Business and Industry
Businesses will continue to have access to incentives for energy-efficiency measures to help save on energy costs, improve overall operations, and increase business competitiveness. Incentives will be available for energy-efficiency measures that align with the overall goals of the CDM framework to achieve peak demand savings and meet overall electricity system needs, and to support customers in managing their energy costs. There will be an opportunity to add more measures to the initial list that will be introduced with the new framework in January, based on marketplace feedback through the timeframe of the framework.
Opportunities for industrial consumers to implement innovative projects to improve their operations and help reduce electricity costs will continue to be available. To support more customer-focused solutions, the Process and Systems Upgrade (PSU) program will be discontinued and replaced by a new offering to help larger more complex projects get off the ground. This shift in programming will reduce the administrative burden for participants and will address the unique and specialized needs of industrial consumers in Ontario.
An enhanced Energy Performance Program (EPP) will be available to incent participants for whole building energy savings in their facilities, through the pay-for-performance model. Participants will have the ability to grow their energy savings over time, as a result of capital investments and behavioural and operational improvements implemented throughout their contract term.
Specific details on incentives and budget will be available in early December.
The existing Energy Manager program will continue to be available to help Ontario businesses unlock energy savings and drive market competitiveness. Funding and targets for hired energy managers will shift to have greater focus on peak demand savings. It is anticipated that the program model will continue to evolve to support businesses in achieving long-term and persistent savings through strategic energy management.
Specific details on incentives and budget will be available in early December.
Small Business
Support for small business electricity consumers will continue to be available to help small business owners access energy and cost-saving opportunities to help their businesses grow. This is particularly important throughout 2021 and beyond, as the province recovers from the economic impacts of COVID-19. The program will remain relatively unchanged in January 2021, and the IESO will be adding new energy and demand savings measures in mid-2021.
Residential
Support for income-eligible consumers will continue to be offered to help Ontario residents save on energy costs, through the replacement of inefficient equipment and appliances and weatherization. The Save on Energy Home Assistance Program will be replaced with the Energy Affordability Program (EAP). The new EAP will have expanded eligibility to help eligible consumers lower their energy costs and increase home comfort.
Specific details on the program offering will be available in early December.
Additional resources and opportunities
The ability to implement tailored programs for local communities with local needs will continue to be available. Targeted local programming helps to maximize value to electricity rate payers and customers, demonstrating the ability to utilize energy efficiency as a resource to help manage local electricity demand and avoid or defer costly infrastructure investments. Opportunities will be deployed to targeted areas across Ontario based on needs identified through the IESO’s existing regional planning process.
Further details will be available in early December upon release of the CDM plan.
Save on Energy will continue to offer all residential electricity consumers information and tips on how to save energy and better manage their electricity costs. This includes resources available on the Save on Energy website to help make smart buying decisions around energy-efficient equipment and tips for improving comfort of living and working spaces.
Helpful content and tools will be refreshed throughout the framework to reflect seasonality and societal needs, and to ensure consumers are equipped with the information they need to make energy-efficient choices and adopt energy-efficient behaviours.
Specific residential needs may also be addressed through available income-eligible or Indigenous programming, as well as though local program opportunities that may be brought forward for communities to help address local electricity needs.
Courses and workshops will continue to be available for energy professionals to empower them with the necessary skills to make energy-efficiency improvements and implement energy-efficient behaviours in their workplaces. Training incentives will be available for energy management, specialized skills training for systems and technologies, and opportunities for professional development through various industry certifications.
Opportunities will continue to help on-reserve First Nations communities benefit from energy-saving upgrades to help improve the quality of living and working spaces and help residents and communities save on energy costs. Programs under the Interim Framework that were suspended due to COVID-19 will be relaunched to allow time for committed projects to be completed. In mid-2021, the programs may evolve based on additional engagement with Ontario’s First Nations communities in an effort to respond to changing community needs, while building on the success of previous on-reserve programming.
For more information on the directive, please visit the IESO's Ministerial Directives web page, and for questions regarding new offerings please visit the contact us page to contact a Save on Energy representative.