More Ontarians are now eligible for electricity rebates

Power lines are seen against cloudy skies near Murvale, Ont., northwest of Kingston, Wednesday, Sept. 7, 2022 in Ottawa. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

More Ontario residents are now eligible for an electricity support program that could see them receive monthly credits on their bills.

The provincial government announced it would be increasing the income eligibility threshold for the Ontario Electricity Support Program (OESP) in October 2023.

The changes take effect on March 1.

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The Ministry of Energy says that across the board there are increases in income thresholds up to 35 per cent.

Households of five people or more with a combined income of $71,000 after tax deductions now qualify for the program.

Before Friday, the threshold was $52,000.

A full breakdown of income thresholds, including the number of people that need to reside within the household, can be found on the government's website.

“This investment in the Ontario Electricity Support Program demonstrates how serious our government is about making life more affordable for Ontarians,” Minister of Children, Community and Social Services Michael Parsa said in a statement.

“Our government will continue to find even more ways to bring down costs to ensure that nobody in our province gets left behind.”

The OESP provides lower-income homes with a monthly rebate on their electricity bill. The amount will depend on a number of factors, including combined household income and the number of people who live in the home.

Most of those eligible will receive credits ranging from $35 to $75 a month, although the government says that higher rebates are available to customers who are Indigenous, living with Indigenous family members, using electric heating, or using certain electricity-intensive medical devices.

Existing OESP residents may be eligible for higher credit amounts and should contact the customer service centre to find out if they should reapply.

Officials say that 212,000 households were eligible for the OESP in 2022. It's expected that another 100,000 Ontario households could be eligible with the new threshold.