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O. Reg. 161/15: INFORMATION ON INVOICES TO LOW-VOLUME CONSUMERS OF ELECTRICITY


Published: 2015-06-19

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ontario regulation 161/15

made under the

Ontario Energy Board Act, 1998

Made: June 17, 2015
Filed: June 19, 2015
Published on e-Laws: June 19, 2015
Printed in The Ontario Gazette: July 4, 2015


Amending O. Reg. 275/04

(INFORMATION ON INVOICES TO LOW-VOLUME CONSUMERS OF ELECTRICITY)

1. The title to Ontario Regulation 275/04 is revoked and the following substituted:

INFORMATION ON INVOICES TO CERTAIN CLASSES OF CONSUMERS OF ELECTRICITY

2. The Regulation is amended by adding the following section:

Definitions

0.1 In this Regulation,

“debt retirement charge regulation” means Ontario Regulation 493/01 (Debt Retirement Charge – Rates and Exemptions) made under the Electricity Act, 1998;

“eligible complex” means an eligible complex as defined in subsection 4.0.1 (1.5) of Ontario Regulation 161/99 (Definitions and Exemptions) made under the Act, in respect of which a notice has been given under section 5.4 of the debt retirement charge regulation;

“eligible residential unit” has the meaning set out in subsection 1 (1) of the debt retirement charge regulation;

“invoice”, except in sections 7.1, 8.2 and 8.3, means an invoice described in subsection 1 (1);

“Ontario Electricity Support Program” means the Ontario Electricity Support Program referred to in subsection 79.2 (2) of the Act.

3. Subsection 4 (2) of the Regulation is revoked and the following substituted:

(2) The regulatory charges are to be calculated as the sum of the standard supply service administration charge, where applicable, the wholesale market service charge, including rural or remote rate protection compensation required under subsection 79 (4) of the Act, compensation required under subsection 79.2 (10) of the Act and the charges related to the assessments made under section 26.1 of the Act.

4. Section 5 of the Regulation is revoked and the following substituted:

Debt retirement charge

5. (1) Subject to subsections (2) and (3), under the sub-heading “Debt retirement charge”, the invoice must clearly indicate the total amount of the debt retirement charge payable under subsection 85 (4) of the Electricity Act, 1998.

(2) If the low-volume consumer has an account with a distributor that falls within a residential-rate classification as specified in a rate order made by the Board under section 78 of the Act, then under the sub-heading “Debt retirement charge”, the invoice must clearly indicate that the total amount of the debt retirement charge payable under subsection 85 (4) of the Electricity Act, 1998 with respect to electricity consumed after December 31, 2015 is zero.

(3) If a low-volume consumer is not a low-volume consumer described in subsection (2) and has an account for the provision of electricity by a distributor that comprises or includes electricity that is consumed in one or more eligible residential units, then under the sub-heading “Debt retirement charge”, the invoice must clearly indicate the amount of the debt retirement charge payable under subsection 85 (4) of the Electricity Act, 1998 net of any applicable exemption under section 5.2 or 5.3 of the debt retirement charge regulation.

(4) Subsections (2) and (3) apply to invoices issued after December 31, 2015 with respect to electricity consumed after December 31, 2015.

5. The Regulation is amended by adding the following section:

Debt retirement charge – eligible complex

7.1 (1) This section applies to invoices issued after December 31, 2015 to consumers who are not low-volume consumers and who have an account for the provision of electricity by a distributor that is consumed in an eligible complex after December 31, 2015.

(2) The invoice must include the heading or sub-heading, “Debt Retirement Charge”.

(3) Subject to subsections (4) and (5), under the heading or sub-heading the invoice must clearly indicate the total amount of the debt retirement charge payable under subsection 85 (4) of the Electricity Act, 1998.

(4) If the account falls within a residential-rate classification as specified in a rate order made by the Board under section 78 of the Act, then under the heading or sub-heading the invoice must clearly indicate that the total amount of the debt retirement charge payable under subsection 85 (4) of the Electricity Act, 1998 is zero.

(5) If the account is not an account described in subsection (4), then under the heading or sub-heading the invoice must clearly indicate the amount of the debt retirement charge payable under subsection 85 (4) of the Electricity Act, 1998 net of any applicable exemption under section 5.2 or 5.3 of the debt retirement charge regulation.

6. The Regulation is amended by adding the following sections:

Debt retirement charge exemption message

8.2 (1) When the Minister provides an informational message concerning the debt retirement charge or an exemption under section 5.1, 5.2 or 5.3 of the debt retirement charge regulation, the message must be included on or with the invoice referred to in section 5 or 7.1 of this Regulation, as required by the Minister.

(2) Without limiting the generality of subsection (1), the Minister may require that the informational message,

(a) specify the amount of the debt retirement charge that would have been payable for the period covered by the invoice but for the exemption provided in the debt retirement charge regulation;

(b) describe in reasonable detail how the exempted amount was calculated;

(c) be in the form required by the Minister; and

(d) appear in a particular location on the invoice.

(3) This section applies to invoices issued after December 31, 2015 with respect to electricity consumed after December 31, 2015.

Ontario Electricity Support Program message

8.3 (1) When the Minister provides an informational message concerning the Ontario Electricity Support Program, the message must be included on or with the invoice as required by the Minister.

(2) For the purposes of section 79.17 of the Act, all classes of consumer are prescribed under this section, subject to clause (3) (a).

(3) Without limiting the generality of subsection (1), the Minister may require that the informational message,

(a) be provided to such classes of consumers as the Minister may require;

(b) clearly show on a separate line in the invoice, in such location as the Minister may require, if any, the name of the Ontario Electricity Support Program or a reference to the program by another name or acronym and the amount of the rate assistance provided to the consumer for the period covered by the invoice;

(c) include such information respecting the consumer’s eligibility period as a rate-assisted consumer as the Minister may specify, including a notice reminding the consumer to make any necessary renewals prior to expiry;

(d) include such information as the Minister may specify respecting how to apply for rate assistance under the Ontario Electricity Support Program, whether or not the consumer is currently a rate-assisted consumer;

(e) include different information for consumers in different circumstances;

(f) be in the form required by the Minister; and

(g) appear in a particular location on the invoice.

(4) This section applies to invoices issued after December 31, 2015 with respect to electricity consumed after December 31, 2015.

7. Subsection 10 (2) of the Regulation is revoked and the following substituted:

(2) The invoice shall include the website of the distributor, where available, and the distributor’s telephone number in a note following the glossary of terms that shall read as follows:

NOTE: For a detailed explanation of electricity terms, please visit (website of distributor, where available) or (website of the Board).

8. Section 11 of the Regulation is revoked.

Commencement

9. This Regulation comes into force on the later of July 1, 2015 and the day it is filed.