2016 LIEN Annual Conference Donna Kinapen and Rachel Anderson, OEB - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

2016 LIEN Annual Conference

Donna Kinapen and Rachel Anderson, OEB

March 23, 2016

Low-Income Energy Assistance Program

LEAP EFA is a grant

program, funded by ratepayers, to provide emergency relief to eligible low-income consumers who may be experiencing difficultly paying their bill It is not intended to provide regular or ongoing bill payment assistance

What is LEAP EFA?

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• 79 distributors participating in LEAP EFA and Winter Warmth:

– 74 Electricity distributors – 5 Natural gas distributors

• 116 social service agencies participating in LEAP EFA and Winter Warmth

program delivery: – 70 lead agencies delivering LEAP EFA in the electricity sector – 46 agencies delivering LEAP EFA and Winter Warmth in the natural gas sector

LEAP EFA and Winter Warmth

Results from January 1, 2014 to December 31, 2014

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LEAP EFA and Winter Warmth – Results Overview

Results from January 1, 2014 to December 31, 2014

5 Electricity Distributors 2014 2013 Change % Change

LEAP Funds Available

$ 5,536,646 $ 5,031,449

+$ 505,197 +10.0% LEAP Funds Disbursed

$ 4,762,007 $ 4,279,839

+$ 482,168 +11.2% Applicants Assisted

9,656 9,293

+363 +3.9% Average Grant

$ 418 $ 399

+$ 19 +4.8%

Natural Gas Distributors * 2014 2013 Change % Change

LEAP and WW Funds Available

$2,760,904 $ 2,314,018

+$ 446,886 +19.3% LEAP and WW Funds Disbursed

$2,632,808 $ 2,128,223

+$ 504,585 +23.7% Applicants Assisted

6,135 4,971

+1,164 +23.4% Average Grant

$369 $ 364

+$ 5 +1.4%

* Utilities Kingston provides partial LEAP EFA data in their Utilities Kingston Annual Reports 2014 and 2013.

• 48 electricity distributors fully exhausted their LEAP funds

– These distributors have approximately 1,737,474 customers – Overall, up 3 from 45 in 2013

• 7 electricity distributors have a surplus balance that is less than their

average grant, so effectively funds were exhausted – These distributors have approximately 708,318 customers

• 19 electricity distributors have LEAP funds remaining

– These distributors have approximately 2,111,356 customers – Overall, down 11 from 30 in 2013

LEAP EFA and Winter Warmth – Results Overview

Results from January 1, 2014 to December 31, 2014

6 LEAP EFA and Winter Warmth 2014 Results % of Total Funding 2013 Results % Change Total Unused Funds – Electricity Distributors $ 774,643 14.0% $ 751,609 +3.1% Total Unused Funds – Natural Gas Distributors $128,095 4.9% $185,794

• 31.1%

2 4 6 8 10 12 14 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Number of electricity distributors Month in which LEAP funds were depleted 2014 2013 2012

LEAP EFA and Winter Warmth – Results Overview

Results from January 1, 2014 to December 31, 2014

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Common Characteristics of a LEAP EFA Applicant

Average Arrears $550 Average Monthly Income $1,681

Family Type

Single - with children (32%) Single – no children (32%)

Housing Type

Private Rental (58%)

Dwelling Type

House (74%)

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LEAP and OESP are distinct programs that complement each other Some changes were made to LEAP to align with OESP Customers can receive both a LEAP grant and OESP credit at the same time

Comparisons between LEAP and OESP

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• Definition of Low Income

– Income eligibility now based on Statistics Canada’s after-tax Low Income Measure (LIM) derived thresholds – Previously, LEAP income eligibility was based on pre-tax income and Statistics Canada’s Low Income Cut-Off (LICO) + 15%

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Updates to LEAP and Alignment with OESP

OESP & LEAP Income Eligibility Table Derived from Low Income Measure (LIM)

Total income 1 Person 2 Persons 3 Persons 4 Persons 5 Persons 6 Persons 7+ Persons Less than

• r equal to

$28,000 Eligible Eligible Eligible Eligible Eligible Eligible Eligible $28,001- $39,000

