There are two COVID-19 Energy Assistance Programs available from the Ontario Government- one is for residential consumers- and the other is for small business and registered charities.
Justin Allen, President of the Ottawa River Power Corporation, says being in arrears with your billings is one of the criteria for making an application, and the COVID-19 Energy Assistance payouts are a one-time opportunity to certain maximum limits.
The ORPC President says the selection process is on a first-come, first served basis until the funding runs out.
Allen says full details on all of the factors which may qualify you are listed on the ORPC website, orpowercorp.com
For those who are interested in reading further on the matter, myFM is pleased to publish a transcription of our full interview with OPRC President Allen, below:
There are two COVID-19 Energy Assistance Programs available from the Ontario Government- what are these programs called and who is able to access them?
There are currently two assistance programs available to residential and small business customers.
· CEAP – Covid-19 Energy Assistance Program which is available to residential customers
· CEAP SB – Covid-19 Energy Assistance Program Small Business which is available to small business customers or registered charities, specifically those who are categorized in the General Service <50Kw customer class
Can you indicate the criteria for qualification and what are the maximum levels of assistance available?
Residential customers are eligible for CEAP if they meet certain criteria, specifically:
1. Customer must have an account with an electricity distributor.
2. If the customer did have overdue amounts prior to March 17th 2020 in respect to electricity charges, the customer made at least partial payments on these overdue amounts.
3. As of the day of applying, the customer has overdue amounts owing for electricity charges from at least two electricity bills since March 17 2020.
4. Customer or the customers spouse/common-law partner (who must share the same address with the customer) qualified for the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB), or they must have received Employment Insurance at any point after March 17th 2020.
5. Customer has not received Ontario Electricity Support Program or Low-Income Energy Assistance Program grants in 2020
If approved for CEAP, residential customers would qualify for a credit equal to the amount necessary to settle 50% of total overdue balance of electricity charges, or $115, whichever is less. This amount increases to $230 if the customers home is mainly electrically heated, or someone in the residence relies on at-home medical devices as already defined for OESP such as:
– Kidney Dialysis Machine
– Mechanical Ventilators
For Small Businesses or registered charities, they are eligible for CEAP-SB if they meet certain criteria, specifically:
1. Customer must have an account with an electricity distributor
2. If the customer did have overdue amounts prior to March 17th 2020 in respect to electricity charges, the customer must have made at least partial payments on these overdue amounts.
3. As of the day of applying, the customer has overdue amounts owing for electricity charges from at least two electricity bills since March 17 2020.
4. The business or registered charity was required to close its premises to members of the public for regular operations for at least fifteen days as a result of a government order of an inability to adapt their business or charity to comply with public health recommendations.
If approved for CEAP-SB, business customers would qualify for a credit equal to the amount to settle the total overdue balance of electricity charges, or $425, whichever is less.
This amount rises to $850 if the business is primarily heated with electricity.
Is selection on a merit basis, or are applications treated on a first-come, first-served basis?
The applications are treated on a first come first serve basis, pending approval with respect to the qualification criteria. There is a limited amount of funding available to draw upon, once that funding runs out, applications are no longer accepted.
Is the selection for qualification made by the ORPC or the government?
ORPC assesses all applications on a first come first serve basis, based on the qualification criteria as outlined by the Ontario Energy Board. To date, we have not had a large amount of applications, likely due to the specific nature of the OEB qualification criteria. However, we have made every effort to proactively monitor accounts in arrears and reach out to those who qualify in an effort to help our customers, especially those who may not be aware of the programs.
How does one apply through the ORPC for these programs?
Customers should visit our website for further information and to access application forms at www.orpowercorp.com. All the information I have mentioned and more is available on the website. Or, customers can call our office at 613.732.3687 for further assistance.
