Hydro is a service we depend on but what do you do during a thunderstorm, power outage or when you’ve closed the cottage for a period of time or for the season?  Do you hope for the best or run around unplugging all your appliances? Do you have a plug in power bar surge protector for some or all your various appliances or perhaps a cottage surge protector installed to mitigate potential issues? Several members have noted that at some time or another they have experienced minor (e.g. clocks blinking, lights flicker) or major issues (e.g. tree fell on a hydro wire frying two major appliances when the power was restored which then both had to be replaced).
A power bar surge protector is designed to protect the electronics attached to it, such as a tv…but have you considered a unit that is attached to the electrical panel which in essence protects the entire panel and everything in your place from power surges to protect everything?  It could be a wise investment and so we are putting it out there as food for thought for you to consider some prevention with the intent to hopefully avoid a costly situation.  There are a variety of types and with various costs, some requiring an electrician, or a disconnect from Hydro during installation.  The MPOA do not endorse any specific make or model but we encourage you to do your own research and consider protecting your cottage from power surges. Hydro One has information about this on their site, as does the energyguide.com, as do many other sources.

On behalf of all cottagers, Archie MacDonald, MPOA Director phoned Hydro One and engaged in a conversation with one of their customer relations representatives to gather more information...on power surge issues, power interruptions, and power outages.  Here's what he learned:

Power surges can be (1) nature driven i.e. lightning storms, or (2) Hydro driven i.e. faulty equipment or equipment failure.  If there is damage from a surge caused by Hydro, they will take responsibility, but if it is natural causes then no.  Customers are encouraged to contact Hydro One if they have any damage that they think is related to a power surge. First contact should be "customercommunications @ Hyrdoone.com".  Another approach is to call Hydro One's loss adjusting firm that has the process details and information needs for a claim, etc. The company name is Quelmac Loss Adjusters, and the phone number is 1-888-872-6220.  Customers can access considerable information by going on their Hydro One web site and following the prompts to the area of interest e.g. there is a section devoted to cottage hyrdo issues.  Also, this is a source of information on power outage and power interruption. If you go on the "Hydroone.com" site, one can find the information re insurance claims if you click on the left hand side of the screen "Power Outages" and under this is "Insurance Claims" and click, it will bring the information up re what I have mentioned above.
One last suggestion she made was to encourage people to include their Hydro registration/account number in any form of contact as it helps them to identify  the area or location of the person having an issue.  Hope this helps.  Archie