• Eligible

Eligible Eligible Eligible Eligible $39,001- $48,000

• Eligible

Eligible Eligible $48,001- $52,000

• Eligible

• Exclusions from Income Eligibility Calculations

– Exclude the Universal Child Care Benefit (UCCB), Canada Child Tax Benefit (CCTB) and Ontario Child Benefit (OCB) – Exclude income from Registered Disability Savings Plans and Assistance for Children with Severe Disabilities – These child benefits may be considered when assessing whether an applicant will be able to sustain utility service

• Attendance

– Only the utility account holder must attend the application interview for LEAP and the in-person application process for OESP (when this occurs)

• Transfer of funds:

– Requirement to remit cheques between agencies and utilities is eliminated – OEB is not prescribing the process; agencies and utilities should come to an arrangement that works best for them

• Utilities Contacting Applicants re: Energy Conservation

– The Consent to Disclosure of Personal Information form now includes consent to be contacted by a utility representative about participation in utility low-income energy conservation programs by default unless an applicant opts-out

Updates to LEAP and Alignment with OESP

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• Reporting

– Two types of 'monthly reporting‘: ongoing program operations and demographic information – Ongoing program operations includes funds remaining, applications approved, etc.

• Continue monthly reporting so no impact on agency funding payments

– Demographic information includes sources of income, family composition, dwelling type, etc.

• Only needs to be collected and filed every three years
• OEB will provide advance notice when it expects this information to be

collected and reported (next notice expected to be in 2017 for collection in 2018) – Annual Reporting Requirements - The number of LEAP applicants who received a grant in the prior calendar year will be reported annually by intake agencies to utilities, and by utilities to the OEB through the Reporting and Record Keeping Requirements (RRR)

Updates to LEAP and Alignment with OESP

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• Unlike LEAP, the OESP does not have a 2-tier structure for intake agencies
• Agency settlement for LEAP occurs via LEAP Lead Agencies, whereas agency

settlement for OESP occurs directly with all OESP Intake Agencies

• LEAP Agencies work with applicants who are customers of specific utilities, OESP

Intake Agencies can help any applicant in Ontario

• Both LEAP and OESP eligible customers qualify for low-income customer service

rules, but they must contact their utility in order to take advantage of them OEB Low-Income Energy Support Programs LEAP EFA LEAP Lead Agency LEAP Intake Agency OESP OESP Intake Agency

Comparisons between LEAP and OESP

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Ontario Electricity Support Program

https://youtu.be/aP7C4my8Ym0 15

What is the Ontario Electricity Support Program?

What the OESP is: An ongoing, on-bill rate assistance program for low-income electricity consumers, with on-bill credits that began January 2016 Focus of the OESP: OESP provides targeted support to those low-income customers with the greatest need through a reduction on qualifying customer’s utility bills Funding: The OESP is funded through a provincial charge Expected to benefit more than 500,000 low-income households

What does the OESP provide?

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Who is eligible and for how long?

Who is eligible?

• Residential customers who receive

a bill directly from an electricity distributor or a unit sub-meter provider and live at the address

• Household income falls below the

level set in Stats Canada’s Low- Income Measure (LIM)

• Eligible amount depends on the

applicant’s total household income and number of people in the house How long does eligibility last?

• Eligible consumers only need to re-

qualify every 2 years

The first eligibility period is staggered between 24-36 months

• Eligibility period is 5 years for some

– Seniors (65+ years old) – CPP permanent disability pension recipients

• Consumers should reapply prior to

the end of their eligibility period if their circumstances change

– E.g., total household income drops, new household members

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• The OESP uses a targeted, sliding-scale fixed credit to deliver greater

benefits to those in greater need

How much is the OESP credit?

18 OESP Credit ($/month) Household Size (Number of People in the Household) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 + Total Income ≤$28,000 $30 $30 $34 $38 $42 $50 $50 $28,001 - $39,000 $30 $34 $38 $42 $50 $39,001 - $48,000 $30 $34 $38 $48,001 - $52,000 $30

• Those with unique needs get slightly more assistance to reflect their

increased electricity use

– Consumers who use electric heat as their primary heating source – Those that depend on medical equipment requiring significant electricity use (oxygen concentrator or mechanical ventilator) – First Nation and Métis customers

How much is the OESP credit?

