O. Reg. 196/17: INVOICING REQUIREMENTS

Ontario Fair Hydro Plan Act, 2017

ONTARIO REGULATION 196/17

INVOICING REQUIREMENTS

Historical version for the period July 1, 2017 to December 14, 2017.

No amendments.

This is the English version of a bilingual regulation.

Information to be included on invoices

1. Invoices issued to a specified consumer by an electricity vendor, other than Hydro One Inc., or a unit sub-meter provider must set out, in a location where conservation or other utility messages to consumers are usually placed, the following statement: “Ontario’s Fair Hydro Plan substantially lowers electricity bills for typical residential consumers. This includes the eight per cent rebate introduced in January 2017, and builds on previous initiatives to deliver broad-based relief on all electricity bills.”

Information to be included with invoices

2. (1) This section applies to invoices issued in paper form to a specified consumer by an electricity vendor or a unit sub-meter provider.

(2) During the 12-month period beginning with the first invoice issued to the specified consumer on or after July 1, 2017 and ending with the first invoice issued to the specified consumer on or after July 1, 2018, an invoice must, with the frequency set out in subsection (3), be accompanied by a bill insert that meets the following requirements:

1. The Ontario government trillium logo must appear in a reasonably prominent place on the face of the bill insert.

2. The words “Ontario’s Fair Hydro Plan” and “Bringing electricity bills down” must appear in a reasonably prominent location on the face of the bill insert.

3. The insert must contain the following wording:

Ontario’s Fair Hydro Plan

Electricity bills will be lowered by 25 per cent on average for residential consumers

Rate increases will be held to inflation for four years

As many as half a million small businesses and farms will also benefit from this reduction

Lower-income Ontarians and those living in eligible rural communities will receive even greater reductions, as much as a 40 to 50 per cent cut

The benefit will vary for individual consumers depending on electricity usage and service territory. These measures include the eight per cent rebate introduced in January 2017 and build on previous initiatives to deliver broad-based relief on all electricity bills.

To find out more, visit ontario.ca/FairHydroPlan.

(3) The bill insert shall be included with an invoice,

(a) once every quarter, in the case of specified consumers who are billed on a monthly basis; and

(b) twice during the period, in the case of specified consumers who are billed on a seasonal basis.

Alternatives authorized by Minister

3. (1) If the Minister is satisfied that, for technical or operational reasons, it would be impossible, impractical or unreasonably difficult for an electricity vendor or a unit sub-meter provider to use on its invoices the wording required by this Regulation or to follow an invoicing process required by this Regulation, and if the Minister is satisfied that using different wording specified by the Minister or following a different invoicing process specified by the Minister would also promote the purposes of the requirement, the Minister may give the electricity vendor or unit sub-meter provider a written notice so stating.

(2) If an electricity vendor or unit sub-meter provider receives a notice from the Minister under subsection (1), it shall use on its invoices the wording specified in the Minister’s notice and shall follow the invoicing process specified in the Minister’s notice instead of the wording or invoicing process otherwise required under this Regulation.

4. Omitted (provides for coming into force of provisions of this Regulation).