Category: News Alerts

Oshawa residents will soon have the opportunity to choose different programs and billing options for their electricity after the Oshawa Power and Utilities Corporation was chosen to be part of a new pilot project from the Ontario Energy Board.

The OPUC, along with providers in Barrie, York Region and London, representing approximately 18,000 customers, will have new options for tailoring hydro billing programs to customers. The new program are likened to the “pick and pay” options now available for some television cable packages.

“We’re excited by it, it was a competitive process to sort of win the favour of the Ontario Energy Board to actually do these trials,” says Ivano Labricciosa, the president and CEO of the OPUC.

Aiming to start in the spring of 2018, Labricciosa says Oshawa residents will have the option to sign up for a pair of pick and pay programs. The first, labelled as a seasonal time of use program will allow residents to have two time-of-use (TOU) periods in the summer and winter while paying a flat rate in spring and fall, or a super peak time of use program which allows for a simplified two-price plan combined with a “super peak” period on weekday afternoons.

For Labricciosa, the new programs offer the opportunity for residents to find a program that suits their lifestyle.

“No one is going to change their lifestyle to shoehorn in a plan, I like to think this is the other way around,” he says. “It’s us figuring out what plan works best for you and helps you develop an envelope.”

Currently, the OPUC is looking for 2,000 customers to sign up for the pilot program, following which they will analyze existing information to see if the household is a good fit.

“We’re trying to use the intelligence to figure out how people are using energy, whether these prospective price plans, or other ones, will be better for them in meeting the customer needs,” Labricciosa says, noting that right now, it’s unclear how affective the programs will be in terms of savings. “It’s a trial, so much like anything else, nobody knows the answers yet. We’re trying to get people to participate, it’s kind of a no-risk trial.”

The OPUC advises that they will be posting further information once it becomes available on their website and state that Oshawa residents interested in taking part in the program can call OPUC customer service at 905-723-4623.

As early as the end of June 2016, your mail delivery may be interrupted or delayed by a possible labour disruption at Canada Post.  While this labour disruption may be delayed or avoided at any time, here are some important things to keep in mind as it pertains to your Oshawa PUC Networks bill:

  1. You are still responsible for paying your bill by the payment due date. To avoid potential late payment charges, make the switch to eBilling to receive your monthly bill by email notification when your bill is ready.  Visit http://opuc.on.ca/residential/ebill/
  1. Even though your bill won’t be delivered by mail, you can still login to download or print a PDF copy of your bill at any time at https://ecareets.opuc.on.ca/myDSM/login.asp
  1. Because Canada Post will not be making deliveries during a labour disruption, we will be unable to accept payment by mail. For payment options visit http://opuc.on.ca/residential/bill-information/payment-options/.  This same information can be found on the back of your electricity bill under Payment Methods.

A new program is starting in 2016 that will help low-income consumers to pay their electricity bills.

  1. What is OESP?
  2. Do I Qualify?
  3. How Do I Apply?
  4. Sign up to be notified when applications are ready

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*If you have not filed an income tax return recently, or your situation has changed since your last filing you can contact The John Howard Society located at 75 Richmond St. W. in Oshawa, 905-579-8482 for assistance.

The application period for the Solar Storage Pilot Program has come to an end, and we are no longer accepting new applications at this time.

While OPUCES ultimately reserves the right to determine who will be accepted into the program, we will be reviewing the qualified applicants on a first come first reviewed basis. An OPUCES representative will visit the home to further verify the eligibility. A final list will be prepared and home owners will be notified.

Oshawa PUC Energy Services Inc. has partnered with the New Energy and Industrial Development Organization to bring a Solar Energy Storage and Management System (SEMS) pilot program to Oshawa. This pilot program will include the harvest, usage, and storage of solar energy in 30 residential homes. Each home will be fitted with solar panels, a battery, and an inverter. The SEMS will be able to provide enough energy for the usage of the average household. Excess energy will be stored in the battery or fed back into the Oshawa PUC distribution grid per the Government of Ontario’s net-metering program.

This pilot program will run at no cost to the homeowner. This pilot program will run at no cost to the homeowner. To participate, home owners may find more information including recruitment and application details at www.oshawapower.ca or visit the OPUCES office at 100 Simcoe St. S, Oshawa.

 

[gdlr_button href=”frequently-asked-questions-faqs/” target=”_self” size=”medium” background=”#00afeb” color=”#ffffff”]FAQs[/gdlr_button]
[gdlr_button href=”overview/” target=”_self” size=”medium” background=”#00afeb” color=”#ffffff”]Overview[/gdlr_button]
[gdlr_button href=”oshawa-power-residential-storage-pilot-project/” target=”_self” size=”medium” background=”#00afeb” color=”#ffffff”]Oshawa Power Residential Storage Pilot Project[/gdlr_button]

OPUC and its employees continue a proud tradition of supporting worthy causes in the community

Throughout 2015, the corporation is putting a special focus on providing support for organizations that assist people in need. The company matched employee donations to various charity efforts including the Port Perry Hospital Foundation and relief efforts following the crisis in Nepal. The company also provided donations to the 13th Annual Oshawa Mayor’s Golf Classic in support of the Oshawa Community Health Centre as well as the Lakeridge Health Foundation Golf Classic in support of the Lakeridge Health Foundation.

For the third year, OPUC’s team of enthusiastic employees raised $2400 by climbing aboard The Big Bike on June 24, 2015 to cycle through downtown Oshawa in The Heart & Stroke Foundation of Canada’s Ride for Heart.

** Warning – Please read carefully **

OPUCN would like to caution our customers to be aware of a scam which may involve someone calling you or visiting you to claim that your electricity bill is overdue and that your payments were misapplied to the wrong account and/or that your service will be disconnected if you don’t immediately pay through a pre-paid credit card or wire transfer. In some situations they are asking customers to repay their account and will issue a refund from the account where the payment was misapplied.

OPUCN notifies customers of outstanding balances ONLY through an automated phone call or hand delivered notice and customers are given time to make overdue payments.

If you receive a call of this nature, please contact the Durham Regional Fraud Unit at 905-579-1520.