The Ontario Energy Board regulates electricity and natural gas in Ontario. It sets rates for regulated utilities, licenses retailers and gas marketers, and reviews complaints about how regulated companies apply the rules. For a household dispute with Hydro One, Enbridge Gas or a licensed energy retailer, the OEB is the main provincial escalation route.
What the OEB handles
- Electricity distribution rates and charges from licensed utilities.
- Natural gas rates and charges from Enbridge Gas and other regulated gas distributors.
- Billing, meter, connection and service quality complaints against regulated utilities.
- Licensing and conduct of electricity retailers and gas marketers.
- Consumer protection rules, including contracts, disclosure and switching.
- Complaints about how a utility has applied its conditions of service.
What it cannot do
The OEB does not set the commodity price of electricity or gas, which is driven by the market and by procurement contracts. It does not resolve disputes with municipal utilities in the same way, and it does not handle telecom, water or insurance complaints. It also cannot order compensation for inconvenience unless a rule or licence condition supports it.
How to complain
Start with the utility or retailer and ask for a formal complaint. Get the account number, the dates, the name of the representative and the company's final position. If the response is unsatisfactory, file a complaint with the OEB's consumer protection team online or by phone.
The OEB can require the company to respond and can review whether it followed its licence and the applicable rules. Common outcomes include a corrected bill, a rate adjustment, a payment plan, a meter investigation or a clear explanation of why the charge stands. If the issue is a retailer contract, the OEB can also examine whether the contract complied with the consumer protection rules.
Building the file
Use documents: bills, contracts, meter readings, emails and screenshots. If a sales agent made a promise, record the date and the exact wording. If the issue is a rate, compare the charge with the OEB's published rate documents for your utility. If the issue is a meter, ask for the test results and the date of the last inspection.
For the wider Canadian context, read how to complain to the CCTS in Canada if telecom is also involved. Energy complaints in other provinces follow their own regulator, such as the BCUC or the AUC.
Contact OEB
Contact details can change. Always confirm on the official page before sending personal information.
Before you escalate
- Complain to the provider first. Keep the date, the agent's name if given, and the complaint reference.
- Ask for a deadlock letter if the provider will not resolve the issue. Some schemes accept a case after a fixed waiting period instead.
- Put the facts in writing. Include account numbers, dates, meter readings or screenshots, the outcome you want and your contact details.
- Keep a copy of everything. Regulators work from documents, not recollections.
Providers in scope
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