The Ontario government says suspension of time-of-use electricity rates will continue, starting today, customers will be billed based on a new fixed COVID-19 Recovery Rate of 12.8 cents per kilowatt-hour. The Premier says that will remain in place until October 31st. That was only one of the announcements that came down the pipe today. The rest are on our website, as Ontario has reported a spike in COVID-19 cases, of 404 new cases.
The full details:
Initiatives include:
- $9 million for the COVID-19 Energy Assistance Program (CEAP) to support consumers struggling to pay their energy bills during the pandemic. CEAP will provide one-time payments to consumers to help pay down any electricity bill debt incurred over the COVID‑19 period. Applications will be available through local utilities in the upcoming months;
- $8 million for the COVID-19 Energy Assistance Program for Small Business (CEAP-SB) to provide support to businesses struggling with bill payments as a result of the outbreak; and
- An extension of the Ontario Energy Board’s winter disconnection ban until July 31, 2020, to ensure no one is disconnected from their natural gas or electricity service during these uncertain times.