19 OESP Energy Intensive Credit ($/month) Household Size (Number of People in the Household) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 + Total Income ≤$28,000 $45 $45 $50 $55 $60 $75 $75 $28,001 - $39,000 $45 $50 $55 $60 $75 $39,001 - $48,000 $45 $50 $55 $48,001 - $52,000 $45

How has the OESP uptake been to date?

Over 131,000 applications received and over 67,000 acceptance letters sent (as of March 17, 2016) – Reached 37 percent of applications anticipated by end of 2016 – Over 53,000 are energy intensive applications

123 contracted OESP intake agencies with coverage across 172 locations

About 5.6 million page views to the OntarioElectricitySupport.ca website First Nations and Métis enrollment is on target – Of 115 communities, ONWAA has visited 69 and are working with another 16 to schedule a visit – About 6 percent of applications received are from First Nation/Métis applicants which is consistent with OEB’s eligibility estimate

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• Averaging between 4,000 and 10,000 applications a week, and 1,000

applications a day, since launch

• Spikes in mid-December due to program launch and mid-February due to

2016 bills arriving

• Dips in late December, mid-February and mid-March due to holidays

(Christmas, Family Day, March Break)

How has the OESP uptake been to date?

Application Process

Keep in mind:

• 1. Intake agencies may choose to include a pre-screening step
• 2. Households can also complete a paper application

How do consumers apply?

Application intake began in October 2015

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All Application Types

• Current electricity bill

To verify the account number, account holder and service address Automatic Income Verification Manual Income Verification

• SIN numbers for all tax-filers in the

household or other temporary tax numbers

Proof is not required Note: All household members between the ages of 18 and 74 must have filed taxes once in the last 2 years to be eligible for Automatic Income Verification

• Proof of income from all household

members

This may include one or more of the following:

• Recent pay cheque stub
• Recent letter from employer
• Recent income tax return
• Recent Ontario Works statement
• Employment Insurance
• Ontario Disability Support Program
• Canada Pension Plan
• Workplace Safety and Insurance Board
• Old Age Security Pension
• Rental Income
• RRSPs
• Recent bank statement

Required Documentation

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Recent Updates to the OESP Application Process

Complete: – Addition of OESP Contact Centre agents – Contact centre agents able to correct utility account information errors – Dedicated contact centre agents for intake agencies – Improvements to paper application processes – Ability to search for intake agency by postal code (through Google map) – Interactive Voice Response (IVR) has been updated to improve efficiency Upcoming: – Allow applicants to apply regardless of self-assessment tool outcome – Revisit timing and wording of applicant communications Ongoing: – Continue discussions with CRA about “wet signature” consent requirement

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“Start Application” and “Find out if you’re eligible” both link to the Eligibility Self-Assessment Tool and Online Application

OESP Portal Home Page – Getting Started

English and French available

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Enter the number of household members Enter the total household income after taxes (no commas, no cents) Select “Get Results” Applicants can proceed to fill out an application

Eligibility Self-Assessment Tool

When viewing the page for the first time,

• nly one question is

displayed; additional questions appear after answering the previous one Depending on the answers, the “Continue” button may appear permitting the applicant to continue

• n their own

Or, the intake agency finder appears, as well as the intake agent login

Starting an Application

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The applicant’s First Name and Last Name will be verified with CRA (for AIV and AAIV applications); therefore, it must be spelled exactly as it appears on the tax filing Utility Provider can be searched or selected from the drop-down list Utility Account Number, Utility Account Holder’s Full Name(s) and Utility Account Holder’s Service Address must be entered exactly as it appears on the applicant’s electricity bill

Utility Account Information

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To help applicants find the required information on their electricity bill, a sample bill is provided once a Utility Provider is chosen Sample bills include helpful instructions to assist applicants with data entry

Utility Account Information (continued)

