Seasonal Use Properties

Cottage Life

Whether you enjoy getaways by the lake or in the wilderness, discover our value-added services, tools, and energy savings and safety tips, to support you with your seasonal use property.

Read Tips Tools & Services
image of family on dock

Preparing You For Life At The Cottage

Energy Efficiency at The Cottage

Grandpa and son sitting on dock

Cottage opening tips from our Customer Care Manager, John

Read Now
couple watching sunset from dock

Tricks of the Trade: Expert tips to save energy and keep your cottage cool this summer

Learn More

Be prepared for Mother Nature

Emergency Kit

Keep your 72-hour emergency preparedness kit stocked with these items

Learn More
Person looking over forest on top of rocks

Are you storm ready? What to do before, during and after a storm

Read Now

Keeping You Safe

photo of Hydro One arborist Michelle

Tree safety tips from our Forestry Apprentice, Michelle: How to spot potential hazards

Learn More
Image of a dock

Thinking about a new dock? Beware of submarine cables in rivers and lakes

Learn More
mapleleaf watermark compas watermark
person sitting on dock

Do you live at your seasonal property throughout the year?

You may qualify for lower delivery charges. Apply online, or call us today to learn more.

Apply Now - English Apply Now - French 1-888-664-9376

Cottage Opening Tips

Follow these steps to get your cottage ready for the season. Download our checklist to make sure you don’t miss a step.

Download Checklist

Check the powerlines

Walk around the property and note any changes you see. Look for fallen trees or branches, as well as any potentially damaged hydro poles or powerlines. If your area experienced spring floods, watch out for water damage and contact a certified electrician if you suspect an issue.

Safety Tip

Keep back at least 10 meters from downed or damaged powerlines and call Hydro One’s emergency line immediately at 1-800-434-1235

What to do next?

Prune trees and use our Tree Trimming Service Once a year at no charge, request a temporary disconnect for any property maintenance work

Inspect the exterior

Identify any damage to the property from animals or the environment, such water damage from floods and animal damage like torn window screens or holes created in the roof or soffits. If you find damaged wiring, remove the fuse to that circuit or turn off the circuit breaker, and call a certified electrician. Ensure all railings, steps and footings are secure, as heat-and-freeze cycles can cause the ground to heave or shift.

Safety Tip

Inspect your electricity meter and report any damage to Hydro One at 1-888-664-9376. Check visible wiring to outdoor fixtures, water pumps and other equipment.

Secure the interior

Enter the property with caution when you first arrive. Beware of signs of mice or other critters. If you find animal waste, treat it like a health hazard and call a pest control company. Check appliance cords and electrical plugs for any damage from gnawing animals.

Safety Tip

Never use appliances or light fixtures with damaged cords; replace the cords first.

Power up safely

Inspect first: Before turning to your electrical panel, make sure you’ve inspected all interior wiring and electrical outlets. If any wiring has been compromised or destroyed, turn off the circuit breaker or remove the fuse to that circuit. Then, call an electrician to arrange for repairs. If your electrical panel has fuses, ensure they’re screwed in tightly. Do not use fuses higher than 15 amps, and have some spares on hand.

Power up: If everything’s intact and you’re ready to power up the cottage, start by looking at the secondary or “branch” circuits. Make sure they’re all switched off. Turn on the main circuit breaker. Next, energize each secondary circuit one at a time – this helps to protect against a fault to your main breaker.

Safety Tip

Once you power up, go from room to room checking for flickering lights, burning smells or sparking fixtures. If you find any, have them addressed immediately by a certified electrician.

Turn on the taps

Turning on your water system is next. You’ll start by ensuring that the drain valve at the bottom of your water tank is closed. Then, open the hot water tap at any sink, making sure to choose a tap that’s at a higher level than the water tank. Open the cold water shut-off to the tank. Leave the hot water tap opened until water starts running. Finally, turn on the power to the water heater at the fuse box or electrical panel.

Safety Tip

Check the tank and drain the valve for leaks.

Get comfortable

Ventilate your space by opening the windows and get the air moving. Musty smells are a sign of trapped moisture. Address mildew or mold issues by ventilating and drying out the cottage.

Safety Tip

Test your heating system – whether it’s baseboard heaters, forced air, radiators or boilers – to ensure it’s functioning properly. If you have a forced-air system, it’s a great time to change the air filter.

Be prepared

Safety always comes first. Ensure your fire extinguishers are fully charged and have your family practice fire safety and emergency preparedness. At the start of the season, it’s a good time to replace the batteries in your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors. Be ready for whatever Mother Nature may have in store this season. In case of a power outage, have an emergency kit ready: bottled water, dry foods, flashlight and phone charger. Learn more about our outage tools and services.

Safety Tip

Sign up for outage alerts to stay updated.

cottage life watermark image cottage life watermark image
Image of a dog

Do You Own a Cottage, Chalet, or Camp?

Check out our services and tools to keep you safe and updated.

Outage Map & Alerts

Get the information you need to plan around them.

Learn More

Tree Trimming

Do you need your tree trimmed ? Let us know.

Learn More

Temporary Disconnect

Plan in advance to avoid unnecessary project delays.

Learn More

Request a Service

Learn about our services to help you with your property.

Learn More
compass watermark

​​​