight, or to those who charge an electric vehicle overnight.
Tiered rates – Under tiered rates, you can use a certain amount of electricity each month at a lower rate up to a predetermined kilowatt-hour (kWh) amount called a ‘’threshold’’. Once you exceed the monthly threshold, you are billed at a higher rate per kWh for all additional electricity used in that month.
Residential and small business customers are automatically part of the RPP unless they choose to purchase their electricity from an electricity retailer.
If you have your electricity supplied by Hydro Ottawa through the RPP and want to change your rate plan, you must notify Hydro Ottawa.
You can visit our electricity rate selection web page and read our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s). Alternatively, you can also contact us online or by phone at 613-738-6400.
The Ontario Energy Board also has information on the Customer Choice program available at oeb.ca/choice.
There are two different online tools available to help customers make a choice and compare TOU, tiered, and ULO rate plans.
Hydro Ottawa’s rate plan comparison tool is available for MyAccount customers and automatically uses your consumption data to show you the electricity cost difference (in percentage) under TOU or Tiered prices for your account.
Currently, ULO rates are not available in the MyAccount rate plan comparison tool. If you wish to compare your costs using ULO rates, please use the OEB bill calculator.
Hydro Ottawa’s online tool is easy-to-use. Simply follow these steps:
- Log into MyAccount
- Choose ‘’Manage Rate Plan’’ option;
Image
More information on Hydro Ottawa’s online tool is available in our Rate Options FAQs.
If you are not yet registered to MyAccount, but wish to use this tool, you can sign up today at hydroottawa.com/myaccount.
A second one is available through the Ontario Energy Board’s (OEB) website. The OEB’s bill calculator will help you compare your estimated monthly bill under TOU, ULO or Tiered prices.
These tools are designed to provide customers with an estimate on whether they may benefit financially from making a switch to a different rate plan. The tools are intended to act as a guide only, and actual differences will depend on usage and consumption patterns within any billing period.
There is no deadline to change rate plan. If you don’t wish to make a change, there is nothing you need to do. You’ll continue to be billed under your current rate plan. The option to change will always be available.
Your rate change request will be processed up to 10 business days after receiving your Rate Selection Form. Once your form has been fully processed, your new rate plan will take effect on the first day of your next billing period or the following one, depending on where you are in your billing period.
For example:
If your billing period is from November 15 to December 14, and you requested to change your rate plan on November 24, your new rate plan will be effective on December 15.
The date on which you should start using electricity based on your new rate plan is the first day of your billing period on your new rate plan.
Yes, following the prescribed process and timelines, you can change your rate plan at any time.
Note: If you have already submitted a rate change request, you need to wait until this initial request has been fully processed before submitting another one.
As a general rule, electric heating operates more often at night when the temperature drops. This is also when electricity is the cheapest.
In a 168-hour week, only 30 to 40 hours (depending on season) are at On-Peak times. There are nearly three-times as many hours at Off-Peak rates.
From May 1 to October 31
- Off-Peak (7 p.m. to 7 a.m. and all day weekends and holidays)
- Mid-Peak (7 a.m. to 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.)
- On-Peak (11 a.m. to 5 p.m.)
From November 1 to April 30
- Off-Peak (7 p.m. to 7 a.m. and all day weekends and holidays)
- Mid-Peak (11 a.m. to 5 p.m.)
- On-Peak (7 a.m. to 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.)
For more information, visit the time-of-use page.
Similar to TOU rates, with ULO, the price depends on when you use electricity. ULO has an additional price period, a different set of rates and offers an ultra-low overnight rate in exchange for a higher on-peak rate.
With ULO pricing you are charged according to the day of the week and time of day that you use electricity. There are four price periods: on-peak, mid-peak, weekend off-peak, and ultra-low-overnight. The ULO plan sets a very low price for the overnight period, however, the on-peak price is significantly higher.
This plan could be beneficial to those who consume a major portion of their electricity overnight, or to those who charge an electric vehicle overnight.
The ULO periods (hours) are the same in the summer as they are in the winter.
This plan is in large part intended for customers who can shift their electricity use to periods of low demand, away from on-peak hours.
- Ultra-low overnight (everyday 11 p.m.to 7 a.m.)
- Mid-peak (weekdays 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. and 9 p.m. to 11 p.m.)
- On-peak: (weekdays 4 p.m.to 9 p.m.)
- Weekend off-peak: (weekends and holidays 7 a.m.to 11 p.m.)
For more information, visit the Ultra-Low Overnight page
Tiered rates give you the flexibility to use electricity at any time of day at the same price, but that rate will go up if you exceed the threshold during the month.
For more information, visit the tiered rates page.
The threshold changes with the season to reflect changing usage patterns – for example, there are fewer hours of daylight in the winter and some customers use electric heating.
In the winter period (November 1 – April 30), the tier threshold for residential customers is 1,000 kWh
In the summer period (May 1 – October 31), the tier threshold for residential customers is 600 kWh
The tier threshold for small business customers is 750 kWh all year round.
