Oakville Hydro cannot disconnect homes for non-payment from November 15 to April 30

What the ban does

Under the Ontario Energy Board's winter disconnection ban, electricity distributors cannot disconnect residential customers for non-payment from November 15, 2026 to April 30, 2027, the regulator said in its October 16 announcement of the new winter electricity prices. In Oakville that distributor is Oakville Hydro. The ban applies every year between those dates; it does not need a new order each winter.

The OEB's rules for electricity utilities add two obligations at the start of the ban. A home that is occupied and was already disconnected for non-payment must be reconnected by December 1, without charge. Load-control devices, which limit how much power a home can draw, are banned for the same period, and any already installed on a home must be removed by December 1, also without charge. The OEB's notice for last winter applied the same November 15 to April 30 window to residential customers of natural gas utilities as well.

What it does not do

The ban pauses disconnections, not bills. When last winter's ban ended, the OEB reminded customers that bill balances keep accumulating during the period, including interest on amounts owing, and its rules allow a utility to keep charging late-payment fees on past-due amounts through the winter. Ontario utilities may charge a late-payment penalty of 1.5 per cent a month, starting 20 days after a bill is issued. A customer who falls behind over the winter can face a disconnection notice from May 1, 2027.

The ban also does not cover apartments and condominiums whose electricity is billed by a unit sub-meter provider rather than by the utility; the OEB says those providers may still disconnect for non-payment in winter. And once the ban lifts, a utility must offer a payment plan as a final step before disconnecting: the OEB's rules cap the down payment at 15 per cent of the amount owed and require at least five months to pay if the arrears are under twice the average monthly bill, or at least ten months if they are more.

Help in Oakville

The Low-income Energy Assistance Program is a one-time emergency grant for households that are behind on an electricity or natural gas bill and at risk of disconnection. The OEB says grants are paid directly to the utility, cannot exceed what is owed, and are capped at $650 for electricity, $780 if the home is heated electrically, and $650 for natural gas. Once an intake agency tells the utility it is reviewing an application, the utility must hold off disconnecting for up to 21 days. Oakville Hydro's page says the account must be in arrears and describes the grant as up to $650 a year, or $780 for an electrically heated home.

The Ontario Electricity Support Program is different: an ongoing monthly credit on the bill, from $35 to $75 depending on household size and after-tax income, or $52 to $113 for Indigenous customers, homes heated with electricity and homes using electricity-intensive medical devices. The OEB says the fastest way to apply is online at OESP.ca; paper applications can be requested at 1-855-831-8151. Approved credits last two years before a household must reapply, or five years for customers 65 and older or receiving a CPP disability pension. Oakville Hydro's assistance page also points to the Save on Energy Home Assistance Program, which offers free energy-efficiency upgrades to income-eligible households.