The province has stated it is introducing a new streamlined Energy Affordability Program (EAP) for households struggling to pay their electricity bills.
Beginning the week of Jan. 4, 2021. EAP is expected to:
- Provide free electricity saving measures to help participating households manage their electricity-use and lower their electricity costs by up to $1,000 per year;
- Tailor energy-efficiency upgrades based on household income, home heating system, location, and an energy needs assessment; and,
- Simplify access to new and updated electricity saving measures through a single program that replaces the Affordability Fund Trust and Home Assistance Program, which are ending in 2020.
The Energy Affordability Program is part of Ontario's new 2021-2024 electricity Conservation Demand Management (CDM) Framework, which also offers energy-efficiency programs for on-reserve First Nations consumers and Ontario business and industrial consumers to increase competitiveness and lower electricity costs.
The new Framework will come into force Jan. 1, 2021, immediately following the end of the current Interim Framework on Dec. 31, 2020.
The Ontario Energy Board (OEB) has also reported new rates coming into effect on Nov. 1, 2020.
In a press release issued today, the provincial government stated customers eligible for the Ontario Electricity Rebate will automatically receive a 32.2 per cent reduction off their energy bill when the new rates come into effect on Nov. 1. The province has also said that customers paying Time-Of-Use (TOU) rates under the RPP will hae the option to switch to tiered rate pricing.
The province has also revised the eligibility requirements for the COVID-19 Energy Assistance Program (CEAP) and the COVID-19 Energy Assistance Program for Small Business (CEAP-SB).
Households, small businesses and charitable organizations who made partial payments on amounts owing before the COVID-19 emergency period are now eligible for one-time on-bill credit to help pay down electricity bill debt.
The expanded eligibility also eliminates the requirement for residential consumers to be unemployed when applying for CEAP.
Local utilities will re-assess previously rejected applications and start accepting new applications on Friday.
