[homeles_ot-l] Fwd: LIEN newsletter - please circulate
Terrie
mocharebyl at gmail.com
Fri May 15 19:00:34 EDT 2009
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Zeenat Bhanji (ACTO) <bhanjiz at lao.on.ca>
Date: 2009/5/15
Subject: LIEN newsletter - please circulate
To:
<<LIEN newsletter - Winter0809.pdf>>
[image: Picture (Metafile)]******
[image: Paintbrush Picture]
* *
The bi-monthly bulletin of the Low-Income Energy Network (LIEN)
*Volume 3, No.5, Winter 2008/2009*
- *OEB’s releases three-part program for low-income energy consumers*
On March 10, 2009, the OEB announced the establishment of the new
Low-Income Energy Assistance Program (LEAP) as the outcome of its
consultation on low-income energy consumer issues in which LIEN actively
participated last fall. LEAP has three components: temporary financial
assistance for consumers in need; access to more flexible customer service
rules on matters such as bill payment and disconnection notice periods; and
targeted conservation and demand management
programs.
The LEAP emergency energy fund totaling about $5 million annually will be
available year round on a consistent basis across the province, and will be
provided by both electricity and gas energy providers together with social
service agencies in each community. This will ensure that the program is
available to low-income energy consumers in need all across Ontario.
Unfortunately, the Board decided against LIEN’s recommendation of
establishing a permanent energy rate affordability program for low-income
consumers that would proactively prevent households from falling into
arrears. The temporary financial assistance program is reactive, dealing
with arrears after the fact. LIEN will continue its fight for a low-income
rate assistance program. A LEAP implementation working group will be formed
by the OEB with the goal of getting the LEAP in place by November 2009. For
more information and to view LIEN’s media release, please visit the LIEN
website.
- *Proposed** Green Energy Act holds promise for improved low-income
conservation programs *
On February 23, 2009,* Bill 150 – Green Energy and Green Economy Act,
2009* was introduced in the Ontario legislature. LIEN was encouraged by
provisions in the proposed* Green Energy Act* (GEA) that could adequately
fund conservation programs designed to help low-income Ontarians
significantly reduce their household energy use and bills. Programs to date
have been limited to pilots, involved short-term funding commitments or have
focused on less extensive measures such as low-flow showerheads, aerators,
pipe wrap, programmable thermostats and CFL bulbs.
Bill 150 contains amendments to the* Ontario Energy Board Act, 1998* that
require the OEB to collect assessments to fund conservation or renewable
energy programs:
- aimed at reducing consumption of various fuels (natural gas,
electricity, propane, oil, coal and wood), and
- aimed at a specific geographical, social, income or other
sector of Ontario.
Other OEB Act amendments provide for Ministerial directives to the
Ontario Energy Board to set conservation targets to be met by distributors
and other licensees. LIEN anticipates that these new provisions in the OEB
Act, plus the OEB’s statement in its LEAP report that it wants to ensure
that the appropriate level and type of energy conservation programs are
available to low-income consumers, means real progress may finally be made
in getting effective, province-wide, adequately funded programs in place.
For more information and to view LIEN’s media release, please visit the LIEN
website.
- *Electricity sub-metering in apartment buildings halted*
On March 24th, 2009, the Ontario Energy Board’s Chief Compliance Officer
issued a compliance bulletin which effectively halted the installation of
electricity sub-meters in multi-residential rental units. Below is the link
to the compliance bulletin:
*
http://www.oeb.gov.on.ca/OEB/_Documents/Compliance/Compliance_Bulletin_200901.pdf
*<http://www.oeb.gov.on.ca/OEB/_Documents/Compliance/Compliance_Bulletin_200901.pdf>
.
The compliance bulletin clarified that any electricity sub-meters installed
in rental apartment buildings on or after November 3, 2005 were done without
legal authority. The OEB has called for these activities, regulated under
the* Electricity Act, 1998*, to cease immediately.
Currently, most rental apartment buildings in the province are bulk-metered
for electricity service and tenants pay for the utility in their monthly
rent. Thousands of tenants have been pressured into signing sub-metering
contracts. In many cases, landlords have transferred electricity costs to
the tenant without the tenant’s consent. The rent reductions offered by
landlords are often inadequate.
