| Home | Industry Relations | Rules Codes Guidelines and Forms |    |
Regulatory Instruments
Regulatory instruments include codes, guidelines and handbooks. Note: All documents are PDF format unless otherwise stated. Documents are categorized by:
- General Regulatory:
- Natural Gas:
- Affiliate Relationships Code for Gas Utilities
- Code of Conduct for Gas Marketers
- Environmental Guidelines for Hydrocarbon Pipelines and Facilities in Ontario
- Gas Distribution Access Rule
- Minimum Filing Requirements for Natural Gas Distribution Cost of Service Applications
- Model Franchise Agreement
- Uniform System of Accounts for Class "A" Gas Utilities
- Electricity:
- 2005 Distribution Rate Adjustment
- Affiliate Relationships Code for Distributors and Transmitters
- Authorized Electronic Business Transaction Standards
- Directive for the Disclosure of Information to Consumers by Electricity Retailers
- Distribution System Code
- Electricity Distribution Rate Handbook
- Electricity Distributor Recovery of Regulatory Assets, Phase 1
- Electricity Distributor Recovery of Regulatory Assets, Phase 2
- Electricity Distributor Recovery of Regulatory Assets, Phase 2 for remaining Distributors
- Electricity Retailer Code of Conduct
- Electricity Distribution Retail Transmission Service Rates
- Filing Requirements for Service Area Amendment Applications
- Filing Requirements for Transmission and Distribution Applications
- Minimum Filing Requirements for Transmission and Distribution Rate Applications and Leave to Construct Projects
- MAADs Forms - Mergers, Amalgamations, Acquisitions and Divestitures
- Ontario Price Credit
- Retail Settlement Code
- Smart Meter Funding and Cost Recovery
- Smart Sub-Metering Code
- Standard Supply Service Code
- Transmission System Code
- Reporting and Record-keeping:
General Regulatory
|
Title |
Description |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
These rules set out general procedures to be followed by parties appearing on matters before the Board. The Board adopted new Rules of Practice and Procedure and Practice Directions for Appeals, effective October 25, 2002 and has since revised the Rules in November 2006 and July 2008. The Rules require compliance with Practice Directions.
|
|||||
|
These guidelines provide guidance the Board's settlement conference process, including the rights and obligations of all participants, the role of the facilitator and the role of Board staff.
|
Natural Gas
|
Title |
Description |
||
|---|---|---|---|
|
This code sets out the standards and conditions for the interaction between gas distributors, transmitters and storage companies and their respective affiliated companies. The Board adopted this code as a rule of the Board pursuant to sections 44 and 45 of the OEB Act, 1998.
|
|||
|
The Board's Code of Conduct for Gas Marketers, dated December 20, 2004, sets out the minimum standards under which a licensed gas marketer may market natural gas. This code was made as a rule under Part III of the Ontario Energy Board Act, 1998.
|
|||
|
Environmental Guidelines for Hydrocarbon Pipelines and Facilities in Ontario |
The OEB's Environmental Guidelines provide direction to those parties making applications for facilities approvals before the Board. It includes the planning requirements for locating new facilities, the mitigation required for construction of these projects as well as the process for review and approval of the environmental reports which are produced.
|
||
|
The purpose of this Rule is to establish conditions of access to gas distribution services provided by a gas distributor; and to establish rules governing the conduct of a gas distributor as such conduct relates to a gas vendor. The Board made this rule pursuant to sections 44 and 45 of the OEB Act, 1998.
|
|||
|
Minimum Filing Requirements for Natural Gas Distribution Cost of Service Applications |
The Minimum Filing Requirements provide a standard by which the natural gas utility applications must be developed and filed. These requirements are to be used by natural gas utilities for filing a cost of service application for 2007 rates.
|
||
|
Each municipality may grant a gas utility the right to deliver gas service and use road allowances or utility easements within its borders. The municipal franchise agreement outlines the specific terms and conditions of the agreement between the municipality and the utility and requires OEB approval. The Board approved a model franchise agreement in 1987 and issued the 2000 Model Franchise Agreement in December 2000.
