April 11th Weekly Update

Ontario Helping Families Save Money With Energy-Efficiency Program 

Ontario is helping thousands of additional families reduce their energy use and save money by updating the eligibility for the Energy Affordability Program which provides free home-efficiency upgrades for Ontarians who are looking for support with their energy bills. To ensure families have access to these critical supports and help keep costs down, the income eligibility threshold is being raised by $11,715 for a four-person household, and by $8,285 for a couple.

“As the home heating season continues, our government is helping families reduce their energy use and save money on their bills”, said Todd Smith, Minister of Energy. “With this update to the Energy Affordability Program, Ontario is ensuring access to free home energy-efficiency upgrades like insulation, smart thermostats, and energy-efficient refrigerators and air conditioners.”

The Energy Affordability Program offers energy saving measures that can help participating households manage their energy use and lower electricity costs by up to $750 per year depending on eligibility, at no cost to the customer. The energy-efficiency upgrades and types of support available are tailored based on various factors including home heating system, location and an assessment of energy needs.

Under the increased income eligibility threshold, a four-person household with a before-tax income of $84,872, or a couple with a before-tax income of $60,014, is now eligible for support through the Energy Affordability Program. That represents an increase of 16 per cent compared to the previous income threshold.

The government is also continuing to invest in other critical programs to support Ontarians who are looking for support with their electricity or natural gas bills. The Ontario Electricity Support Program provides an on-bill credit of up to $75 per month to provide support for low-income households when paying their electricity bills. Customers can also access the Low-Income Energy Assistance Program and receive up to $600 in emergency assistance if they are behind on their electricity or natural gas bill and face having their service disconnected.

The new ultra-low overnight rate, set by the Ontario Energy Board, will be 2.4 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh), which is 67 per cent lower than the current off-peak rate, in exchange for a higher on-peak rate.

• The new optional Ultra-Low Overnight price plan provides:
  • Ultra-low overnight rate of 2.4 cents per kWh: everyday 11 p.m.-7 a.m.
  • Mid-peak rates of 10.2 cents per kWh: weekdays 7 a.m.-4 p.m. and 9 p.m.-11 p.m.
  • On-peak rates of 24.0 cents per kWh: weekdays 4 p.m.-9 p.m.
  • Weekend off-peak rates of 7.4 cents per kWh: weekends and statutory holidays 7 a.m.-11 p.m.
• The new optional third price plan is available to all eligible Regulated Price Plan (RPP) TOU and Tiered consumers.
• Families and small businesses can use the Ontario Energy Board’s Bill Calculator to determine what electricity rate plan, Tiered, Time-of-Use or Ultra-Low Overnight, best suits their lifestyle and will help them save money on their energy bills.
• An ultra-low overnight rate will help reduce emissions by encouraging the use of more nighttime electricity, which is typically generated from clean, zero-emissions resources like nuclear, hydro and wind power.

Last Thursday, the Ontario government introduced the Helping Homebuyers, Protecting Tenants Act as it continues to take a responsible, targeted approach to deliver on its plan to build 1.5 million homes by 2031, while laying a strong foundation to make life easier and more affordable for people across the province.

If passed, the proposed changes would further strengthen homebuyer protections, support tenants and streamline the rules around land-use planning.

“Our government has made real progress in tackling Ontario’s housing supply crisis, with current housing starts remaining above historic averages”, said Steve Clark, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. “Like the rest of North America, Ontario is experiencing challenging headwinds that are slowing down new home construction, including inflation, soaring interest rates and labour shortages. Despite these challenges, our government will continue to take action to ensure Ontario is ready to build more homes as market conditions improve.”

The Helping Homebuyers, Protecting Tenants Plan includes:

• A $6.5 million investment to appoint an additional 40 adjudicators and hire five staff to improve service standards and continue to reduce active applications and decision timeframes at the Landlord and Tenant Board. This increase more than doubles of the number of full-time adjudicators at the Landlord Tenant Board.
• Further strengthening protections against evictions due to renovations, demolitions and conversions, as well as those for landlord’s own use, as well as clarify tenants’ rights to install air conditioners.
• Expanding deposit insurance for First Home Savings Accounts to Ontario at credit unions, and exploring a cooling-off or cancellation period on purchases of newly built freehold homes, as well as mandatory legal review of purchase agreements for all new home purchases.
• Freezing 74 different provincial fees at the 2023-2024 level. This includes fees that directly or indirectly increase the cost of housing.
• Speeding up government approval processes by updating the Provincial Policy Statement, 2020 and integrating it with A Place to Grow: Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe to create a single, province-wide, housing-focused land use planning policy document.

Ontario is undertaking a 60-day consultation on the proposed new Provincial Planning Statement until June 5, 2023. This new provincewide planning policy document would provide municipalities with more flexibility, reduce duplication, create more homes in urban and rural communities, support local economies and create jobs while continuing to protect the environment (including existing Greenbelt protections), and public safety. It would also require coordination between municipalities and school boards to consider school and childcare needs earlier in the planning process, so that families moving to new housing can expect that local schools will be available for their children.

The government continues to work with municipal partners to ensure that cities, towns and rural communities grow with a mix of ownership and rental housing that meets the needs of people across the province.

Based on guidance from Health Canada and the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI), Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health is recommending high-risk individuals receive their next COVID-19 booster dose this spring.

Individuals in the following high-risk groups are recommended to book an appointment for a spring COVID-19 booster if it has been at least six months since their last dose or confirmed COVID-19 infection:

• Individuals aged 65 years and older;
• Residents of long-term care homes, retirement homes, Elder Care Lodges, and other congregate living settings for seniors;
• Individuals aged 18 years and older living in a congregate care setting for people with complex medical care needs;
• Pregnant individuals;
• Individuals aged 18 years and older who are moderately to severely immunocompromised; and
• Individuals aged 55 years and older who identify as First Nations, Inuit, or Métis and their non-Indigenous household members aged 55 years and older.

Appointments can be booked via the COVID-19 vaccination portal or by calling the Provincial Vaccine Contact Centre (PVCC) at 1-833-943-3900 (TTY for people who are deaf, hearing-impaired or speech-impaired: 1-866-797-0007). The PVCC is capable of providing assistance in over 300 languages, and parents and caregivers can book for their children and dependents. Eligible individuals can also book an appointment directly through public health units that use their own booking systems, Indigenous-led vaccination clinics, participating health care providers and participating pharmacies.