Camping In Ontario Update Newsletter June 2019 June 2013 | Page 12

CAMPING IN ONTARIO UPDATE | 12

The New Hydro Service Rules
Over the last few years, Hydro One and other utility providers have
begun enforcing a policy of single point service to a property. This is
referred to as Primary Metering, which means that the meter reads
your usage from the high voltage side (primary side) before the transformer(s) in the park. In the past, a customer with a large area to service, such as a campground, could ask for and get multiple services
in to their land. That is why many campgrounds have two, three, or
more service entry points each with its own meter and transformer,
and you would get a separate bill for each meter. Utilities will no
longer do that. Regardless of fairness, that is the new rule structure.
There are pros and cons to each method, in general, over the long
run Primary Metering is a better system for you. If you are not adding sites or expanding, then you will not have to change over unless a
transformer burns out or the poles or wires need to be upgraded, than
you may fall under the new rules. There is also a caution here for the
operator. In many cases, the poles and transformers in your park were
installed many years ago by a small local utility which was taken over
by a consolidated local utility or by Hydro One. In some of these cases,
Hydro One has been asking or offering to turn over the infrastructure
(that which belongs to them which is inside your park or on your
land) to you for free or a nominal sum. The premise is that they will
no longer be responsible for it in any way so if it is yours you can upgrade or do whatever you want with it. This may sound OK on the surface, but there is a catch. A utility is not subject to the Electrical Code.
Many installations done by older local utilities were done on a “good
enough” basis and these are inadequate today and will not pass inspection. The instant you take over the infrastructure, you are liable for
it meeting Code. If it was installed on a minimum basis, as many were,
you will be responsible for the cost of upgrading. Do not accept a turnover unless you have your system inspected by a competent engineer
for Code compliance and he certifies that it meets current code practice and rules. You cannot take the position that the utility installed it
and therefore it must be OK. The rules are different for you.
With Primary Metering, the utility delivers electricity to your property at whatever your local “primary” voltage is, generally 4000+ volts,
to a customer supplied transformer that brings it down to normal
120/240 volt power. All distribution and transformation is supplied
by you. If you are expanding, you can run primary voltage to your
own transformers scattered around your park. Because you are running such a high voltage to your transformers, there is practically no
loss in a long run, and the wire itself can be much smaller and cheaper.
The savings in cost of wire for distribution can be significant, and you
can use small transformers wherever convenient, further cutting costs.
Once you get past the initial cost of converting, there are substantial
savings and convenience for expansion. There are too many points to
cover in a brief explanation such as this and this is overly simplifying
the situation, but you should talk to an engineer or electrician experienced in high voltage distribution.

What about 50 amp sites?
Oh for the days when a 15 amp receptacle was good enough for two
sites!
Now 30 amp 120 volts is the basic site feed and is adequate for
most campers, even the big ones. More power (amperage) allows a
big unit to make coffee and run the air conditioner at the same t