The Power of Local Hydro

DURING COVID-19

“PPE Care Packages” from Oshawa Power.

We salute and thank all members for showing their #OntarioSpirit during these difficult times.

Alectra distributed 16,800 masks to seven hospitals in a single day.

During the COVID-19 pandemic the Government of Ontario coined the hashtag #OntarioSpirit, and used it to showcase what companies and organizations were doing to support their communities. Local utilities are an excellent example of #OntarioSpirit, and of what it means to support your communities and customers through a pandemic and throughout the year.

In the early days of the pandemic, when Ontario declared a state of emergency and all non-essential workers were asked to stay home, frontline utility workers were of course deemed essential. Office staff to a large degree began working remotely, and the continued collective efforts of utility company teams kept the lights on during a time when reliable power was even more appreciated than ever.

Answering the call

Utility companies also answered the call to help our frontline medical workers, and provided multiple donations of surgical masks and other much-needed materials. By the second week in April, local utility companies across Ontario had donated 35,000 units of personal protective equipment to healthcare workers. Some utilities used their 3D printers to make parts for InkSmith, a company that manufactures products used in hospitals and other health care facilities.

Supporting the vulnerable

Utilities also supported programs that helped their most vulnerable customers. London Hydro doubled its contribution to the Low-Income Energy Assistance Program (LEAP). And Peterborough Utilities Group provided funds to both LEAP and to “Funds for Utility Service Emergencies” (FUSE). FUSE is managed by a local Housing Resource Centre and used to support both electric and water arrears.

Alectra Utilities made donations to local food banks, helping to ensure that the most vulnerable had access to food. This was especially important during the pandemic when demand on food banks increased.

Burlington Hydro covered the costs associated with the new electrical service and equipment needed to power the temporary Pandemic Response Unit being built at Joseph Brant Hospital. The unit increased the hospital’s capacity to support COVID-19 patient care, providing approximately 90 additional beds.

Hydro One offered support to the Ministry of Health with its efforts in contacting travelers entering Ontario to ensure compliance with mandatory quarantine measures. Hydro One volunteered employees from its customer service operations to contact thousands of returning travelers, providing them with timely guidance on how to self-isolate and to spot the symptoms of the virus.

Utility companies also kept their customers consistently up to date and informed, including when fraudsters were trying to take advantage of customers with scam phone calls threatening to cut off service. Local utilities, through traditional media and social media, were quick to remind customers that utilities do not conduct business in this way, and that assurances against disconnection were in place during the pandemic.

The list of examples of what local utility companies did to help their customers and communities during the pandemic is no doubt considerably longer. For our part at the EDA we salute and thank all members for showing their #OntarioSpirit during these difficult times.