TORONTO, October 28, 2026 – The Ontario government announced on October 27 plans to expand residential electricity consumer protections by prohibiting unit sub-meter providers from disconnecting electricity to condominium and multi-unit residential customers during the winter due to unpaid bills. The province also plans to strengthen rules governing billing and related charges. The proposed measures are still subject to legislative and regulatory changes and have not yet taken effect.
Under current Ontario Energy Board (OEB) regulations, licensed electricity distributors are prohibited from disconnecting residential customers for non-payment between November 15 and April 30 of the following year.
However, this protection does not currently cover all condominium and multi-unit residential customers who receive electricity services through unit sub-meter providers. These companies typically measure electricity consumption separately for each unit and bill residents directly based on their usage.
The Ontario government is now proposing to extend winter disconnection protections to these customers. Once the new rules take effect, condominium residents using unit sub-meters will receive winter protections similar to those already available to other residential electricity customers.
Residents living in condominiums across Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area can check the company name on their monthly electricity bills to determine whether they are billed directly by a local electricity distributor or by a third-party unit sub-meter provider.
The province also plans to improve transparency around unit sub-meter billing and related fees. The Ontario Energy Board already requires unit sub-meter providers to disclose their policies on disconnections, reconnections and associated charges.
Low-income households struggling to pay electricity bills can continue applying for assistance through the Ontario Electricity Support Program (OESP). Eligible unit sub-meter customers can also apply for monthly electricity bill credits based on household income and size.
The official implementation date and detailed rules for the proposed measures have not yet been announced. A winter disconnection ban would also not eliminate outstanding electricity debts, and unpaid bills would still need to be addressed.
Residents who have already received overdue payment or disconnection notices should continue following existing rules and contact the service provider listed on their bills to discuss payment arrangements and available financial assistance.
（LJI by Yuanyuan）