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Mailing Address can be entered using the lookup or manually completing each field If Email is selected as the preferred method of communication, a valid Email Address must be provided If Mail is selected as the preferred method of communication, a valid Phone Number must be provided

Utility Account Information (continued)

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People in Your House

The first household member added must be the utility account

• holder. The account holder name

pre-populates from the first page. A SIN or Temporary Tax Number must be entered for each household member between the ages of 18 and 74, and for those that are 16, 17 or 75+ and have recently filed taxes After adding a household member, the member’s information will display in the table at the bottom of the page The total number of household members automatically counts as members are added

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Missing data and data entry errors will be listed here and must be resolved before the application can be submitted All consent statements must be checked off before the application can be submitted The “Submit Application” button is greyed out if there are incomplete or erroneous fields

Review and Submit

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Next Steps

The OESP Consent Form must be printed, signed and mailed to the OESP Contact Centre (for AIV and AAIV applications) Reference Number, User ID and Temporary Password are displayed Links to “Applicant Dashboard” and “Change Your Password” are provided

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Logging-in takes an applicant to the Applicant Dashboard “Forgot your password?” option to assist applicants whose preferred method of communication is Email Check Status by entering Application Reference Number

OESP Portal Home Page – Application Features

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OESP Portal Home Page – Getting Help

Links to list of Frequently Asked Questions and Program Documents, including a copy of the paper application form and consent form Email and Phone icons and text redirect to the OESP Contact Us page Designated intake agencies are displayed by geographic region in the drop-down list or may be searched by postal code by clicking the link to the Google map Contact information appears once an intake agency is selected

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OESP Portal Home Page – Getting Help

The Google map

• pens in a separate

browser tab Search using the magnifying glass icon at the top left hand corner of the page and zoom in/out to find the nearest one Select an intake agency by clicking on the red dot in the map or the agency name in the list Contact information appears once an intake agency is selected

• Initial intake period (October 2015 – March 2016)

– 3 to 5 weeks (4 to 6 weeks for paper) upon receipt of all required information – Once approved, the OESP credit will appear in 1 to 2 electricity utility bills starting in January 2016

• Program enrolment (April 2016 onwards)

– 2 to 3 weeks (up to 4 weeks for paper) upon receipt of all required information – Once approved, the OESP credit will appear in 1 to 2 electricity utility bills

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Anticipated Processing Times

• Utilities will alert customers receiving an OESP credit regarding

– Renewals (approx. 60 days in advance) – Changes to the OESP credit (e.g., if the sliding scales change) 39 Event Communication Application Saved Temporary Credentials Application Submitted Welcome Application Incomplete Completion Reminder Consent Form Not Received Consent Reminder Consent Form Incomplete Consent Form Not Complete Communication Changes Required Action Required Communication Lost Password Password Reset Confirmation Password Reset Communication Eligibility Decision Made Eligibility Communication (Accepted) Eligibility Communication (Rejected)

Applicant Communications

OESP Outreach Activities

What communications are available for OESP?

Background Information

• Website content
• Backgrounder & FAQs
• Newsletter article
• Postcards

Marketing Collateral (MPP / MP Offices, councilors, agencies, etc.)

• Brochure
• Poster

Marketing Collateral (Utilities)

• Mandated: On-bill messaging for OESP

recipients

• Required: Bill inserts
• Optional: Messaging for envelopes and
• ther notices

Marketing Collateral (MCSS)

• Mail-out insert (OW, ODSP)

Digital Marketing

• Social media posts
• Informational YouTube video
• Web banners & portal link

Advertising

• Community newspaper ads
• Radio
• In-transit & transit shelter

Media Launch

• Earned media strategy
• Media kit materials

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Strategy

• Employ a broad awareness campaign while leveraging stakeholder and community channels
• Use a variety of advertising and marketing tactics (targeted paid media, earned and owned channels)

Objective

• Encourage strong enrollment
• Inform all Ontarians and relevant stakeholders
• Position OESP as part of OEB’s mandate to protect all consumers interests

Tactics

• Paid media included:

