NDP MPPS BRING LEGISLATION TO ADDRESS AFFORDABILITY CRISIS WITH HOME HEATING COST RELIEF

QUEEN’S PARK – MPPs Jennie Stevens (St. Catharines), Tom Rakocevic (Humber River–Black Creek), Guy Bourgouin (Mushkegowuk–James Bay) and Peter Tabuns (Toronto–Danforth) are bringing solutions that would bring down people’s utility bills with Bill 213, Affordable Home Heating Act.
 
“Ontarians have seen their Enbridge bills double in recent years,” said Stevens. “By passing Bill 213, today, this government can prevent thousands of families and seniors from being forced to choose between heating their home and putting food on the table this winter."
 
This legislation puts into place recommendations from the Low-Income Energy Network, which addressed the critical need for inclusive on-bill support programs in their 2023 report, a Pathway Out of Energy Poverty.
 
"No matter how you choose to heat your home, you should qualify for financial help if needed to stay warm,” added Rakocevic. “Ontario winters can get very cold and it's unacceptable that many seniors are switching off their furnaces because they can't afford their heating bill. They deserve better. This assistance serves as a safety net to prevent energy poverty."
 
Additional Quotes:
 
“The proposed bill offers much-needed relief for seniors on fixed incomes who are struggling to keep up with the rising costs of living in Ontario”
                   
         
 Advocacy Centre for the Elderly

“Expanding bill assistance to natural gas and those who heat with expensive oil or propane will help create a universal social safety net against energy poverty. In addition, this policy will help identify the homes who could benefit the most from energy efficiency upgrades - providing a durable energy affordability solution.”

           Brendan Haley, Senior Director of Policy, Efficiency Canada

“Dramatic rate increases, coupled with inflation, are having an adverse impact on vulnerable consumers – including seniors, the working poor, people on social assistance, rural communities and Northern Ontarians. In order to address high natural gas prices, we are recommending that an on-bill credit program, similar to the OESP program available for electricity users, be created for natural gas users. A proactive program that provides ongoing affordability would reduce the need and reliance on emergency assistance funds.”

           Low-Income Energy Network

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“As the world gets hotter, more and more people will be risking their health and their lives just by going to work,” said Tabuns. “Workers deserve protection. Extreme heat on the job can result in death on the job, as well as increasing workplace injuries, illnesses and absences from work.

“Today, we are giving Ford the opportunity to say yes to safe working conditions. Because it’s time we put laws in place to protect workers all across the province. This bill is a substantial first step in ensuring they have the protection they deserve."

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ONDP ANNOUNCES AFFORDABLE HOME HEATING ACT TO KEEP HEATING COSTS LOW

QUEEN’S PARK – Official Opposition NDP MPP, Jennie Stevens (St. Catharines), introduced legislation today that would help families and seniors keep the cost of home heating low in an affordability crisis. 

“Across Ontario, seniors and young families are grappling with rising home heating costs”, said Stevens. “No one should be forced to choose between heating their home and putting food on the table, especially seniors already on a fixed income.” 

The Affordable Home Heating Act would establish a Heating Support Program that would offer on-bill relief for eligible households who heat with natural gas, similar to the Ontario Electricity Support Program (OESP). It would also enable an assistance program for low-income consumers of non-regulated fuels. 

“Young families and seniors in my riding saw their Enbridge bills double last year,” said Stevens. “That volatility wreaks havoc on household budgets and pushes those on fixed incomes to the brink. We have a cost-of-living crisis on our hands, and people are already struggling. We need to do everything we can to support them.”  

This legislation puts into place recommendations from the Low-Income Energy Network, which addressed the critical need for inclusive on-bill support programs in their 2023 report, a Pathway Out of Energy Poverty

“I’m calling on the Ford government to immediately pass this solution to ease the burden on seniors and families across Ontario,” said Stevens. “It’s the right thing to do.” 

The Affordable Home Heating Act is co-sponsored by NDP MPPs Tom Rakocevic (Humber River – Black Creek), Guy Bourgouin (Mushkegowuk – James Bay), and Official Opposition Energy critic, Peter Tabuns (Toronto – Danforth). 

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