Utilities Kingston provides water and wastewater services in the city of Kingston, natural gas services in central Kingston, and electricity services in central Kingston, CFB Kingston and Barriefield Village. View a link to their service area.
Unless utilities are included in your rent, you will need to set up a Utilities Kingston account, in these service areas.
(Gas customers in the west and east ends of the city are served by Enbridge Gas, while electricity customers in these areas are serviced by Hydro One.)
A Utilities Kingston customer service representative can help estimate your monthly utility cost for budgeting purposes before you move in. Just call 613-546-0000, Monday to Friday from 8 AM to 5 PM.
Opening Your Account
You can open your Utilities Kingston account online. Once you receive your first bill in the mail you can sign up to receive your bills electronically. You can pay directly through your bank each month or set up a preauthorized debit plan to pay your utilities bills automatically. Paying a bill online is like paying tuition, check out how to set up a bill payee on your bank's website.
Tip: Having one roommate pay your utility bill can help avoid multiple payments.
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Understanding Your Utility Bill
You can visit the Ontario Energy Board for an example of how to read your electricity bill or you can contact a Utilities Kingston customer service representative at 613-546-0000 who will explain the charges on your bill.
Usage: Your usage is exactly what it sounds like - the cost of the utilities you are using in your home.
Application fees: These fees cover the costs of having the utilities delivered to your home safely & effectively (i.e., having your toilets hooked up to the city sewer system). Information to open or close your account - Utilities Kingston
Deposit: Utilities Kingston collects a deposit, which is charged on your first six monthly bills, as 'insurance' for them if you happen to default on your bills. However, the deposit will be returned to you when you close your Utilities Kingston account (provided you pay all your bills and don’t have outstanding utilities Kingston fees!). There are also several ways you can qualify to have your deposit waived. Residential security deposit requirements - Utilities Kingston
Monthly credit on the bill
The Ontario Electricity Support Program, or OESP, provides ongoing assistance directly on the bills of eligible low-income electricity consumers.
The OESP on-bill credit amount will depend on how many people live in the house and the combined household income after tax. For enhanced eligible customers (if their home is electrically heated, or they rely on certain medical devices requiring a lot of power, or low-income Indigenous Ontarians) the OESP offers a higher level of assistance.
If you are receiving OESP, you must reapply for the program at least 60 days before your period expires.
Customers can apply or reapply online at OntarioElectricitySupport.ca, or by contacting United Way Simcoe Muskoka for application information and assistance at 1-855-487-5327.
Time-of-Use vs. Tiered Pricing
- In Ontario, you have two options for how your electricity usage will be monitored and charged: time-of-use pricing, or tiered pricing.
- You can find detailed information on the two plans through Utilities Kingston and the Ontario Energy Board.
- You can find real time use indication through Kingston Hydro.
- Try using the bill calculator to estimate and compare your monthly costs with both plans.
Billing Estimates
- Utilities Kingston estimates water and gas usage on a bimonthly basis. You have the option to report your meter reading, to avoid the estimate. You can do that by: calling into customer service at 613-546-0000 or online.
How To Pay Your Utility Bill
After setting up your account, you will receive your utility bills in the mail every month.
After you receive and pay your first bill, you can set up your online ‘MyUtilities’ account so you can sign up for e-billing and view your utilities usages online. To get started, you'll need your account number and the amount of the most recent payment you made to Utilities Kingston.
There are several ways you can pay your utility bill each month:
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Pre-authorized debit plan (will automatically withdraw from your bank account).
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Select Utilities Kingston as a payee for bills through your bank & pay your bill manually monthly.
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Pay manually by credit card through Payments (subject to 1.75% fee).
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Mail or drop off a cheque each month.
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Payments can also be made at City Hall – cash, cheque or debit.
For instructions for how to set up Utilities Kingston as a payee, click on the link to your bank (hint: it is the same process as paying tuition).