|
|||
|
The Board's Uniform System of Accounts (USOA) for Class "A" Gas Utilities, dated April 1, 1996, includes the latest changes in accounting and regulatory practices and terminology. This USOA has been refined to accommodate the deregulated natural gas environment, as well as regulated and non-regulated activities of gas utilities.
|
Electricity
|
Title |
Description |
|||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
The Board has developed an application process for electricity distributors to apply for distribution rate adjustments in 2005. The process is described in the Filing Guidelines provided below. The 2005 Rate Adjustment Model (RAM) and the 2005 Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILs) Model and documentation for both models are provided below. |
||||||||||
|
Affiliate Relationships Code for Distributors and Transmitters |
The Affiliate Relationships Code sets out the standards and conditions for the interaction between electricity distributors or transmitters and their respective affiliated companies.
|
|||||||||
|
A Board advisory committee and working group developed this comprehensive set of standards for electronic business transactions to allow electricity retailers and distributors to share customer and billing information efficiently and promote the rapid and accurate settlement of all accounts. This page contains current documentation. Current and historical documentation, including Implementation Guides and Schemas, can be accessed at the OEB EBT Standards Working Group website at the following link:
|
||||||||||
|
Directive for the Disclosure of Information to Consumers by Electricity Retailers |
Under Ontario Regulation 416/99, the Board is responsible for establishing the manner and timing of the disclosure of information by retailers to consumers with respect to the system-wide electricity supply mix and the electricity supply mix of electricity products. This Directive sets the minimum standard under which a retailer must disclose information to electricity consumers.
|
|||||||||
|
|
The Distribution System Code sets the minimum obligations that a licensed electricity distributor must meet in carrying out its obligations to distribute electricity within its Service Area under its licence and the Energy Competition Act. Amendments to the DSC: 1. Amendments regarding the treatment of bulk-metered residential condominiums for security deposit purposes. Read here for information about the changes. 2. Amendments regarding maximum cumulative generation from net metered generators that the distributor must allow to be connected and a revised version of the net metering threshold table that accompanied Notice of the net metering amendments to the Distribution System Code (EB-2005-0447). Read here for information about the changes. 3. Amendments regarding consumer security deposits. Read here for information about the changes 4. Amendments regarding the connection of new generation to distribution systems. Read here for information about the changes 5. Please note that there is no change to any of the Distribution System Code or Retail Settlement Code amendments issued by the Board on October 30, 2006. 6. Amendments to Chapter 3 - Connections and Expansions, in force as of January 23, 2007. Read here for information about the changes. 7. Amendments with respect to load transfers came into force as of March 12, 2007. Read here for information about the changes. 8. Amendments with respect to Electricity Service Quality Requirements, in force as of January 1, 2009. Read here for information about the changes. 9. Amendments to facilitate the connection of smaller size embedded generation facilities, came into force February 12, 2009. Read here for more information about the changes. 10. Amendments to extend the time period for geographic distributors to eliminate their long term load transfer arrangements came into force June 10, 2009. Read here for more information about the changes. 11. Amendments to include the addition of a ‘Farm Stray Voltage Distributor Investigation Procedure’ (Appendix H) and for Customer reclassification and non-payment risk issues.
|
|||||||||
|
The Electricity Distribution Rate Handbook (DRH) contains policies, guidelines and procedures to be used by Ontario electricity distributors in preparing applications for distribution rates. Also included are associated Excel spreadsheets that conform with the methodologies in the Distribution Rate Handbook and that will assist in the preparation and analysis of rate applications. There are two versions of the Distribution Rate Handbook. The current version is the 2006 DRH to be used in resetting the revenue requirement of an electricity distributor as part of 2006 distribution rate applications. The prior version of the DRH was used for establishing unbundled distribution rates and for calculating the price cap-based rate adjustment, and was used primarily for distribution rate setting in 2001 and 2002. It contains information pertinent to electricity distribution rate-setting effective to April 30, 2006.
|
||||||||||
|
Electricity Distributor Recovery of Regulatory Assets, Phase 1 |
The Minister of Energy has granted approval for electricity distribution companies to apply to the Board for recovery of Regulatory Assets, effective March 1, 2004. The filing guidelines provide direction for the distributors in filing for these rate changes.
