Ford government extends hydro rate relief to May 31

Electricity rate relief is being extended for residences, small businesses and farms until May 31, according to the Ford government.

Customers will continue to receive the “off-peak” rate, which is the lowest price, throughout the whole day.

The electricity relief came into play on March 24 and was planned to last for 45 days, ending this week, reports Global News.

The rates will be extended for a further 24 days—until the end of May—under the Emergency Civil Protection Act.

In a statement, Premier Doug Ford said, “During this extraordinary period, many people are struggling to pay the bills as they do the right thing by staying at home, as well as our farmers and those whose businesses have closed or suffered reduced customer traffic.”

“Although we are making progress in our fight against this COVID-19 outbreak, we are not out of the woods yet. The extension of this electricity rate relief will leave more money in people’s pockets until businesses can start to reopen and people can get back to work.”

The off-peak rate comes out to 10.1 cents per kilowatt, says the Ontario Energy Board (OEB). This is much lower than on-peak and mid-peak pricing.

Low-volume and residential small businesses customers will receive an extended winter ban on the electricity disconnections until July 31. This period usually lasts until April 30.

The government also said that emergency orders that fall under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act will remain in effect until May 19.