Ombudsman’s Report Accuses Hydro One of Willfully Deceiving Public

This article was last updated on April 16, 2022

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Federal Ombudsman, André Marin, has penned in his report that Hydro One misled regulators, the ombudsman’s office and others on the extent of its billing and customer service debacle. The report issued into Ontario’s largest utility, titled In the Dark, alleged that Hydro One’s introduction of a new computer billing service was a complete failure that left many of its $1.3 million entangled in a bureaucratic nightmare. Furthermore, it was highlighted that the issue continued even after the Ombudsman’s office highlighted the problems earlier this year.

Marin stated that “Hydro One lost sight of its public interest purpose and failed to adequately consider the impact of its customers,” adding that “its overconfidence in its technical superiority fostered complacency. It forgot to consider the consequences of its customers.” In addition to that, he pointed out that as the billing “crisis,” Hydro One “deliberately kept the situation under wraps . . . even deceiving the electricity regulator, my office and other stakeholders about the extent and nature of the company’s billing and customer service disaster.”

In his report, Marin further amplified the claim that the Wynne government should preserve independent oversight of Hydro One once it is partially privatized. The Liberal government says it has plans to sell off 60 per cent. Marin stressed that “my report clearly documents Hydro One’s failure to communicate openly, honestly and proactively with its customers, its regulator, ministry (of energy) officials and my office.”