Utilities Kingston: Past and Present
Utilities Kingston has been providing the residents of Kingston safe reliable utility services for over 100 years. Over the years our name and corporate structure has changed but one thing has
remained constant - We are the City Owned Utility Company accountable to Kingston City Council and the residents of our community.
Prior to amalgamation on January 1st 1998 the utility services were provided by several groups, water and sewer by both the former Townships, sewer services by the old City and water, natural gas and
electricity services in the old City by the former Public Utilities Commission (PUC). As a result of the amalgamation process all these services were brought together under one department reporting to
the CAO and Council that became known as Utilities Kingston.
In the year 2000 the Energy Competition Act 1998, required significant changes to electric utilities in the province of Ontario. One of these was the establishment of corporate structures for the
ongoing management and operations of electric distribution systems; a requirement that would create a level playing field between privately owned utilities, and those that were retained by their
municipalities.
This created a unique challenge for Utilities Kingston who as a municipal department operated five utility systems. On one hand, municipalities were not permitted to distribute electricity except
through a corporation and on the other hand the corporation formed to distribute electricity can only distribute electricity. We needed a solution that allowed us to continue to capitalize on our
competitive advantages of utility convergence (one call, one crew, one bill) while permitting us to use the centralized services (i.e. finance, customer service) of the City of Kingston.
To meet our objectives two Ontario Business Corporations were created. The first, Kingston Electricity Distribution Limited (KEDL), holds the assets of the former Hydro Electric Utility Commission.
In turn KEDL formed an affiliate corporation, 1425445 Ontario Limited, operating as Utilities Kingston, which is home to all the employees of the former municipal department, and holds the assets of
the Fibre Optic utility along with some vehicles and our tools. Through this corporation Utilities Kingston manages, operates and maintains the assets of the City of Kingston's five utilities.
Utilities Kingston provides the City of Kingston with a unique advantage over other municipalities. Utilities Kingston's sole shareholder is the City of Kingston and its residents. The municipality
owns the water and sewer assets throughout the City of Kingston and the gas and electric assets in City Central. Further, decisions regarding rates, capital and operating expenditures and policies
continue to be decided by Kingston City Council.
This public accountability ensures residents that vital services like water, sewer and electricity are provided while meeting the highest safety standards. Residents have the peace of mind that their
local utility is not solely focused on making a profit. We must ensure that all residents have equitable access to safe and reliable utility services. Further, we must be accessible to all our
stakeholders. Our staff work and live in the community we serve and through each local councilor every resident has the opportunity to have their voice heard.
The residents of Kingston enjoy an accessible, socially conscious utility plus they benefit from a utility that must provide its services in the most cost effective, efficient manner possible. Through
our strategy of utility convergence our staff are cross-trained in many disciplines allowing us to share staff and equipment resources effectively. Further we recognize that by focusing on the
customer we are able to streamline our policies and processes to make us an efficient utility provider.
Utilities Kingston is completely funded by user fees. Through our user fee funding model we promote utility conservation. In addition to maintaining local control, ensuring equitable utility
services throughout the city and being socially responsible, Utilities Kingston's profits are reinvested in the community we live in - Kingston. Whether we are upgrading our water treatment
facilities or expanding our gas infrastructure the fundamental difference for Kingston is that Utilities Kingston's profits are put back into the community. We do not have out of town shareholders to
satisfy - instead we have a community to serve.
Today Utilities Kingston is one of the most unique utility companies in North America, providing five different utility services to our customers, water, sewer, electric, natural gas and fibre optics.
We continue to further our strategy of utility integration realizing cost savings and improved customer service. Our vision for the future is…
We will be a unique organization providing value to our customers through integrated utility services that are safe, reliable and financially sustainable earning the confidence of the residents of
Kingston.
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