Emergencies: Power Outages

Who do I call?

Utilities Kingston is available 24 hours a day to respond to power outage in our electric service area. Phone us any time of the day at 613-546-1181. If you require electric service in the West or East areas of the City please contact Hydro One at 1-800-434-1235.

Downed power lines

If you see a downed power line or tree branch that has fallen on a power line, always assume it's energized and dangerous. Stay away and report it immediately by calling 613-546-1181. This line is answered 24 hours, seven days a week.

Where does Utilities Kingston provide electricity services?

View a map of our service area. If you require electric service in the West or East areas of the City, please contact Hydro One 1-800-434-1235.

How do I get updates on power outages?

• Check this site: during major events, we will make every effort to update information on a regular basis.
• Check our Facebook page and Twitter feed.
• During extended outages, residents may also monitor the local news media and listen to Kingston Information Radio at 106.3 FM for power outage updates

What precautions should I take?

Residents are advised to take the following precautions until power is fully restored:

• Turn off all appliances that will turn on automatically when power is restored.
• Keep a phone that does not require electricity. Cordless phones require electricity or battery backup and may not work in a power outage.
• Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed to prevent food spoilage (see KFL&A's Food Safety Tips During a Power Outage).
• Use caution when using open flames. Never leave burning candles unattended, and keep them well away from kids and pets.
• Do not use a propane barbeque, camp stove or generator indoors. They can generate dangerous levels of carbon monoxide. Your carbon monoxide detector may not work in an outage.
• Avoid elevators until the power has been stabilized.
• Power outages mean that a number of traffic signals may not be working and travellers are reminded to treat the affected intersections as though they are four-way stops and yield to traffic on the right.
• The City of Kingston offers a helpful resource to help you and your family prepare for an emergency. Check it out on their website. We recommend that all property owners maintain a kit which includes candles, a flashlight, batteries and a battery powered radio.
• Review these Winter Safety Tips from the Electrical Safety Authority.

What causes power outages?

Periodically, scheduled interruptions are required to perform maintenance on our system or to your meter. These infrequent interruptions are intended to be of short duration. If an outage is planned for your area, you will be notified. Unplanned interruptions are usually a direct result of storm damage, vehicle accidents, animals, or other unexpected events.

Our crews respond to restore power as soon as possible. We recommend that all property owners maintain a kit which includes candles, a flashlight, batteries and a battery powered radio. During extended power outages, Utilities Kingston provides updated status reports to all local radio stations.