Ontario Extends Electricity Rate Relief During COVID-19
Residential, farm and small business customers continue to benefit from temporary relief measure
The Voice of Canada News:
TORONTO — The Ontario government is extending emergency electricity rate relief to families, farms and small businesses until May 31, 2020 during the COVID-19 outbreak. Customers who pay time-of-use electricity rates will continue to be billed at the lowest price, known as the off-peak price, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This electricity rate relief, initially provided for a 45-day period starting on March 24, 2020, has been extended by an emergency order under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act. The rate relief is intended to be in place for an additional 24 days.
“During this extraordinary period, many people are struggling to pay the bills as they do the right thing by staying at home, as well as our farmers and those whose businesses have closed or suffered reduced customer traffic,” said Premier Doug Ford. “Although we are making progress in our fight against this COVID-19 outbreak, we are not out of the woods yet. The extension of this electricity rate relief will leave more money in people’s pockets until businesses can start to reopen and people can get back to work.”
On the advice of the Chief Medical Officer of Health, the Ontario government is also extending all emergency orders that have been put in place to-date under s.7.0.2 (4) of the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act until May 19, 2020. The emergency orders include:
Closure of Establishments
Prohibiting Organized Public Events, Certain Gatherings
Work Deployment Measures for Health Care Workers
Drinking Water Systems and Sewage Works
Electronic Service
Work Deployment Measures in Long -Term Care Homes
Electricity Price for RPP Consumers
Closure of Places of Non-Essential Businesses
Traffic Management
Streamlining Requirements for Long-Term Care Homes
Prohibition on Certain Persons Charging Unconscionable Prices for Sales of Necessary Good
Closure of Outdoor Recreational Amenities
Enforcement of Orders
Work Deployment Measures for Boards of Health
Work Deployment Measures in Retirement Homes
Access to COVID-19 Status Information by Specified Persons
Service Agencies Providing Services and Supports to Adults with Developmental Disabilities< /a>
Pickup and Delivery of Cannabis
Signatures in Wills and Powers of Attorney
Use of Force and Firearms in Policing Services
Child Care Fees
Agreements Between Health Service Providers and Retirement Homes
Temporary Heal th or Residential Facilities
Closure of Public Lands for Recreational Camping
Work Deployment Measures for Service Agencies Providing Violence Against Women Residential Services and Crisis Line Services
Limiting Work to a Single Long-Term Care Home
Work Deployment Measures for District Social Services Administration Boards
Deployment of Employee s of Service Provider Organizations
Work Deployment Measures for Municipalities
Limiting Work to a Single Retirement Home
Work Deployment Measures for Mental Health and Addictions Agencies
Congregate Care Settings
Access to Personal Health Information by Means of the Electronic Health Record
Global Adjustment for Market Participants and Consumers
Certain Persons Enabled to Issue Medical Certificates of Death
Hospital Credentialing Processes
QUICK FACTS
The Government of Ontario declared a provincial emergency on March 17, 2020 under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act. This declaration of emergency was last extended on April 14, 2020 and is currently in effect until May 12, 2020.
There are approximately five million residential consumers, farms and some small businesses billed using time-of-use (TOU) electricity prices under the Regulated Price Plan.
The current off-peak Time of Use electricity rate is 10.1 cents per kilowatt hour for Regulated Price Plan customers.
