FAQs

For safety — proper grounding protects people and animals. It also stabilizes voltage.

If our equipment is responsible for the problem, we’ll reduce our contribution to acceptable levels (e.g., filtering equipment at service connection, additional grounding on our neutral conductors). The approach depends on the farm’s setup and the investigation’s results.

Review our working procedure. It lists the steps customers should take if they think stray voltage is affecting their farm. If you’d like us to investigate, call (613) 738-6400. Provide your name, address, contact information and what you’ve observed (e.g., animal behaviour). A technician will contact you within five business days.

Only trained experts with specialized equipment should test to identify sources of stray voltage.

See our “Farms” page and Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs resources.

Do not respond or click links. Report it to us and:

• Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre: 1-888-495-8501 or antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca

• Ottawa Police Service: (613) 236-1222, ext. 5433.

Common scams include: fake payment requests, refund offers and threats of disconnection unless you pay immediately. Callers may spoof our number.

We’ll never demand immediate payment, ask for credit card details by phone or request payment via gift cards/e-transfers. If you’re unsure, hang up and call (613) 738-6400 to verify that we contacted you.

Our collections team may contact you, but we’ll never pressure you for immediate payment. We’ll refer you to secure options (MyAccount, your bank, mail).

Yes. A Hydro Ottawa employee may visit your home for legitimate reasons (service work, meter readings). Field staff drive official vehicles, carry photo ID and do not collect payments at the door.

See our “Fraud awareness” page for current scam alerts, examples of legitimate communications and safety tips.

Yes. Replacing aging equipment is essential for a safe, reliable system. We’re required to replace equipment at the end of its service life.

We try to minimize our impact, but you may see increased activity, equipment and traffic control.

Crews follow strict safety practices. Please keep a safe distance when speaking with them.

We email, text or call affected residents at least 48 hours before a planned outage. We also send written letters to these residents five business days in advance. 

You can review maps of poles, cables and transformers. If you’ll be affected, we’ll notify you before the work begins.

Yes - by letter, phone, text or email (based on the contact information you’ve provided on your account). We’ll also notify you before planned power interruptions.

Log in to MyAccount and update your contact information and notification preferences to receive text or email alerts.

Contact our customer service team at (613) 738-6400 to have your account flagged for medical needs. While not a guarantee of uninterrupted power, this helps us prioritize during planned outages.

We restore the site to finished grade with topsoil and grass seed. Customers maintain the area to ensure the grass grows properly. Small amounts of fill may remain under the topsoil.