FAQs

Most power quality issues come from inside the building (wiring or equipment). Work with a licensed electrician or electrical consultant to identify and correct issues. Regular maintenance helps prevent problems.

You may have a power quality problem if you notice lights flickering and dimming, computers restarting, equipment malfunctioning, breakers tripping or automated systems stopping unexpectedly. If you think you have a power quality problem, contact our customer service team at (613) 738-6400. We’ll investigate if the cause is on your premises or our system. For more information, see our Conditions of Service and our technical standard for voltage and power quality.

Stray voltage is a small electrical current that can exist between grounded surfaces. It can come from sources outside of your farm (distribution system; neutral-to-earth voltage varies with load, weather, season) and from the farm itself (faulty wiring, unbalanced loads, defective equipment, improper grounding). Other utilities (telephone, gas) can contribute.

For safety — proper grounding protects people and animals. It also stabilizes voltage.

If our equipment is responsible for the problem, we’ll reduce our contribution to acceptable levels (e.g., filtering equipment at service connection, additional grounding on our neutral conductors). The approach depends on the farm’s setup and the investigation’s results.

Review our working procedure. It lists the steps customers should take if they think stray voltage is affecting their farm. If you’d like us to investigate, call (613) 738-6400. Provide your name, address, contact information and what you’ve observed (e.g., animal behaviour). A technician will contact you within five business days.

Only trained experts with specialized equipment should test to identify sources of stray voltage.

See our “Farms” page and Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs resources.