Senior Assistance Rebates up to $1,250

These fraudulent Facebook ads that appear to be from Hydro One claim seniors can apply for rebates of up to $1,250. Hydro One doesn’t offer Senior Assistance Rebates. We advise customers to ignore these ads and not click on the link.

Fraudulent text messages offering lower electricity prices

Customers have received text messages that appear to be from Hydro One stating they could get the government’s electricity rate relief of 8.2 cents per kWh applied to past bills if they reply.

This message is fraudulent and we advise customers to ignore and delete it. The government’s electricity relief of 8.2 cents per kWh is only for the period Jan. 18 to Feb. 7, 2022.
 

Rebates of up to $500 for Ontario homeowners

These fraudulent Facebook ads claim homeowners can apply for instant rebates of up to $500.

We advise customers to ignore these ads and not click on the link.
 

In-Home Assessments

Fraudulent ads are appearing on Facebook offering customers $50 off their Hydro One bill.

The ad encourages customers to apply for a free in-home assessment where a licensed energy management consultant will check your consumption patterns on your most recent energy bills. When the consultants visit homes they pressure customers to buy a HEPA filter system. Hydro One has no in-home assessment program and we do not sell HEPA filter systems.
 

Fraudulent Disconnection Calls

Individuals claiming to be Hydro One employees call a customer about an outstanding balance on their account. They urge the customer to make a payment to avoid disconnection, and provide a phone number. When the customer calls this number, it sounds like they’ve reached Hydro One – but that’s not the case. Hydro One has only one toll-free number for Customer Care: 1-888-664-9376 . We advise customers to ignore such calls and not provide personal or financial information over the phone.

• REFUND VIA TEXT MESSAGE
  

• Customers have received text messages saying they’re entitled to a refund, similar to the message below. This is not from Hydro One. The message asks the customer to tap or click on a link to accept the refund, then prompts the user to enter their banking information. Any customer receiving this type of message should ignore and delete it. This is a scam.

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• If you have clicked on such a link and entered your banking information, please contact your bank immediately and tell them what happened.
   

• COUNTERFEIT CHEQUES
  

• Individuals have been sending our customers counterfeit cheques that appear payable by Hydro One Telecom. The individual first establishes a relationship, then asks the customer to cash the cheque and send them the money by wire transfer. If the money is wire transferred before the counterfeit cheque is rejected by the bank, the victim is left with a financial loss. In other incidents, cheques have been sporadically mailed to individuals. Always remember: if it looks too good to be true, it probably is.
  

• FIXED-PRICE ELECTRICITY CONTRACT
  

• Customers have been visited by door-to-door salespeople selling fixed-price electricity contracts. Customers have the choice on how they buy electricity: you can choose to take no action, in which case Hydro One will automatically purchase electricity on your behalf, or you can choose to enter into a contract with an electricity retailer.
  

• • PAY BY CREDIT CARD, WIN A TRIP
    

  • Customers have been contacted by an individual offering to pay their Hydro One bill and reward them with a trip if they pay by credit card immediately. The individual asks for personal information, including billing information. This is a well-known fraud. We advise customers to refrain from providing any personal or banking information in any such scenario. Please report these calls to the police if you want the matter investigated.
    

• • CALLS FROM HYDRO ONE METER
    

  • Customers have reported getting a phone call displaying “Hydro One Meter” as the caller. This is not from Hydro One – our meters do not have the ability to call customers. This is a well-known scam. We advise customers to ignore such calls.
    

• • ACCOUNT IN ARREARS
    

  • An individual claiming to be from Hydro One calls a customer saying their account is in arrears and that urgent action is required. The individual tells the customer to purchase prepaid debit cards from a fraudulent website, providing them with a PIN number. This is a scam. Hydro One doesn’t ask customers to make payments by prepaid debit cards.
    

• DISCONNECTION DEPARTMENT
  

• An individual claiming to be from Hydro One’s “disconnection department” calls a customer saying their last payment was not received and requiring immediate payment – or their power will be disconnected. They tell the customer to go to a supermarket and make a payment in cash or by debit, providing a “disconnection serial number” and a fraudulent phone number. We advise customers to ignore such calls, report them to police, and refrain from making any such payments.
  

• • ENERGY-SAVING METER DEVICE
    

  • An individual claiming to be from Hydro One, an independent company or another utility offers to sell a customer an alleged “energy-saving device” that connects to a meter and promises to reduce electricity costs. Hydro One does not sell or endorse these types of products. This is a scam, and customers should report these fraudulent calls to police.
    

• • CALL-BACK TELEPHONE NUMBER
    

  • An individual claiming to be from Hydro One calls a customer about a planned power outage and asks the customer to confirm by dialing a 1-800 call-back number. The call-back number is very similar to Hydro One’s Power Outages & Emergencies line – but with an added charge of $2.99 per call. Customers should not call that phone number. Hydro One has only two customer phone numbers – and they’re both toll-free.
    

• OUTSTANDING ACCOUNT BALANCE
  

• An individual claiming to be from Hydro One calls a customer about an outstanding account balance and demands credit card information immediately – or their power will be disconnected. This is a scam. Hydro One does not accept credit card or financial information over the phone. We direct customers to the various payment options and provide a reasonable deadline.
  

• CARBON TAX FEES
  

• Customers have reported getting a call from an Ottawa-area phone number. The individual claims to be from Hydro One and says they are responsible for collecting a carbon tax fee of $31. This is a scam. We advise customers to refrain from providing any personal or banking information over the phone, and report the matter to local police.
  

• Fraudulent text messages offering lower on-peak electricity price of 8.2 cents/kWh
  

• Customers have received text messages that appear to be from Hydro One. The message indicates the Ontario government has announced a reduction to the on-peak electricity price. A link is provided to claim your reimbursement. This message is fraudulent and we advise customers to delete it.