History of the Hydro One Ombudsman

When Hydro One was partially-privatized by the Province of Ontario, Hydro One lost its status as a Crown Corporation, along with the independent oversight historically provided by the Ombudsman of Ontario. In response, the Province amended the Electricity Act, 1998 to require Hydro One to have its own internal Ombudsman. The Office of the Hydro One Ombudsman officially opened on March 14, 2016.  

The Hydro One Ombudsman was created to help ensure Hydro One (and its subsidiaries) delivers just, fair and equitable services to the public. The Ombudsman operates independently and reports directly to Hydro One’s Board of Directors (through its Governance Committee). 

The Hydro One Ombudsman’s role is to address complaints when something has gone wrong with Hydro One’s services or operations, and the company’s internal complaint handling process is unable to resolve it. Our Office facilitates the resolution of these complaints through a process that is free, fair and confidential. 

When you complain to the Office of the Hydro One Ombudsman, we will try to resolve your issue through discussion or mediation with you and Hydro One. Where necessary, and depending on the facts, we may seek your consent to launch a formal investigation.  At the conclusion of an investigation, we report back to you and the company, detailing our findings and any recommendations that may follow. 

We provide an update on the Office’s work to Hydro One’s Board of Directors quarterly, and publish an Annual Report each year which is available to the public.