ONTARIO — Emergency electricity rate relief to families, farms and small businesses has been extended until May 31 during the COVID-19 outbreak. It was announced yesterday that 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, 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.”
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.
The Government of Ontario declared a provincial emergency on March 17 under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act. This declaration of emergency was last extended on April 14 and is currently in effect until May 12. 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.
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; 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 Health 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; and Hospital Credentialing Processes.
