Financial Assistance

There are several programs offered to help our low-income customers with paying their electricity bills. You must meet the criteria for these programs.

LEAP

Low Income Energy Assistance Program (LEAP) is a comprehensive, year-round emergency financial assistance program developed by the Ontario Energy Board to assist low-income energy customers and help manage their bill payments and costs. Emergency financial assistance is funded through the distribution rates of distributors.

In order to qualify, your household income must be below a certain limit, depending on two factors:

How many people live in the house
Your combined household income

The delivery of LEAP Emergency Financial Assistance relies heavily on co-operation between utilities and social service agencies. It is expected that as agencies screen and assess applicants in need, that they may refer customers not only for Emergency Financial Assistance, but also for customer service measures and/or conservation programs. For more information on LEAP, or to see if you qualify, please visit the Ontario Energy Board website.

Please note that all applications for this assistance program are received and approved through our intake agencies. To begin your application, please call one of the following intake agencies:

Housing Information Services at 519-254-4824
Unemployed Help Centre at 519-944-4900

Temporary Changes to Screening Guidelines for LEAP for 2022

The OEB has made temporary changes to the screening guidelines used by LEAP EFA agencies in evaluating applications for this year. They are:
• Applicants do not need to be in threat of disconnection or have been disconnected in order to be eligible, but they still need to be in arrears and at or below the income thresholds
• Eligible customers may apply for and receive LEAP EFA more than once per year, but the total amount received by a household may not exceed the maximum grant amount
• This year, the maximum value of grant amounts has been increased to $1,000 ($1,200 for customers with electrically-heated homes). This is double the maximum allowed grant under the usual LEAP program rules.

Eligible customers cannot receive more money than they owe on their bills. Therefore, they may not receive the maximum grant amount.

Keep the Heat

“Keep the Heat” is an energy assistance program administered between the Unemployed Help Center and Housing Information Services. The program is delivered by a host of community-based agencies serving residents of the Windsor and Essex Country region, and functions within a framework that is efficient and accountable to the community it supports and those who fund it.

To see if you qualify, please visit The Unemployed Help Centre website.

OESP

Now, more Ontarians qualify for the Ontario Electricity Support Program (OESP)

The Government of Ontario has changed the eligibility for the program as of March 1, 2024. If you are an electricity customer, you may qualify for a monthly, on-bill credit of $35 or more.

The credit depends on 2 factors:

How many people live in the home
The combined annual household after tax income

Monthly OESP Credit Amounts

Enhanced Monthly OESP Credit Amounts for Certain Customers

If you use electric heating, you or someone in the home uses certain electricity-intensive medical devices, or you are Indigenous or living with Indigenous family members, you may qualify for higher on-bill monthly credits.

Complete the application at OESP.ca or call 1-855-831-8151 to have an application form mailed to you or to find an agency to help you apply.

Or contact our Customer Service department at 519-737-6640 or our intake agencies Housing Information Services at 519-254-4824 or Unemployed Help Centre at 519-944-4900.

EAP

The saveONenergy Energy Affordability Program (EAP) has replaced the Home Assistance Program that was previously offered under the saveONenergy Interim Framework. EAP provides support to income-eligible electricity consumers by offering energy-saving upgrades tailored to the specific needs of your home, helping to lower your monthly electricity costs and to increase your home comfort.

Depending on your situation, you may receive different energy-saving products and services. Some participants may qualify for a free home energy needs assessment conducted by a trained energy professional that will help identify energy-efficient upgrades available for their homes, such as replacement of inefficient appliances and professionally-installed insulation and draft-proofing. These upgrades may be installed during or after an in-home visit.

Other participants may qualify instead for free energy saving kits. These are customized to meet their energy needs and could include energy-saving LED lighting, timers, faucet aerators and/or a clothes drying line.

All expert advice and energy-saving home upgrades under this program are completely free of charge.

To see if you are eligible, visit the saveONenergy website.

Ontario Energy Rebate (OER)

Effective November 1, 2019 the Government of Ontario introduced a new electricity rebate called the Ontario Electricity Rebate (OER) replacing the 8% Provincial Rebate. The OER is an on-bill rebate for households; small businesses; and qualifying multi-unit complexes, farms and long-term care homes that reduces the pre-HST costs on eligible customers’ bills by 17.0% (current rate as of November 1, 2021).

Eligibility requirements for the OER
Note: You do not have to complete the Ontario Electricity Rebate Eligibility Form if the account type listed on your bill is “Residential” or “Gen Service < 50 KW”, or if you consume less than 250,000 kWh per year. In those circumstances, you will be automatically transitioned to the OER and will receive the OER for as long as you remain eligible.

The Ontario government is expanding OER eligibility for some residential and other low volume customers.

Effective July 1, 2022, the following types of customer accounts will become eligible for OER:
• Common areas in individually metered multi-unit complexes that contain at least 50 per cent residential units, such as condominiums,
• Residential mobile home parks, and
• Retirement residences that are not long-term care homes, but do not meet eligibility criteria as a residential multi-unit complex.

To learn more about the OER eligibility criteria and how to apply for the rebate, please click the link below:
Ontario Electricity Rebate Eligibility Form