Retail Energy Contracts
The Ontario Energy Board regulates the conduct of companies that offer retail energy contracts to residential and small business electricity and natural gas consumers in Ontario.
Here are some of the things that the Board does to protect the interests of consumers:
- We license electricity retailers and gas marketers and require them to follow fair business practices
- We provide comprehensive information to residential and small business consumers on their rights and responsibilities; and
- We monitor and enforce compliance so that electricity retailers and gas marketers are accountable if they do not follow their legal or regulatory obligations (See OEB Enforcement Decisions section below for more information)
Ontario's Energy Consumer Protection Act, 2010 (ECPA) paves the way for additional protection for residential and small business energy consumers. Visit the Ministry of Energy website for more information about the ECPA. On the heels of the new legislation, we updated our own rules for electricity retailers and gas marketers.
The ECPA establishes a new framework for contracting with residential and small business consumers starting January 1, 2011, including:
- Retailers/marketers can only enter into, verify, renew or extend contracts with the account holder, the account holder’s spouse or the account holder’s authorized agent for the relevant premises
- An identification badge must be worn and prominently displayed by a salesperson
- All contract costs must be disclosed, and the amount of cancellation fees has been limited
- Customers have enhanced rights to cancel contracts
- Consumers will be provided with greater transparency
- Contracts and contract renewals must come with a Board-approved price comparison sheet that shows the contract price being offered and the price currently charged by the utility;
- View a sample price comparison sheet
- View the Board-approved price comparison templates showing the price currently charged by the utility - Contracts and contract renewals must come with a plain language disclosure statement approved by the Board;
- View the disclosure statements
- View the disclosure statements in multiple languages;
- Contracts and contract renewals must come with a Board-approved price comparison sheet that shows the contract price being offered and the price currently charged by the utility;
More Information
BILL CALCULATOR
Use the OEB online bill calculator to get a monthly bill estimate for electricity or natural gas, whether you’ve signed an energy contract or buy directly from your local utility.
RELATED LINKS
- Learn more about the OEB's responsibilities in relation to the ECPA: Protecting Consumers in Retail Markets - The OEB and the Energy Consumer Protection Act, 2010
- Learn more about the OEB’s activities relating to implementation of the ECPA. Visit the OEB's INDUSTRY website to read about changes to the Codes and Rules for electricity retailers and gas marketers.
- For a summary of the energy market and how the OEB works to ensure a fair marketplace for consumers, check out our Quarterly Consumer Snapshot report.
- View a list of active licensed electricity retailers and gas marketers.
Below are some decisions that demonstrate how the OEB ensures that electricity retailers and gas marketers are complying with their obligations.
- OEB Fines Summitt Energy Management for Contraventions of the Ontario Energy Board Act (November 18, 2010)
- OEB Issues Order for Administrative Penalty to Summitt Energy Management (January 21, 2009)
- OEB Issues Order for Administrative Penalty to Universal Energy Corporation (April 24, 2009)
- OEB Issues Order for Administrative Penalty to Direct Energy Marketing Limited (May 5, 2009)
Page last updated 2011-07-22
