TORONTO, June 3, 2016 /CNW/ - Hydro One announced today that it has launched a province-wide consultation process to seek input from its customers on the development of a five-year electricity distribution plan. The plan will help shape the company's future investments in Hydro One's electricity distribution system, so the Company can deliver its mandate to provide safe, reliable and efficient electricity.
The purpose of the consultation process is to understand whether Hydro One customer needs are being met by the current system and which types of reliability and service improvements customers value most.
"All of our distribution customers will have the opportunity to provide their input through workshops, focus groups, surveys, and/or one-on-one discussions," said Rob Quail, Vice President, Customer Service, Hydro One. "We look forward to hearing our customers' views concerning the future service levels they expect from our electricity delivery system."
In addition to meeting customers' needs, the plan will also address:
- aging electricity infrastructure; some of which was built in the 1950s and 1960s;
- responding to power outages and repairing the electricity system, particularly following significant weather events;
- power quality and reliability enhancements; and,
- offering new products, services and web-enabled tools to make it easier for customers to do business with Hydro One.
All feedback concerning customer needs and preferences will in turn influence plans that the Company will submit to the Ontario Energy Board. The Ontario Energy Board will examine the plan in a full public hearing and will ultimately determine new rates to be paid by Hydro One's customers between 2018 and 2022.
To learn more about Hydro One's five-year plan and to complete the online survey, please visit www.ipsosresearch.com/hydroone.
Quick Facts
- Hydro One's distribution rates are approved by the Ontario Energy Board. The rate setting process is open and transparent, with opportunities for public participation.
- Hydro One must submit evidence to demonstrate the amount of funding it needs to safely and reliably distribute electricity to its customers.
- Distribution costs are contained in the delivery line of the bill. On average, electricity distribution services account for 29 per cent of a Hydro One bill covers the costs of electricity distribution services. This is the amount collected by Hydro One to pay for the costs of poles, lines, transformers and other equipment that makes electricity delivery possible.
- Hydro One is the largest electricity distribution company in Ontario, providing electricity to 25 per cent of the province – more than 1.3 million customers.
- With the largest and most vast service territory, Hydro One is the only utility in Ontario with more distribution poles (1.6 M) than customers, Hydro One is planning tomorrow's electricity distribution system for its 1.3 million customers and would like to hear what matters most to its customers.
About the Company
Hydro One Limited is Ontario's largest electricity transmission and distribution company headquartered in Toronto, Ontario with approximately $24.3 billion in assets and 2015 revenues of over $6.5 billion. The company delivers electricity safely and reliably to over 1.3 million customers across the province of Ontario, and to large industrial customers and municipal utilities. Hydro One owns and operates Ontario's approximately 29,000 km circuit high-voltage transmission network and an approximately 123,000 circuit km primary low-voltage distribution network. Hydro One Limited common shares are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: H).
SOURCE Hydro One Inc.
