Ontario Electricity Support Program Effective January 2016

[janelcd]

https://ontarioelectricitysupport.ca/

[janelcd]

Call 1-855-831-8151. If you are a customer of an electricity utility and in a lower-income home, you may qualify for a reduction on your electricity bill. -

[tjthemanto]

Cool

The OESP on-bill credit amount will depend on how many people live in the house and the combined household income after tax.

OESP Monthly Credit Amounts

Household Income	Household Size (Number of people living in household)
	1	2	3	4	5	6	7+
$28,000 or less	$30	$30	$34	$38	$42	$50	$50
$28,001 – $39,000			$30	$34	$38	$42	$50
$39,001 – $48,000					$30	$34	$38
$48,001 – $52,000							$30

For some customers, the need to use more power is unavoidable. If your home is electrically heated, or you rely on an approved medical device requiring a lot of electricity, OESP offers a higher level of assistance.

OESP Monthly Credit Amounts – Energy Intensive

Household Income	Household Size (Number of people living in household)
	1	2	3	4	5	6	7+
$28,000 or less	$45	$45	$50	$55	$60	$75	$75
$28,001-$39,000			$45	$50	$55	$60	$75
$39,001-$48,000					$45	$50	$55
$48,001-$52,000

[tjthemanto]

Does it depend upon how much money you have in your bank account like savings account, RRSP, TFSA etc ?

I know a retired couple who are 65 + and their combined income is less than $ 28,000 per year. Mostly OAS and CPP payments. But they live frugally and their house is paid off, so they save a lot and have a substantial amount in their bank savings account like close to $ 200,000 .

Their only expense is utilities and groceries and property tax and home insurance. No mortgage payments ( house paid off ) and no car either. They don't drive. Public Transit is all they use.

Do you think they will qualify or can/should apply ?

I mean they don't really need the $ 30 per month subsidy as they have $ 200,000 in their savings account. They have NO stocks or Mutual Funds, they don't want to take a risk at this age.

But at the same time they make less than $ 28,000 per year in income so technically they do qualify for it.

[lecale]

Does it depend upon how much money you have in your bank account like savings account, RRSP, TFSA etc ?

I know a retired couple who are 65 + and their combined income is less than $ 28,000 per year. Mostly OAS and CPP payments. But they live frugally and their house is paid off, so they save a lot and have a substantial amount in their bank savings account like close to $ 200,000 .

Their only expense is utilities and groceries and property tax and home insurance. No mortgage payments ( house paid off ) and no car either. They don't drive. Public Transit is all they use.

Do you think they will qualify or can/should apply ?

I mean they don't really need the $ 30 per month subsidy as they have $ 200,000 in their savings account. They have NO stocks or Mutual Funds, they don't want to take a risk at this age.

But at the same time they make less than $ 28,000 per year in income so technically they do qualify for it.

They only check to see that the income you declare on your application matches the income you declare on your income tax. There is no asset check. The couple you name would qualify, and if they heat their home electrically they will get an additional $15 per month. Absolutely, they should apply - I read in the paper that very few people were doing so and only 7% of eligible people had signed up before Christmas.

[tjthemanto]

They only check to see that the income you declare on your application matches the income you declare on your income tax. There is no asset check. The couple you name would qualify, and if they heat their home electrically they will get an additional $15 per month. Absolutely, they should apply - I read in the paper that very few people were doing so and only 7% of eligible people had signed up before Christmas.

Cool.

I hope they apply as technically they qualify, but morally and ethically, they don't really need it as they are not exactly poor, with a fully paid of house and lot of savings. But who am I to decide that. As long its all legal and legitimate, they should apply

but then again lot of rich old people also get OAS payments irrespective of their assets, so maybe they should apply for this rebate to. Not their fault that they lived frugally and built savings over a period of time on a meagre income.

But lot of young people don't get welfare if they have more than $ 5,000 in their bank or liquid assets, even if they are genuine cases like NO job etc.

[lecale]

TORONTO - Only about seven per cent of eligible families have applied for a program that starts in the new year to help low-income Ontarians pay their electricity bills.

About 34,000 of 500,000 eligible households have applied for assistance under the Ontario Electricity Support Program, which will provide ongoing rate reduction directly on hydro bills.

The government says people can apply at any time, and eligibility will be two years for most customers, or five years for applicants who are 65 or older or who receive a CPP disability pension.

https://ca.news.yahoo.com/slow-uptake-ontario-program-lowers-electricity-bills-50-205617671.html

[tjthemanto]

[/FONT][/COLOR]https://ca.news.yahoo.com/slow-uptake-ontario-program-lowers-electricity-bills-50-205617671.html[/FONT][/COLOR]

What's amazing is that 500,000 households are in NEED and eligible for this program. So that many living almost close to poverty and barely surviving ! Truly a have not province !

[tjthemanto]

I hope Low Income people are using this in ON to reduce their Hydro bill. It's a poorly marketed and advertised rebate/credit, it's almost as if they don't want anyone to use it.

Pass the info to anyone you think might be eligible for it , as Hydro, Heating, Water costs the basic necessities are soaring !

[janelcd]

Also, the monthly credit on hydro bill is good for 5 YEARS!!

[lecale]

Also, the monthly credit on hydro bill is good for 5 YEARS!!

No, actually it is two years...but one applicant I know got 29 months before review so that should be "about" two years.

Credits are not applied retroactively to January 1, 2016, but all eligible customers will receive on-bill credits for two years regardless of when a customer applies and their credits begin. See "How do I Apply?"

Customers who apply after January 1, 2016, or whose applications are resubmitted close to January 1, will still receive on-bill credits for two years.

https://ontarioelectricitysupport.ca/FAQ

[tjthemanto]

Most Hydro bills are bi-monthly , especially for houses, not so much for condos/apartments.

does that mean they will add the credit for each month and a double credit shows up on your bi-monthly hydro bill ? So if it's $ 30 per month eligibility for someone..will it show up as $ 60 on your bi-monthly bill or will it just show as $ 30 ?

[lecale]

Most Hydro bills are bi-monthly , especially for houses, not so much for condos/apartments.

does that mean they will add the credit for each month and a double credit shows up on your bi-monthly hydro bill ? So if it's $ 30 per month eligibility for someone..will it show up as $ 60 on your bi-monthly bill or will it just show as $ 30 ?

It's per month so you will get a $60 credit per bi-monthly bill (or $90 if you have electric heat)

If you have an account with the program you can log in now and see your status (approved/not, credit per month, number of months)

[janelcd]

And I know an applicant who was approved "for a period of 60 months".

[lecale]

And I know an applicant who was approved "for a period of 60 months".

Are they on CPP?