Oshawa Power Watt can now help customers start or stop electricity service when they move, check their account balance and find a bill’s due date without waiting for the utility’s telephone service hours.
The utility announced the upgraded virtual assistant on November 3. Available through its website around the clock, the service uses artificial intelligence to understand everyday questions and complete selected account tasks. Durham Radio News reported the change on November 4.
Oshawa Power says the assistant is an additional way to get help, rather than a replacement for customer service staff. That distinction matters for residents whose questions involve something more complicated than a routine account request.
Moving customers can submit requests online
People moving into, out of or within Oshawa can ask Watt to guide them through starting or stopping service. The utility’s instructions say customers should have their account number, service address, move date, forwarding address and contact information ready.
Move requests should be submitted at least 10 business days before the moving date. Watt requires multi-factor account verification before completing the request. After submission, the customer should receive a confirmation email; anyone who does not receive one is asked to call customer service.
For someone moving out, the final bill goes to the forwarding address or email supplied with the request. The assistant’s availability outside business hours gives customers another time to complete the paperwork, but does not remove the advance-notice requirement.
Balance information, not payment processing
Watt can also display an account’s current balance and due date after the customer provides an account number and verifies their identity. The utility says the assistant cannot process payments.
Customers should continue using Oshawa Power’s established payment options. If information shown in the chat differs from a bill, the utility says the bill and MyOshawaPower remain the official record and customers should call for help resolving the difference.
Oshawa Power says chat records are retained to help resolve account issues and improve the service. Its FAQ says customer information is not used to train outside AI models. Customers are instructed not to enter banking details, credit card numbers or passwords in the chat.
Phone support and outage reporting remain separate
To begin a conversation, residents can select the chat icon at the bottom-right of the utility’s website. Watt guides users through the available tasks and can direct them to another webpage or the customer service team when it cannot answer a question.
Customers who prefer a person can call 905-723-4623 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. MyOshawaPower also remains available for viewing bills, making payments and updating information.
The assistant is not an outage-reporting or emergency service. Oshawa Power directs customers to its Outage Centre for outage information. Anyone who sees a downed power line should stay at least 10 metres away and call 911, rather than reporting an active hazard through the chat.
