COVID-19 Energy Assistance Program for Small Businesses and Charities

The Ontario Energy Board recently announced new electricity prices for households and small businesses, effective May 1, 2021, under the Regulated Price Plan. The implementation of these prices coincides with the change to summer Time-of-Use (TOU) hours and the summer Tier threshold for residential energy customers .

With this news, the OEB wanted to share a reminder on how energy consumers struggling with their electricity or natural gas bills can access the COVID-19 Energy Assistance Program (CEAP). Recent changes to CEAP, with simplified eligibility criteria and additional funds from the Government of Ontario, have made it easier for customers with overdue amounts on their energy bills to access support.

CEAP provides an on-bill credit to eligible residential, small business and registered charity customers to help them catch up on their energy bills and resume regular payments. Small business/registered charity customers can receive up to $1,500—for electricity and natural gas bills, respectively.

Funds are limited with applications processed on a first-come, first-serve basis so consumers who may be in need are encouraged to apply as soon as possible. Information on CEAP including how to apply can be found at www.oeb.ca/ceap.