Customer Services

Call before you dig - Cable Locating Service

Contact with buried cables could result in personal injury and/or power outages.

Before you begin any home improvement or landscaping project, which involves digging where cables may be buried, contact us at 416.542.3344 (former East York, North York, Scarborough and York districts) or 1.800.400.2255 (former Etobicoke and downtown Toronto). We provide a free cable locating service that will tell you where not to dig in order to avoid electric cables buried under your property.

Please call us at least 48 hours before you intend to begin work.

Transformer clearance

No obstructions can be built or planted within three (3) metres (10 feet) of electricity transformers. This would hinder quick and safe access to the unit during an emergency.

New Services and Main Service Upgrades

If you plan to relocate or upgrade your main electrical service, please call us first at 416.542.2533. We will visit your home to provide service location information. We can also advise you on related policies and procedures.

Easements

Toronto Hydro has easement rights over some properties. Some easements contain buried electrical cables or above ground electrical equipment which we must have access to for maintenance and repair work.

If you plan to install a swimming pool, plant trees, build a garden shed or an addition to your home, please let us know. Our Legal Services staff at 416.542.2879 will be pleased to advise you of any easements on your property.

Life Support Notification Program

If your life, or the life of a loved one, depends on electrically-powered medical equipment, such as a ventilator or kidney dialysis machine, please let us know so that you can be placed on our registry as needing alternate sources of power in cases of planned power outages. You must forward a medical certified or letter signed by your physician to:

Customer Care/Life Support Notification Program
Toronto Hydro-Electric System Limited
5800 Yonge Street
Toronto, ON M2M 3T3

For more information, contact 416.542.8000. Please always ensure that you have a back-up supply of electricity available as we cannot guarantee an uninterrupted supply of electricity. If your name is on our registry, we will make every effort to inform you of any power outages scheduled by Toronto Hydro-Electric System Limited, so that you can make alternate arrangements to have sufficient back-up power to support your critical needs.

Line cover protection program

Call us at 416.542.2618 to have your overhead power lines covered to protect you, or your contractors, from serious injury when working on your roof, trimming trees or anywhere near power lines. Please provide us with 10 days' notice prior to the start of your work.

Service Wiring and Inspection

All new wiring or wiring alterations to your home require an inspection by the Electrical Safety Authority (ESA) formerly the inspection branch of Ontario Hydro. Toronto Hydro cannot make final connections to your property without ESA inspection. Contact 1.877.ESA.SAFE for information, or contractor referrals.

Protecting your electronic equipment

• Surge protection - Power surges are momentary increases in voltage which can damage sensitive computer and electronic equipment. The most obvious cause is lightning but often times, trees hitting hydro poles or animals contacting hydro lines can also cause voltage fluctuations. A surge protector costs between $10 and $30 and is designed to divert high-current surges to "ground" and bypass your equipment.
• Uninterruptible Power Supplies (UPS) are used to ensure that critical loads (computers, communication systems, medical equipment, etc.) receive uninterruptible and good quality power even if there is a "power outage" (interruption of supply from the local utility due to storms, accidents, etc.). These types of equipment are vulnerable to excessive variations in power supply beyond specified limits and so UPS help to ensure good "quality" power in addition to security of supply. There are different types of UPS depending on the need and how critical the need to maintain power supply is. These systems are typically used in commercial and industrial applications.

Community Involvement

Tel: 416.542.2900
E-mail: communityinvolvement@torontohydro.com
www.torontohydro.com/community

For over 90 years, Toronto Hydro has been involved with community-based organizations. We have given to the community in the form of donations, sponsorships and employees' time. We will continue to build on the foundation by committing to support community-based activities in the areas of education and youth, arts and culture, environment, health and safety, charitable involvement, employee and retiree support and community events and sponsorship.

Water Heating

Should your water heater stop working, please contact the company you rent your water heater from for repairs. If you own your water heater, please contact a service contractor.

Interested in learning more?

We have the following information brochures available. Simply provide us with your name and address and a list of the brochures you're interested in and we'll send them along to you.

- Enlightening Facts about your Electricity
- Energy Efficiency Tips
- Electric Magnetic Fields
- Questions about your Summer Hydro Bill
- Easy Ways to Save Electricity
- Tips for Toronto Apartment and Condominium Residents

Return to Customer Welcome Kit