Many were surprised Wednesday morning when they woke up to no power, myself included.
I received an update from Hydro Ottawa regarding the reason for the outage, it stated:
“Hydro Ottawa relies on Hydro One to deliver electricity to us from the Ontario grid. When they experience issues with their equipment – as was the case yesterday morning – our customers can be affected, even though there is nothing wrong with our system.
With regards to May 17th, a Hydro One transformer at the Lincoln Heights substation tripped, impacting thousands of our customers in the area that receive power from that station. Hydro Ottawa was able to send crews to work on performing emergency switching and bring power back to our customers as safely and quickly as possible. While the estimated time of restoration was set to noon, customers experienced an outage for approximately 1h 30min.”
Reminder, I am hosting a public meeting with Hydro Ottawa on May 29th at 7pm. This meeting is in response to the power outage from the April Ice Storm, and staff will also be discussing emergency preparedness.
Visit the website to sign up.
Recognizing Powerline Safety Week: message from Hydro Ottawa
For many homeowners, the beginning of spring means the start of a variety of home renovation and beautification projects. While building decks or pruning trees are traditional weekend activities, they can also present dangers. May 15 to 21 has been designated as Powerline Safety Week – a province-wide safety week which reminds Ontarians of the importance of staying alert and avoiding distractions while undertaking home renovations. Did you know that electricity can jump from lines to nearby objects, and that even if a homeowner doesn’t come in contact with a power line, they could still receive a shock? This is why Hydro Ottawa recommends that homeowners check the location of backyard power lines before beginning any home renovations. For more tips on staying safe near power lines, read our new blog or watch our video on “Powerline Safety.” |
 |
| Tree trimming responsibilities – who does what? Every year, Hydro Ottawa trims more than 60,000 trees, as part of our regular maintenance program. Our forestry inspectors monitor and gather information about trees which are near overhead powerlines on a regular basis. While our maintenance program has clear directives, homeowners also have a responsibility to monitor the service wire that feeds electricity directly to their home and trim the vegetation around it. To learn more about Hydro Ottawa’s tree trimming program, and the role of property owners, read our FAQs. |
 |
| Small appliances: tasty ways to save energy costs The Victoria Day long weekend signals the unofficial beginning of summer. As temperatures begin to rise, cooking meals in front of a hot stove becomes less appealing. Thankfully, there are a number of energy-saving ideas to cook up meals quickly, keep your kitchen cool, and save on energy costs. Small appliances are the summer heroes of the kitchen. Learn how using small appliances can help you cook up some hot and tasty recipes while keeping cool and saving money. For energy saving ideas and some tantalizing recipes, read more here. |
 |
| Energy Affordability Program expands eligibility criteria Did you know that there are several different programs available which assist Ottawa-area residents with helping to lower their electricity costs and save on home energy usage? The Energy Affordability Program – which helps eligible consumers to lower their energy costs – has recently increased its income eligibility threshold, allowing more families to access free home energy efficiency upgrades like insulation, smart thermostats and more. To learn more about the Energy Affordability Program and its criteria, click here. |
 |
| Are you prepared for extended power outages? It is not surprising that spring is the focus of numerous safety weeks, one of the most significant being Emergency Preparedness Week (May 7-13). To support our customers and Ottawa residents in being emergency prepared, Hydro Ottawa has developed a number of safety materials to help families prepare for possible storms and power outages. Read our new blog “Are you prepared for extended power outages” which includes a handy Infographic on “Keeping your Family and Home Safe.” |
