Small businesses and charities eligible to receive up to $850 towards their energy bills

Small businesses and charities can receive up to $850 in support of their energy bill through an Ontario government assistance program.

The Ontario government has invested $8 million to help struggling small businesses and registered charities pay their energy bills through a program called the COVID-19 Energy Assistance Program for Small Businesses (CEAP-SB). The program offers a one time, on-bill credit to help catch up on electrical or natural gas bills and resume regular payments.

Applications are processed through local electricity distributors, gas distributors, and unit sub-meter providers.

Applicants may be eligible for up to $850 in support if they use their electricity primarily for heating or up to $425 otherwise. Natural gas customers may also be eligible to receive $425.

Residents must apply through their local utility providers. West Niagara utilities include Grimsby Power, NPEI, Enbridge Gas, and Hydro One.

Funding is limited and submitting an application does not guarantee funding.

CEAP-SB eligibility requirements

Energy customers may be eligible to receive funding if their small business or registered charity meets the following criteria:

Has an active account with an electricity distributor, a licensed unit sub-metering provider (USMP) or a natural gas distributor as of the day of applying.
The customer has a registered business number or charitable registration number
For customers of an electricity distributor, the General Service less than 50 kW rate class.
For customers of a USMP, the relevant commercial class that uses less than 150,000 kWh of electricity annually.
For customers of a natural gas distributor, is a non-residential customer that uses less than 50,000 cubic meters of gas annually.
The customer’s account was in good standing on March 17, 2020, the date of the Provincial Declaration of Emergency, and the customer was not enrolled in an arrears payment for amounts owing prior to March 17, 2020.
As of the date of applying, there are overdue amounts owning from at least two electricity bills since March 17, 2020.
Your business/charity was required to close its premises to members of the public for at least fifteen days as a result of the government order or an inability to adapt to comply with public health recommendations. “Close” means that the business or charity was unable to maintain regular operations as a result of the government order or health recommendations that required them to fully close, limit access to the premises, or limit services provided or available to the public.

How to apply for CEAP-SB

Business owners can apply through their company’s utility or USMP directly. This can be done by email, mail, online, or by phone.

Utilities and USMPs are required to process applications in the order in which they are received and within 10 days of receipt. Funding is not guaranteed.

Application forms must be filled out and submitted to your electricity distributors, gas distributors, and unit sub-meter providers. Contact your local provider to discuss other application options.

Where to apply in the West Niagara area

Niagara Peninsula Energy Inc.

You can apply online, by email, over the phone or by mail. Complete and submit an online application (can be found here) by using the Submit Form button (in the top right corner on the first page) on the application. Download or print the application, complete it and submit it to [email protected]. Call the NPEI office and have a customer service representative to complete the application for you or mail the completed application to NPEI offices.

Note: Sending by mail may delay your funding or affect your placement in queue.

For questions or to submit the completed form please email [email protected] or visit the CEAP-SB frequently asked questions on the NPEI website.

Other programs

If you are not eligible for CEAP-SB, your place or resident may be eligible for other CEAP programs. More information on these programs and their application processes can be found here.

More info:

Ontario CEAP-SB program