Click the questions below to show/hide the corresponding answer. If you have a question that is not listed here, please contact us with your question.
How much advance notice does the utility require to process a move?The notice required is 5 business days. However, we do not read meters on Saturday, Sunday or Statutory Holidays.
Yes! To serve you better, Greater Sudbury Hydro has partnered with epost™ to offer customers the choice of receiving their utility bills online.
Delivering the mail online for Canada Post, epost™ is a secure Internet service that allows consumers to receive, manage and pay their bills and other documents online.
Here's what you can expect when you sign up for a secure, convenient and FREE electronic mailbox (epost™ box):
- Greater Sudbury Hydro bills will be delivered electronically - no more paper bills will be delivered, reducing paper waste and helping the environment
- Bills and other documents can be centrally stored online for up to seven years
- Bills can be paid via online banking, epost™'s free EFT service (Electronic Fund Transfer) or Pre-Authorized Payment (PAP)
- Customers can sign up for Email Notifications to notify them whenever they have new mail delivered to their epost™ box
Once you have registered to receive your bills online, we will no longer send your bills by mail. Instead, your bill will arrive electronically in your epost™ box.
The Electricity Charge is the amount charged by the power generator for the electricity you used. Greater Sudbury Hydro passes this cost on to you without mark up.
- Wholesale Market Service Charge: the cost of services provided by the Independent Market Operator (IMO)
- Rural Rate Protection: a charge that helps sustain affordable and reliable electricity supplies in rural and remote areas of the province
- Transmission Network & Connection Charges: which cover the costs of maintaining the province’s transmission and switching network infrastructure and the delivery of electricity from the generating station to Greater Sudbury Hydro
- The monthly service charge covers such costs as billing, meter reading, and administration.
- The Distribution Charge is the amount charged by Greater Sudbury Hydro for delivering the electricity to your home or business through our network of power lines.
This is a charge set by the Ontario Government which will be used to pay down the residual debt of the former Ontario Hydro.
The total loss factor is the amount of electricity lost during delivery from the power generator to your home or business. For instance, if you need 750 kWh of electricity in a month, we would have to deliver around 792 kWh in the Sudbury area and 807 kWh in the West Nipissing area to ensure that 750 kWh arrives to your home.
Yes. Greater Sudbury Hydro cares about our customers. If you are having problems paying your hydro bill, call us as soon as possible at 675-2799, Option 1, and we will discuss payment arrangements.
Your account still has a balance owing and as a result the computer generated notices are automatically mailed until the balance is cleared.
Yes. There are several convenient ways for you to pay. The easiest is signing up for a Variable Payment Plan and have your payments automatically withdrawn from your bank account. You can pay your bill in person at your bank, at any automated banking machine that is connected to your account, via the internet or at our office, 500 Regent Street - Sudbury.
All new account requests are assessed for a security deposit. Deposit is based on the information provided. For further information with regard to deposits, please visit bill payment options
If you pay your security deposit by cheque or cash, you will be paid interest. For further information with regard to deposits, please visit bill payment options
No. You may choose who you purchase electricity from. If you choose to do nothing, you will continue to be served by Greater Sudbury Hydro as a Standard Supply Services customer. This means you will be billed for your electricity usage at the market rate with no mark up by Greater Sudbury Hydro.
Energy retailers serve as middlemen, contracting for wholesale electricity as well as other products and services and then selling them to customers with the added incentive of payment plans, promotional offers and other perks. When you're dealing with an energy retailer, cost is often only one element of the total package. That's why it's important to shop around and compare the various options and terms available from several retailers before signing a contract.
Read the contract carefully before you sign it. Make sure you understand the terms and conditions, and ask questions if anything is unclear. Ensure the retailer is licensed by the Ontario Energy Board to sell electricity by calling 1-877-632-2727 or by visiting the Ontario Energy Board's web site.
As a residential customer, we understand there is a 10-day "cooling off" period that is observed once you've signed the contract. However, it is suggested you review your contract with your retailer and visit the Ontario Energy Board's site for further information.
You will want to know:
- Has the retailer got a valid license from the OEB to sell electricity?
- What is the company's background and what experience does it have in selling electricity.
- What price is it charging for electricity and how does that compare to what you're currently paying?
- What is the start date and the length of the contract?
- Will the price change? When? By how much?
- How can you cancel the contract, and what penalties or service charges would apply?
No. The rate charged is not regulated by the OEB. This is the price that appears on your contract. Should the cost of electricity either increase or decrease, you will be charged the price determined by your contract.
By comparing offers from several different retailers, you can get a good idea of what is considered competitive pricing. Remember that customer choice and competitive pricing apply only to the electricity portion of your bill.