TORONTO - Hydro One announce it will provide funding in Ottawa this winter as part of the Winter Warmth Program. The program provides funding to help low-income households with winter heating bills and is administered by the United Way, with funds from participating utilities. "Hydro One has a long standing tradition of giving back to the communities in which we live and work," said Myles D'Arcey, Senior Vice President, Operations, Hydro One. "Through our partnership with the United Way we can support the Winter Warmth Fund and lend a helping hand to the people who need our help the most."

The Winter Warmth Fund is funded by more than a dozen Ontario utilities, and in 2008 it assisted 1,300 households in Ontario. Fund recipients are identified through the coordination services of the United Way and the network of community agencies it supports.

"We are delighted to welcome Hydro One as a new partner in the Winter Warmth Program in Ottawa," says Michael Allen, President and CEO, United Way/Centraide Ottawa.

"This means that more customers in the rural areas of Ottawa will be eligible for assistance from Winter Warmth at a time when help is needed most."

Eligible grant recipients include low-income households who are in arrears or at risk of going into arrears on their energy bills and have exhausted all other sources of financial support. Eligible families will receive a one-time grant of up to $450 for each winter season. This winter, Hydro One is contributing to the Winter Warmth Fund in the following communities: Ottawa; Lanark County; Leeds and Grenville; Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox and Addington; Kawartha Lakes; Peterborough; York; and Sudbury.