COVID-19 Energy Assistance Program for Small Business (CEAP-SB)

Apply for a credit to help with your electricity costs.

The Government of Ontario introduced the COVID-19 Energy Assistance Program for Small Business (CEAP-SB) to support small business and registered charity customers struggling to pay their electricity bills as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. CEAP-SB provides an on-bill credit to eligible customers in need of financial assistance during this time.

Note: CEAP-SB applications will be processed in the order they're received (first come, first served). Submitting an application does not guarantee funding.

Eligibility criteria

You may be eligible for CEAP-SB if you meet the following criteria:

  1. You have a Toronto Hydro account for your small business or registered charity.
  2. Your small business or registered charity is classified as a general service customer with a peak demand of less than 50 kW.
  3. Your small business or registered charity has an overdue amount owing from at least one electricity bill since March 17, 2020 (the date the Provincial Emergency was declared).

Note: If you previously received a CEAP-SB credit and still have an overdue balance on your account, you may qualify for additional funding. Your combined CEAP-SB credits may not exceed the maximum amount of $1,500.

CEAP-SB credit

Customers who are eligible for CEAP-SB could receive a total on-bill credit amount equal to their account overdue balance up to a maximum of $1,500.

How to apply

Note: When completing your application, please input your information exactly as it appears on your bill in order to avoid delays in processing.

The fastest and easiest way to apply for CEAP-SB is by using our online web form, which will help ensure that we receive and process your application as soon as possible.

Apply online

Email

Download and email your application form (PDF, 1.3 MB) to ceap@torontohydro.com (please include "CEAP-SB" in the email subject line).

Downloading the CEAP-SB form: To download the form, right-click the application form link above and select "Save link as" to save the file to your computer.

Phone

If you don't have access to a computer, call our Customer Care team at 416-542-8000, Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. A representative will help complete and submit the application on your behalf.

Mail

You can print, complete and mail your application form (PDF, 1.3 MB) to the following address:

Toronto Hydro-Electric System Limited
500 Commissioners Street
Toronto, ON M4M 3N7
Attention: CEAP-SB

Downloading the CEAP-SB form: To download the form, right-click the application form link above and select "Save link as" to save the file to your computer.

Note: We've been notified by Canada Post that mail delivery service may be delayed due to COVID-19. Please keep this in mind when submitting your application, especially considering the program operates on a first-come, first-served basis.

Frequently Asked Questions

The COVID-19 Energy Assistance Program for Small Business (CEAP-SB) is a provincial program that provides on-bill credits to small business and registered charity electricity customers experiencing financial hardship as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

CEAP-SB applications are processed in the order they’re received (first come, first served).

Site visits are not required to qualify for CEAP-SB. In order to qualify, customers need to meet the eligibility criteria and submit an application.

Some customers reported receiving phone calls from scammers falsely representing the CEAP-SB program and claiming a site visit or home inspection is required. If you think you may be a victim of fraud, please report it to us online and contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre online or by calling 1-888-495-8501.

If you’re eligible and your application is approved, CEAP-SB provides a total credit equal to your account’s overdue balance, including any Arrears Arrangement Plans, up to a maximum of $1,500.

If you previously received a CEAP-SB credit on your bill and qualify for additional funding, the combined credits may not exceed $1,500.

Once your information is verified and you’ve been notified that you’re eligible, the on-bill credit will appear on your next bill or the following one, depending on your billing cycle.

You’ll receive a confirmation that your application has been received and is being processed.

Depending on how you applied, we’ll notify you whether or not you’ve been approved through email, mail or the phone number you provided on your application.

CEAP-SB is funded by the Government of Ontario.

In the summer of 2020, the government initiated the program to support small business customers struggling to pay their electricity bills as a result of COVID-19. These funds were proportionally allocated to unit sub-meter providers, gas distributors and electricity distributors, such as Toronto Hydro, who made this program available to customers.

In March 2021, additional funding was made available to extend the program's reach.

The government also provided funding through the COVID-19 Energy Assistance Program (CEAP) to support residential customers struggling to pay their electricity bills as a result of COVID-19. Applications for CEAP are currently being accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.

Learn more and apply for CEAP

You’re responsible for assessing your eligibility for CEAP-SB and providing truthful and accurate account information to us. The Ministry of Energy, Northern Development and Mines may contact you for further information as part of its audit.

Because CEAP-SB is funded by the Government of Ontario, it may be necessary for us to share your information with the Ministry of Energy, Northern Development and Mines to determine if you’re eligible for and to administer CEAP-SB.

If the Ministry of Energy, Northern Development and Mines requests any of the personal information contained in your application form to verify your eligibility or for audit purposes for CEAP-SB, we'll be required to provide it. The Ministry of Energy, Northern Development and Mines may also contact you for further information as part of its audit. You’re encouraged to retain any documentation that demonstrates you meet the eligibility for CEAP-SB.

With the exception of specific requests from the Ministry of Energy, the Ministry of Finance, the Ontario Energy Board, and/or the Independent Electricity System Operator, we will not share your information with any other parties.

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