– 26,880 radio spots (:30 seconds – multi-lingual) – Geo-targeted transit shelters (in 19 communities, over 275 locations, for 4 weeks) – In-transit ads (in 15 communities for 13 weeks) – Radio (French, English and 12 multi-lingual including 1 Aboriginal language and 4 First Nations stations) – Community and in-language newspaper ads in 344 community papers, twice in November (French, English and 11 multi-lingual including four First Nations publications) – Two-minute video on OEB’s YouTube Channel (about 5000 views) – Search Engine Marketing – Social media ads on Facebook – 3922 shares and 1900 likes

Reaching Consumers – Broad Awareness Campaign

(Launch to date)

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Engagement Activity Progress and Milestones (to date)

Working Groups

• Meet every two weeks to provide feedback on the OESP design and implementation
• Two working groups engaged: Financial Assistance Working Group (FAWG), Implementation Working Group (IWG)
• Over 20 meetings held with each working group since April

Regional Meetings

• Information and consultation meetings held across the province: Ottawa, Sudbury, Toronto, London & Thunder Bay
• Ontario LDCs, USMPs, EDA, LEAP agencies, interested social agencies, MP and MPP offices and municipalities invited
• 342 stakeholders attended

Webinars & Training

• Seven webinars and 7 Q&A sessions hosted with Intake Agencies & 6 webinars and 5 Q&A sessions hosted with Utilities
• Four Utility training webinars, 17 face-to-face Intake Agency training sessions and 2 Intake Agency training webinars

Information Session Webinars

• MCSS webinars on September 28th and October 14th – 124 participants in total
• MPP Offices webinars on October 8th and 15th – 46 participants in total
• 211 Ontario webinar on October 22nd
• United Ways of Ontario webinar on February 9th and 17th
• Salvation Army Ministry Units webinar to be held on March 31st and April 5th

Briefings

• EDA Communicators Council in June and July
• Ontario Municipal Social Services Association (OMSSA) Learning Symposium and AGM- June 23rd
• Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association (NOMA) Board Meeting- July 7th
• Federation of Northern Ontario Municipalities (FONOM) Board Meeting- July 16th
• Association of Municipalities Ontario (AMO) Conference- August 16-17th
• Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing Team Lead Meeting- September 10th
• Poverty Reduction Strategy Communications Group- September 10th
• Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing Managers Meeting (Eastern)- September17th
• Ontario Seniors Secretariat (OSS) Liaison Committee Meeting- September 24th
• Northern Ontario Service Deliverers Association (NOSDA) OW Manager’s Meeting- September 30th
• Enercare Client Briefing- September 30th
• Seniors Information and Active Living Fair (Scarborough)- October 1st
• Single Parent Support Fair Event- October 5th
• Ontario Non Profit Housing Association (ONPHA) Conference- October 16th
• Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing Managers Meeting (Central)- October 21st
• South Riverdale Community Health Center- October 22nd
• Older Adult Centres’ Association of Ontario (OACAO) Conference- October 26th
• Willowdale Community Legal Services- October 27th
• Three webinars for Front Line Enablers in late October / early November
• Ontario Good Roads Association (ORGA) / Rural Ontario Municipal Association (ROMA) Combined Conference – February 21 – 24th

Stakeholder Engagement Activities

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Campaign Effectiveness – What is working best?

Utilities, working groups and agencies said:

– Word of Mouth (high trust) – Radio – Bill inserts / LDC buckslips – Transit ads

Leger Consumer Awareness Survey (1,000 consumers) results showed:

– 41% awareness (knew OESP assists those with low incomes) – 29% recalled hearing about OESP on the radio – 27% recalled seeing transit or newspaper ad – 26% heard through bill insert or utility newsletter Campaign Effectiveness:

“…it is at least 5% to 10% higher than other advertising awareness studies I’ve done recently.” 44

1. Which demographics need targeted outreach to increase uptake? (e.g. seniors, ethnic communities) 2. How can we better reach these demographics? 3. What barriers prevent these demographics from applying? 4. How can we reduce the impact of these barriers?

Energy Assistance Panel – Guiding Questions

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