#FinancialFridays: Understanding Your Hydro Bill
When I meet with people to talk through their expenses, income, assets, and debts, I have some standard questions I ask. When it comes to their hydro bill, I ask if they have the Ontario Electricity Support Program credit on their hydro bill. Most people are not sure if they do or not. If they don’t and may qualify, I usually refer them to my coworker Karen Baxter, Utility Assistance Co-ordinator with the United Way of Bruce Grey. Read more to find out if you may qualify. –
Hydro One bills have two sides. The front side shows more generalised information while the back side shows detailed information. Westario Power bills usually have one page that shows detailed information. Look at the side with the detailed list. It may show a credit as well. If there is a negative number in the list, that is a credit.
There are some common credits; we will speak about two of them that get confused.
Ontario Electricity Rebate (OER)
This provides customers with a 19.3% reduction on the amount of their bill before HST. Residential and Small Commercial customers using less than 50kM and commercial accounts that are greater than 50kW but use less than 250,000 kWh annually are automatically eligible and don’t need to complete the self-declaration form. Visit this link for more information: https://www.hydroone.com/business-services/commercial-industrial-generators-and-ldcs/commercial-industrial-customers/ontario-electricity-rebate
Ontario Electricity Support Program (OESP)
This provides a credit on your monthly hydro bill. The amount is based on the number of people living in the home and the household income after tax. The credit amount is set when you apply and stays the same month to month. The credit remains on your hydro bill for 2-4 years (depending on your income source). You do have to apply for this credit. You can apply online yourself at https://ontarioelectricitysupport.ca/ or call the United Way office at 519-376-1560 and ask to speak with Karen. When Hydro One customers complete their online application themselves, they will need access to a printer to print the consent form after submission. The household income chart is available on the OESP website.
Some people think their heat source is electricity simply because they use a furnace. However, electric heating applies when there is no other primary heat source, such as oil, propane, wood, or gas, or when at least 50% of the home is heated by electricity.
The following link explains everything included in your Hydro One bill. It doesn’t include the OESP credit but does include the OER. The OESP credit, if you have it already or when you get it, will show close to the OER credit in the detailed list and will show as a negative number (for example -$45.00).
