WHAT IS AN ELECTRICITY DISTRIBUTOR?

You know all those poles in wires in your neighbourhood? The ones that bring electricity into your home or business? Those wires belong to your local electricity utility.

Within the industry, these companies are known as local distribution companies (LDCs). Why? Because they typically don’t generate the power, rather they take power from high-voltage transmission lines — you know, the ones attached to those big metal towers — and step it down to a lower voltage level (50 kV and under) so it’s safe to use within your home, your office, your kids’ school, the local hockey arena…you get the idea. 
 

Local distribution companies take care of lots of important priorities in your community:

Keeping everyone happy and comfortable by ensuring a reliable flow of power to homes, businesses and public institutions.

Building and maintaining a vital network of underground cabling, hydro poles, power lines and computer systems that keep a very complex system running smoothly.

Connecting new homes and businesses to the electricity supply.

Fixing damaged lines and restoring power knocked out by severe weather events. (Can you say, “ice storm”?)

Maintaining strict safety standards to keep every member of the community safe around electricity.

Playing a critical role in our economy. Businesses can’t provide goods and services, create jobs and generate local tax revenues without power, right?

Helping customers save money with innovative conservation and energy efficiency programs.

Sending customers their electricity bills every month. Ok, this may not be the most popular one, but…

You know what they say: a video is worth a thousand words. This short animated video will tell you more about your LDC and your electricity bill: