Privacy Policy

Respect for the client's right to confidentiality is a fundamental principle to the proper functioning and credibility of Hydro 2000 Inc. Hydro 2000's personal information policies are used to protect the personal information of customers and others in our possession. This policy applies to all clients who have agreed to be served by us, visitors to our website or who have provided us with personal information. The terms of this policy may be revised.  It is the responsibility of each customer to review the policies.

Hydro 2000 must keep confidential information collected in accordance with the obligations provided by the law on The Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA), The Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (MFIPPA) and the conditions of service issued for Hydro 2000 inc.  by the Ontario Energy Board (OEB).

The privacy policy incorporates the 10 privacy principles established by the Canadian Standards Association and adopted by the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act.

By personal information, we define any information that identifies a person.  This information is your name, postal address, email address, financial information, date of birth and any other information about you obtained electronically, in person or by phone.

Personal information does not include the name, title, business address or phone number of an employee of an organization.  Also excluded are personal information, aggregated information, which does not allow access to an individual's personal information.

  1. Responsibility

            Hydro 2000 is responsible for protecting personal information that is in its possession or under the control of the organization, including any personal information it holds or transfers to third parties for processing.

If you have any questions or concerns about your personal information or this privacy policy, please contact us.

  1. Determining the purpose of collecting personal information

Hydro 2000 must state the reasons why personal information is collected before or at the time it is collected.  On request, the person collecting the personal information must explain the purposes of this information.

Unless required by law, Hydro 2000 does not use or disclose the personal information obtained without first determining and documenting the new purpose, and without obtaining the client's consent.

All personal information collected by Hydro 2000 is for the following purposes:

  • Establish, provide, and maintain electricity services.
  • Identify our customers, respond to their requests, and maintain a responsible business relationship with them.
  • Bill customers and collect payments.
  • Establish pre-authorized payments.
  • Determine eligibility for products and services
  • Recommend specific products and services and meet customer needs
  • Develop, improve, promote, or provide products and services.
  • Provide customers with information about the electricity industry, tariffs, and energy conservation programs.
  • Inform clients about new and ongoing programs.
  • Manage and develop Hydro 2000's operations and day-to-day
  • Meet legal and regulatory requirements.
  1. Consent

Hydro 2000 must make every reasonable effort to ensure that a customer is informed of the specified purposes for which personal information will be used or disclosed when obtaining consent.  The purposes must be set out in such a way as to be reasonably understood by the client.

Usually, Hydro 2000 must ask the customer for consent to use and disclose their personal information at the same time it collects it.  However, we may ask for consent to use and disclose personal information after it has been collected but before it is used for a new purpose.

Hydro 2000 requires its customers to consent to the collection, use or disclosure of their personal information only when necessary to achieve the specified purpose.

In determining the appropriate form of consent, Hydro 2000 must consider the sensitive nature of the personal information and the reasonable expectations of its customers.

A client's use of the services means that the customer implicitly consents to the collection, use and disclosure of personal information by Hydro 2000 for all purposes.

A client may withdraw his consent at any time, subject to certain legal or contractual restrictions and with reasonable notice.  Customers can contact Hydro 2000 for more information on the consequences of withdrawing their consent.

  1. Limiting collection
    Hydro 2000 collects personal information primarily from its customers.   Hydro 2000 will not require you to consent to the collection of personal information other than those required to achieve the defined purposes as a condition of service.

    Hydro 2000 may also collect personal information from other sources, such as credit reporting agencies, employers, or personal references or third parties who have the right to disclose personal information.

    Hydro 2000 occasionally uses cookies and other analytical technologies for its online services, interactive applications, e-mail messages and advertisements.  The analytical data collected through these technologies is used to measure Hydro 2000's performance and engagement rate.

  1. Limiting use, communication, and conservation

Hydro 2000 may use or disclose personal information without a client's knowledge or consent in an emergency where a person's life, health or safety is at risk. Information may be disclosed without the customer's consent:

  • Whether it is public knowledge.
  • Whether it is a matter of complying with a legal requirement.
  • Whether the information is required by order of law and court.
  • If the disclosure of the information is the subject of an agreement or a contract signed with the client.
  • If the account is recovered, the necessary information may be forwarded to the collection agency selected by Hydro 2000 Inc.