Since 2004, LIEN and the Advocacy Centre for Tenants Ontario (a steering
committee and founding member of LIEN) have raised concerns about the
adverse impacts of electricity sub-metering and smart meters with
time-of-use pricing on housing affordability and security for low-income
households/consumers.
- *Gas utilities consult on low-income energy conservation programs*
LIEN continues to work with Enbridge Gas Distribution and Union Gas on
the progress of their low-income demand-side management (DSM) programs,
particularly with public information and outreach about the programs as they
are launched to assist the companies in meeting their client targets. In
November 2008, Enbridge and Union had separate consultative sessions,
designed to elicit feedback on their upcoming multi-year (2010 to 2012)
DSM framework as well as to debrief stakeholders on the progress made in
the current plans. LIEN attended both consultative meetings and made a case
for increased spending on the low-income program, expansion of the
low-income weatherization program, as well as targeting those most
in need, namely,
OW and ODSP recipients, the working poor, low-income seniors and others
living on fixed incomes.
- *Energy poverty on agenda at OMSSA 2008 fall training seminar*
LIEN participated in a panel discussion on energy programs for low-income
consumers which was held as part of an Ontario Municipal Social
ServicesAssociation(OMSSA) workshop on December 1, 2008. OMSSA’s fall
training seminar is an
annual gathering of front-line municipal social service staff as well as
managers and directors of municipal social services. There was also a
session with a focus on getting information out to staff on how to connect
clients and families to low-income energy programs. The workshop focused on
the issues that low-income families face and how municipalities and energy
companies and other stakeholder can work together for the benefit of
low-income families. LIEN gave an overview of energy poverty in Ontario and
LIEN’s advocacy for a comprehensive strategy to sustainably address the
affordable energy needs of low-income consumers.
*LIEN Currents** is issued bi-monthly by the Low-Income Energy Network for
members and others interested in solutions to energy poverty in Ontario. For
more information, contact the LIEN Coordinator at
**bhanjiz at lao.on.ca*<bhanjiz at lao.on.ca>
* or 416-597-5855 ext. 5167 or t**oll-free at 1-866-245-4182 ext. 5167. You
can also visit our website at
**www.lowincomeenergy.ca*<http://www.lowincomeenergy.ca>
**
[image: Picture (Metafile)]********
*LIEN would like to express its appreciation to the Ontario Trillium
Foundation for supporting this initiative*
*Zee Bhanji*
Coordinator
Low-Income Energy Network (LIEN)
c/o Advocacy Centre for Tenants Ontario (ACTO)
425 Adelaide St. West, 5th floor
Toronto, ON M5V 3C1
Tel: 416-597-5855 ext. 5167
Toll-free: 1-866-245-4182 ext. 5167
Fax: 416-597-5821
Email: *bhanjiz at lao.on.ca* <bhanjiz at lao.on.ca>
Website: *www.lowincomeenergy.ca* <http://www.lowincomeenergy.ca>
--
Terrie ( mocharebyl at gmail.com )
“If you see an injustice being committed, you aren't an observer, you are a
participant.” June Callwood
Prejudice is a burden that confuses the past, threatens the future and
renders the present inaccessible. Maya Angelou
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://list.web.net/lists/private/homeles_ot-l/attachments/20090515/47446421/attachment-0001.htm>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: not available
Type: image/bmp
Size: 50494 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://list.web.net/lists/private/homeles_ot-l/attachments/20090515/47446421/attachment-0003.bin>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: not available
Type: image/bmp
Size: 114246 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://list.web.net/lists/private/homeles_ot-l/attachments/20090515/47446421/attachment-0004.bin>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: not available
Type: image/bmp
Size: 14862 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://list.web.net/lists/private/homeles_ot-l/attachments/20090515/47446421/attachment-0005.bin>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: LIEN newsletter - Winter0809.pdf
Type: application/octet-stream
Size: 82300 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://list.web.net/lists/private/homeles_ot-l/attachments/20090515/47446421/attachment-0001.obj>
More information about the homeles_ot-l
mailing list