Hydro One Flips the Switch on better service and is answering calls on Saturdays

- First electricity service provider in Ontario to open on Saturdays -

TORONTO, May 1, 2017 /CNW/ - Hydro One announced today during its busiest season, it will open its Customer Contact Centre on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. starting May 6, 2017. Hydro One is the first electricity service provider in Ontario to open to customers on Saturdays. The Centre is also open extended hours on weekdays from 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. and 24 hours a day for power outages and other emergencies.

"As part of our ongoing review of our customer policies, this just makes sense," said Ferio Pugliese, Executive Vice-President, Customer Care and Corporate Affairs, Hydro One. "Our customers have been asking for this because it offers them another convenient opportunity to reach us at a time that fits their schedule and lifestyle; it's only right we deliver on that request and we have an exceptional team of agents waiting to take the calls.

Forty per cent of Hydro One's yearly call volume occurs between May and August with almost half of the Company's move requests taking place in the summer months. Hydro One receives approximately 50,000 calls per week with the busiest times from 10 a.m. to noon and 3 – 5 p.m.

The Company is committed to customer service by listening and acting on customer concerns. Earlier this year 28 Hydro One senior executives – including Mayo Schmidt, President and CEO, Hydro One – joined the Customer Contact Centre team to speak directly with more than 800 customers, answer questions, get feedback and commit to action.

Last week, as part of its Flip the Switch campaign, the Company announced major changes to some of its customer facing policies which included eliminating security deposits for residential customers and significantly reducing deposit requirements for its business customers. The Company also expanded its relief measures to help its customers that accumulated balances on their accounts over the winter.

Hydro One is also delivering efficiencies to the business, keeping costs down and delivery rates affordable. To help customers dealing with acute hardship, Hydro One introduced the Winter Relief Program in December 2016, an initiative to get the lights – and in some cases heat – back on in time for winter for hundreds of customers who had been disconnected earlier in the year. The Company also advocated on behalf of its customers to the Provincial government which is resulting in more rate fairness for all of its customers.

Learn more at hydroone.com/fliptheswitch.

About Hydro One Inc.:

Hydro One Inc. is a fully owned subsidiary of Hydro One Limited, Ontario's largest electricity transmission and distribution provider with more than 1.3 million valued customers, $25 billion in assets and annual revenues of over $6.5 billion. Our team of 5,500 skilled and dedicated employees proudly and safely serves suburban, rural and remote communities across Ontario through our 30,000 circuit km high-voltage transmission and 123,000 circuit km primary distribution networks. Hydro One is committed to the communities we serve, and has been rated as the top utility in Canada for its corporate citizenship, sustainability, and diversity initiatives. We are one of only four utility companies in Canada to achieve the Sustainable Energy Company designation from the Canadian Electrical Association. We also provide advanced broadband telecommunications services on a wholesale basis utilizing our extensive fibre optic network. Hydro One Limited's common shares are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: H). For more information about everything Hydro One, please visit www.HydroOne.com.

SOURCE Hydro One Limited

contact Hydro One Media Relations 24 hours a day at 1-877-506-7584 (toll-free in Ontario only) or 416-345-6868. Our website is www.HydroOne.com.