Only Hydro 2000 employees are granted access to personal information for professional reasons or because their duties require it in a reasonable manner.

Due to the structure of the Ontario's electricity sector, we may need to pass on your billing and consumer information to external billing and settlement agencies, for example if you have signed a separate contract with an electricity retailer.  Our relationships with external agencies regarding billing, regulation and regulation are governed by our distributor license and regulatory codes established by the Ontario Energy Board.

To provide services on its behalf, Hydro 2000 may hire employees, contractors, or other companies and third parties, who require access to specific data.

In accordance with its distributor license, Hydro 2000 must not disclose consumer information, including personal information, to any subsidiary without obtaining the written consent of consumers, except where consumer information must be disclosed for above reasons or for the purpose of billing or operating the market.

Hydro 2000 retains personal information only for as long as it takes to reach its end or as required by law.  When personal information is used to make decisions about a customer, Hydro 2000 must retain the information as such or the arguments that supported that decision for the circumstances in which a decision must be made about a client.

Hydro 2000 implements reasonable means of control and practices regarding the retention and destruction of personal information and records that are no longer necessary or relevant to the specified purposes or that the law no longer requires to be retained.   This information is then destroyed, deleted or de-based.

  1. Accuracy

The personal information used by Hydro 2000 must be sufficiently accurate, complete, and up to date to minimize the possibility of inaccurate information being used to make decisions about a customer.   Hydro 2000 must update the personal information it holds about its customers as required to achieve a specific purpose or as soon as a person informs them of any changes to their personal information.

  1. Security measures

Hydro 2000 must protect personal information from a variety of risks, including loss or theft, unauthorized access, communication, copying, use, modification, or destruction, through appropriate security measures.   Hydro 2000 must protect the information regardless of the format in which it is stored.

Hydro 2000 must protect personal information disclosed to third parties by emphasizing the confidentiality of the information, the purposes for which it should be used, the limited number of people whose professional duties require access to the information, and the physical measures and procedures that are required to protect the information.

All Hydro 2000 employees and affiliates who have access to personal information agree, as part of their terms of employment, to respect the confidentiality of personal information.

  1. Transparency

Hydro 2000 is committed to making the content of this policy easy to understand, accessible and up to date.   Hydro 2000 may make changes to its privacy policy; these changes are published on our web page and, if necessary, added as an insert to the billing.

  1. How can you exercise your rights regarding your personal information we use?

    Hydro 2000 must comply with federal and provincial privacy legislation and respond to any requests you may have regarding your personal information in Hydro 2000's possession.

    Third parties may also exercise certain rights with respect to your personal information, in limited circumstances such as :

    ·         When the person making the request has the written consent of the person to whom the information relates;

    ·         When the person making the request is the legal representative of a minor or of an estate;

    ·         When the request concerns a public interest (e.g. government legislation).

    Your rights regarding your personal information include:

    ·         Access (consultation) and portability (transferability);

    ·         Revocation of consent to collection and/or use and/or disclosure;

    ·         Withdrawal/destruction;

    ·         Modification/correction;

    ·         Make a complaint or report a breach of confidentiality.

    Hydro 2000 will respond to such requests within thirty (30) business days of receipt.

    Hydro 2000 reserves the right to:

    ·         Refuse in writing a request made for serious reasons, when such refusal is permitted or required by law or by regulatory bodies;

    ·         Ask the requester to provide satisfactory proof of identity before granting a request relating to personal information;

    ·         Require reasonable charges (if applicable) for transcription, reproduction or transmission of personal information, provided you are notified in advance.

    WHO CAN I CONTACT?

    If you have any questions about this privacy statement, or if you have any inquiries or complaints about your personal information, please send them IN WRITING to the following address:

    Lise Wilkinson, H2000 General Manager and Privacy Officer

    440 St-Philippe St, Alfred, ON K0B 1A0

    Tel. : 613-679-4093 poste 202

    Courriel : info@hydro2000.ca