Find programs to reduce your electricity bill

Overview

We are providing hydro bill relief for Ontarians.

Starting November 1, 2019, the Ontario Electricity Rebate will be applied to bills for most residential consumers, farms and many small businesses.

The Ontario Electricity Rebate will appear on your hydro bill as a single line item, replacing the former 8% rebate and rate reduction previously provided by Global Adjustment Refinancing under the Fair Hydro Plan.

Credits on your bill

Get credits on your bill through programs based on your location and income.

Most residential consumers, farms and many small businesses in Ontario will receive a reduction on their bill through the Ontario Electricity Rebate. You may also receive further reductions on your bill if you're a customer of:

• Hydro One (low and medium density customers)
• Northern Ontario Wires
• Chapleau Public Utilities Corporation
• Sioux Lookout Hydro
• InnPower
• Atikokan Hydro
• Algoma Power

The credit you receive will vary depending on your distribution company. Starting November 1, 2019, if you receive support through more than one provincial program, you will also see a separate message that summarizes the total Ontario support provided to help reduce your hydro bill.

If you live on-reserve

Since July 1 2017, the First Nations Delivery Credit, a credit equal to 100% of the delivery charge (or the monthly service charge for utilities that don't have a separate delivery line), has been applied to your bill. You could save approximately $60 per month if you're an on-reserve First Nations residential customer.

You don't need to apply for the First Nations Delivery Credit, if your local distribution company already exempts you from HST. It will automatically be applied to your bill. If you are eligible to be HST exempt – but are not registered yet – please contact your local distributor.

If you have low income

Apply online to get credits on your bill of $35 to $75 per month through the Ontario Electricity Support Program (OESP).

You could get additional credits (between $52 to $113 per month) if you:

• use electric heating
• use certain medical devices that use a lot of electricity
• are Indigenous or a family member living in your household is Indigenous
• live in an eligible rural, remote or designated area

Energy Affordability Program

This program replaced the Save on Energy Home Assistance Program and the AffordAbility Fund Program, which stopped accepting applications in 2020.

The Energy Affordability Program provides personalized, free electricity-saving measures to help with your home energy bills.  Through the program, participating households can reduce their energy bills by between $100 and $1000 per year, depending on eligibility, and increase their home comfort.
The Energy Affordability Program is available to:

• Homeowners
• Tenants (with the consent of building owner or manager)
• Social housing providers
• Income-eligible Indigenous people connected to the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO)-controlled electricity grid, including within on-reserve First Nations communities

What the program provides:

• Participants most in need may qualify for a free energy-needs assessment conducted by a trained energy professional, that will help identify energy-efficient upgrades available for their homes, such as replacement appliances and weather stripping.
• Other income-eligible participants may qualify for free energy-saving kits customized to meet their energy needs that could include energy-saving timers, faucet aerators and/or clothes drying lines.

Apply for the Energy Affordability Program to receive support.

Low-income Energy Assistance Program (LEAP)

If you’re behind on your electricity or natural gas bill and face having your service disconnected, you may qualify for emergency financial help through the Low-income Energy Assistance Program (LEAP).

COVID-19 Energy Assistance Program (CEAP) and COVID-19 Energy Assistance Program for Small Business (CEAP-SB)

The CEAP and CEAP-SB programs are ending. Utilities will continue to provide CEAP and CEAP-SB credits if they have funds remaining.

You can contact your electricity and/or natural gas utility to determine if they are still accepting applications.

More information is available from the Ontario Energy Board.

Energy cost rebates: Applications now closed

Applications for energy cost rebates closed on July 30, 2021. Applications received before the deadline are being reviewed.

The energy cost rebates program provided support to businesses that were required to close or significantly restrict services due to provincial public health measures. Eligible businesses were able to apply for rebates, provided in the form of grants, to help with their fixed costs.

---

Tax credits

For seniors and people with low-to-moderate income

Get up to $1,065 for the 2019 benefit year in tax credits if you or your family have low-to-moderate income and up to $1,213 if you're an eligible senior.

To apply for the Ontario Energy and Property Tax Credit:

1. download and fill out the ON-BEN application form(PDF)
2. file your income tax to see if you are eligible to receive the credit

If you are eligible for the Ontario Energy and Property Tax Credit, you will receive the credit for previous years even if you file your taxes late.

For people in Northern Ontario

Northern Ontario residents can receive a tax credit of up to $154 per year for individuals and up to $237 per year for families, including single parents, for the 2019 benefit year.

To apply for the Northern Ontario Energy Credit:

1. download and fill out the ON-BEN application form(PDF)
2. file your income tax return to see if you are eligible to receive the credit

If you are eligible for the Northern Ontario Energy Credit, you will receive the credit for previous years even if you file your taxes late.

Programs for Indigenous Communities

The province offers a suite of conservation and demand management programs to on-reserve First Nations communities, that are delivered by the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO). They provide incentives and tools to help customers manage their electricity usage and costs. These programs include:

The First Nations Conservation Program

The First Nations Conservation Program helps qualified on-reserve First Nations customers improve the energy-efficiency of their homes and manage their energy use more effectively. The program is offered by the IESO and is delivered free of charge to eligible customers.

Conservation on the Coast

The Conservation on the Coast program offers weatherization upgrades in three communities connected to the Five Nations Energy transmission line (Fort Albany First Nation, Attawapiskat First Nation, and Kashechewan First Nation).

Remote First Nations Pilot

The Remote First Nations Pilot program offers home and small business upgrades to four communities to be connected to the Wataynikaneyap transmission project in northwest Ontario (Kasabonika Lake First Nation, Wunnumin Lake First Nation, North Caribou Lake First Nation, and Sachigo Lake First Nation).