Generator rental in Ontario

Power outages and weather in Ontario

• The December 2013 ice storm left Hydro One with over 600,000 outages at its peak, and thousands stayed without power well after Christmas. Source
• The May 21, 2022 derecho caused about 586,000 Hydro One outages in Ontario, and some rural customers waited multiple weeks for power. Source
• The August 2003 blackout cut power to about 10 million people in southern and central Ontario. Source
• The January 1998 ice storm brought over 80 hours of freezing rain to eastern Ontario and brought down more than 1,000 transmission towers and 35,000 wooden utility poles across the affected region. Source
• Ontario averages about 11 confirmed tornadoes a year, and Windsor has the most lightning strikes per year in Canada. Source

Climate

• Most of Ontario has a humid continental climate, the far north is subarctic, and lake-effect snow affects areas near the Great Lakes, with -40 C not uncommon in the far north. Source

Where generators get used in Ontario

• Manufacturing, especially motor vehicles, drives the economy of southern Ontario. Source
• Mining and forestry are the main industries in northern Ontario, and agriculture remains significant in the south. Source
• Hydro One's rural territory has thinner distribution lines designed for fewer customers than urban lines, so rural sites depend more on backup power during storms. Source

Starting rental rates in Ontario

Starting prices in CAD before tax. Delivery, fuel, cables, panels, operator and electrician time are quoted separately.

Power utility and electrical rules

Ontario's main electric utility: Hydro One (about 1.4 million customers, mostly rural, and about 98% of Ontario's high-voltage transmission grid); urban areas are served by municipal distributors such as Toronto Hydro and Hydro Ottawa.

ESA (Electrical Safety Authority) administers the Ontario Electrical Safety Code, licenses electrical contractors and handles notifications of electrical work and inspections; ESA says electrical work must be reported before it starts.

Connecting a generator to a building is electrical work and rules differ by province. Use a licensed electrician and confirm local requirements. See electrician hookup.