FAQs

See “Programs and incentives” for current offerings and links to third-party programs, including the Home Renovation Savings Program, CoolSaver, and Energy Affordability Program, as well as the City of Ottawa’s Better Homes Ottawa.

The ULO plan offers very low rates from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. Charging your EV overnight lowers costs and reduces grid strain.

You can plug a Level 1 charger into a standard 120-V outlet. Level 1 chargers are convenient, but they can take more than 24 hours to fill-up your EV.

For faster charging, install a 240-V Level 2 charger, which can top-up your EV in 4-10 hours, depending on the vehicle and charger.
 

 Use tools like PlugShare, ChargeHub or Transport Canada’s station locator.

Level 1: Standard wall outlet (120V), slow charging (overnight).
Level 2: 208–240V, average, suitable for homes, workplaces, and public stations.
Level 3 (DC fast): 480V+, rapid charging for public and commercial use. 

It increases your electricity use. Track your usage in MyAccount and consider rate options like TOU or ULO, which both allow you to charge your EV at lower overnight rates.

If your installation requires changes to your home’s electrical service (e.g., capacity upgrade), your licensed electrical contractor must submit an Electrical Service Request to us before work begins.

Always hire a licensed electrical contractor. Verify they have an ESA permit before starting the installation.

The Electrical Safety Authority (ESA) will inspect your installation and issue a Certificate of Inspection once it meets safety standards. Use certified equipment (CSA, cUL, cETL).

Yes. Contact us before your installation, so our team can confirm if we have service capacity.

For multiple chargers or large projects, we may conduct a preliminary consultation and issue a preliminary consultation report (capacity is not reserved until you accept our Offer to Connect).

No. Capacity is reserved only after you formally accept our Offer to Connect (OTC).

The offer to connect includes the responsibilities of both parties, estimated costs, required approvals and timelines, as well as service conditions for connecting your EVSE to Hydro Ottawa’s grid.

This is a feasibility report issued after you submit an EV Preliminary Consultation Information Request (EVPCIR). It outlines connection potential and available capacity.

Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment - this is the hardware and software that safely transfers electricity from the grid to an EV battery.

We make it quick and easy to become a net metering customer. When you apply, we first check to make sure there is electricity distribution capacity to connect a DER in your area. Distribution capacity is required to allow you to feed the electricity you generate back into the grid.

Next, your standard meter must be replaced with a bi-directional meter, which does two things. First, a bi-directional meter allows Hydro Ottawa to measure how much electricity was delivered to your home or business from the electricity grid. It also measures how much electricity was fed back into the electricity grid due to excess generation that wasn’t needed to power your home or business. This meter does not measure your generation, only the net amount exported to the utility grid. If you want to know how much your DER generates, you must add a separate meter; your DER may already come with its non-revenue grade metering.

Hydro Ottawa will provide you with the estimated cost (Service Layout quote) to replace your current meter with a bidirectional meter and for any other work required to safely connect your DER to the electricity grid. If you wish to proceed with the connection, you will need to pay Hydro Ottawa for the services outlined in the customer layout quote and then proceed with the next steps as outlined in your quote.

Your service entrance may also need to be upgraded if it doesn’t pass the electrical safety and servicing standards specified in our Conditions of Service under section 2.1.4.

Third party net metering allows a customer to participate in net metering while not owning or operating the renewable generation facility that is generating the electricity.

Regulatory amendments that came into effect July 1, 2022, clarify that customers can access third party ownership arrangements like leasing, renting, financing and power purchase agreements for the provision of renewable generation equipment or to purchase renewable electricity for the purposes of net metering.

These changes also introduce consumer protection measures for electricity retailing and other third party net metering ownership arrangements. To assist customers in making an informed decision, the Ontario Energy Board released Consumer-Facing Materials and Retailer Forms related to third party net metering.

If you are interested in participating in Hydro Ottawa’s net metering program, we encourage you to contact us at your earliest opportunity to ensure that your premise is eligible for net metering.

Yes, there may be circumstances that could limit you from connecting your RET and generating electricity.

These include:

• The size of your service entrance;
• The level of available transformer capacity in your area;
• The capacity or performance constraints on the feeder branch between your RET and the distribution station and transmission system that serves your home or business;
• Lack of evidence that the electricity produced is from a RET;
• Non-compliance with the Net Metering Regulation; and
• Siting restrictions, which came into force July 1, 2018.

We will continue to read your meter as we do now. 

Net metering customers receive a detailed electricity bill, listing the generation credit earned that is based on the generation you supplied to the electricity grid, and the generation credit applied towards your electricity costs in the current billing period.

Other bill line items related to your generation account will also be reflected on your bill.

For a detailed example, please view Hydro Ottawa’s net metering sample bill.

The accounting for electricity on your bill will depend on your subscribed DER program.

However, net metering warrants more detail: the electricity you produce is first used to meet the needs of your home or business. You will receive a non-cash credit for any kilowatt hours you generate and do not use that are transmitted back to the electricity grid. This credit will appear on your electricity bill as a line item noted as ‘Generation Credit Balance’. This credit cannot be redeemed for cash or as payment for other services.

Net metering customers on a Regulated Price Plan (RPP), have their choice of RPP Pricing Plan (Time-of-use, Tiered, or Ultra-low overnight) for consumption and generation. , Generation first reduces your need for electricity from the grid and any excess is registered  and credited at the applicable RPP per kWh rates.

For net metering customers on tiered rates, generation first reduces your need for electricity from the grid, and any excess is registered per the tiered rates and credited at the tiered rate kWh rates. For net metering customers on the Ontario Price, the dollar value of the kilowatt hours (kWh) you generate in a billing period is based on variable hourly kWh rates applicable at the same hour of generation. Regardless, any billing variable in the applicable rate class or structure that is based on a kWh value is credited for every kWh generated and used immediately by your loads (because you don’t pay for it) or exported to the grid (because you will see a dollar value credit for use on a future bill within 12 months).

This dollar value becomes a credit that is applied towards variable kWh and kW charges calculated on your bill. This credit cannot be applied to fixed charges, taxes, or other charges that are not kWh or kW based. As a net metered customer, you will continue to be billed for any electricity you use from the electricity grid, as well as for all fixed charges and taxes.

Refer to Ontario Regulation 541 (O.Reg. 541) section 8 for more information.

Alternatively, a separate classification of customer based generation is Load Displacement. In this scenario, a generation facility connected on the customer's side of a connection point is used, or intended to be used, exclusively for the customer’s own consumption. This means the electricity produced directly offsets the customer's demand from the grid, reducing their overall consumption from the utility.

Typically, customers falling under load displacement are participants in other programs or incentives that limit their generation facilities to their exclusive self-use. This might be in exchange for a grant or rebate designed to offset the cost of their installation. Crucially, load displacement customers are not eligible for generation credits and their facilities generally should not be feeding back to the grid. Any electricity generated directly reduces the amount the customer needs to pull from the grid, but any excess is not credited.