For customers that have signed up for a contract with an electricity retailer, the price is set out in the contract which is not regulated by the Ontario Energy Board.
An electricity retailer contract covers only some parts of your bill. You will continue to pay other charges to Hydro Ottawa regardless of whether you sign a contract with an electricity retailer.
Once you close your account, you may still view up to two years of electricity consumption based on your regular bill intervals. Time-of-use information is only available for active accounts.
Time-of-use information will only appear if your online account is active.
If you’ve closed your electricity account and moved to a new location within our service territory, you can add your new electricity account to your existing online account profile. This will allow you to view Time-of-use data for your new electricity account. You will continue to have access to previous consumption and billing information.
Occasionally there may be communication difficulties between your meter and Hydro Ottawa's meter data collectors. Metering data is stored within your meter and may be collected once the connection is re-established. Contact us if this problem persists.
Recent consumption data is considered "unbilled usage" because it has not yet been validated by the provincial Meter Data Management and Repository (MDM/R). The MDM/R is a common platform for processing, storing and managing all Smart Meter data within Ontario. Once your consumption data has been validated and obtained from the MDM/R, the values may change.
The following message appears on all time-of-use pages:
*Note: Unbilled electricity consumption has not been loss-adjusted and may contain estimated data.
Your meter displays the following pieces of information in sequence:
- A segment test where all parts of the display are turned on at once to ensure they are still functioning
- Your kWh consumption in a five-digit format
- A communications network address identification number for Hydro Ottawa’s use.
Hydro Ottawa issues bills on a monthly basis and you will receive your first bill within four to six weeks of opening an account.
New accounts are subject to an Account Set-up Charge. This charge also applies when a customer moves from one address to another.
If you wish to close or transfer an active account on behalf of someone else (i.e. deceased relative, family member or close friend) please contact us at 613 738-6400 and our customer service representatives will be happy to assist and work with you. Due to strict privacy guidelines, we will ask you to provide important documentation such as the following.
- The account number and name of the account holder;
- Your relationship to the deceased; and
- A copy of proof of executor or Power of Attorney documentation.
Please note that if you wish to transfer and take responsibility for the active account yourself, you must be listed as the secondary account holder.
A credit balance on a closed account may be transferred to another account under the same name to pay off outstanding balances. If there is no outstanding balance and the credit is $5 or greater, it will be returned to the account holder via a cheque to the new mailing address 21 days after the final bill has been issued. Please allow an additional 10 days to receive it.
If you are receiving support through OESP, your final credit will be prorated depending on the number of days of service and any remaining credit will be returned to the Program as OESP is not a cash commodity.
If you have a credit balance due to payments from other financial support programs such as Ontario Works (OW) or Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP), we will work directly with that agency to determine if you are eligible for a refund.
If you’ve entered into an Arrears Payment Agreement, it will be cancelled and any remaining balance will be applied to your final bill and become due.
Yes, if you are an EMPP customer, your account will be reconciled and any credits owed or outstanding charges will be applied to your final bill.
Your final bill will be ready approximately 3 weeks after your last day of service and will include the charges up to the day your service ended.
If you are moving out and want to end your Hydro Ottawa service and close your account, you will need to fill out our online moving request form at least 10 days in advance to let us know when you are moving out.
Even if you are registered for e-billing or have made arrangements to forward your mail, we will require your new mailing address so we can arrange to send you your final bill or a cheque if you have a credit balance.
We cannot reactivate an old account at a new address. Each account number is unique.. The first 10 digits represent the customer or account holder and the last 10 digits represent the premise. The number can be found on your electricity bill and online account.
If you’re moving to a new address within Hydro Ottawa’s service territory, you will need to fill out our online moving request form at least 10 days in advance.
Yes, we make it easy to view, monitor and download your electricity consumption. We offer a variety of options which provide you with 24/7 access to your usage information.
MyAccount provides you access to a Usage dashboard which allows you to view, monitor and download your data hourly, daily, by billing period, or via a yearly view.
- Login or register to MyAccount; and
- Click on the Usage icon or “View more” on the Usage card on your dashboard.
You will then have the option to select your viewing interval preferences and date range. Once you have made your selections, you can download the data from your dashboard or click on the “download “ tab.
You can also access, download and share your energy usage data and account information in the secure, standardized Green ButtonⓇ format.
When you download your data, it will be in an industry-standard XML (Extensible Markup Language) format. Please note that XML files are designed to be read and analyzed by computer applications.
You can also share this file with third-party developers who can help you get better insights into your consumption patterns, allowing you to make adjustments to save energy and reduce costs.
Learn more on Green Button functionalities.
You can also download the Hydro Ottawa mobile app to access your electricity usage charts from the palm of your hand.
Starting November 11, 2024, you can view or download your usage and generation data online through MyAccount. It’s available in various formats (daily, hourly, kWh, or cost/credit graphics) and details the information from September 1 onward.
NOTE: Historical data is not available online. Should you require this information (prior to September 1, 2024), please contact us.