On February 5, 2004, the Board published notice of applications by 92 distribution utilities seeking to recover Regulatory Assets. The Board has prepared a summary report of Regulatory Asset accounts as provided by the utility in its rate application. The individual application should be referred to for the amount proposed by the utility to be recovered in rates starting April 1, 2004. While every effort is made to ensure accuracy, intervening parties should consult applications of interest. |
|||||||||
|
Electricity Distributor Recovery of Regulatory Assets, Phase 2 |
The Board has determined that the Review of Regulatory Assets for Ontario Electricity Distributors would be done in two Phases, Phase 1 was the granting of interim rate recovery on April 1, 2004. Phase 2 is the prudency review of the Regulatory Asset balances. As a first step in Phase 2, the Board reviewed the Regulatory Asset applications of Hydro One, Toronto Hydro, Enersource Hydro Mississauga and London Hydro. In addition to the decisions on the rate recovery amounts for each of these four distributors, the Board also assessed what would constitute the best evidence, forum and process to determine the reasonableness of Regulatory Asset amounts for the remaining distributors. |
|||||||||
|
Electricity Distributor Recovery of Regulatory Assets, Phase 2 for remaining Distributors |
Following the Phase 2 prudence review of Regulatory Assets for Hydro One, Toronto Hydro, Enersource Hydro and London Hydro, the Board determined what constitutes the best evidence, forum and process to determine the reasonableness of Regulatory Assets and how these amounts should be recovered from customers, for the remaining distributors. The Filing Guidelines provided below are based on the Board’s Decision. The Regulatory Assets worksheet and accompanying documentation are also provided below. Electric utilities should apply to the Board for their Phase 2 Regulatory Assets review concurrently with their 2006 EDR applications. |
|||||||||
|
The Board's Code of Conduct, dated December 20, 2004, sets out the minimum standards under which a licensed electricity retailer may retail electricity.
|
||||||||||
|
This Guideline provides electricity distributors with instructions on the evidence required and the process to be used to adjust their Retail Transmission Service Rates (“RTSR”) to reflect the 9.2% increase in the Ontario uniform transmission rates. RTSRs are charges that a distributor applies to end-use customers to recover the costs associated with the payment by the distributor of wholesale transmission connection and network rates.
|
||||||||||
|
On November 23, 2007, the Board issued a letter providing guidance to electricity distributors with respect to filing applications for service area amendment and applications under Section 86.(1)(b) of the Ontario Energy Board Act, 1998 for the purpose of eliminating long term load transfer arrangements : On December 20, 2006, the Board issued a letter to electricity transmitters, distributors and interested parties together with a staff proposal on the Filing Requirements for Service Area Amendment Applications. The Board sought comments on the proposed filing requirements by January 17, 2007. Four parties responded. The Board has now finalized the document, which specifies the information required by the Board for these types of applications. In due course, the document will be incorporated as the next chapter (chapter seven) in the "Filing Requirements for Transmission and Distribution Applications", issued on November 14, 2006.
|
||||||||||
|
Filing Requirements for Transmission and Distribution Applications |
The Board has finalized its review of Filing Requirements for Transmission and Distribution Applications. The document posted here is the reference document for Transmitters and Distributors to use when filing for rate adjustments, for leave to construct approvals, and conservation funding.
|
|||||||||
|
Minimum Filing Requirements for Transmission and Distribution Rate Applications and Leave to Construct Projects |
The Board Secretary posted a letter to electricity transmitters, distributors and interested parties together with a staff proposal on the "Minimum Filing Requirements for Transmission and Distribution Rate Applications and Leave to Construct Projects". The Board is seeking comments on the proposed filing requirements by August 4, 2006. Subsequently, the Board will finalize the document, which will then establish the minimum amount of information required by the Board for these types of applications.
|
|||||||||
|
MAADs Forms - Mergers, Amalgamations, Acquisitions and Divestitures |
The Board has posted updated application forms for applications made under section 86 of the OEB Act (change of ownership and/or control of systems):
The form for filing notice of proposals under sections 80 and 81 of the OEB Act (generation, transmission and distribution ownership prohibition) is below:
|
|||||||||
|
The Board issued a letter to advise the IESO, Distributors and Participating Retailers of the dates that have been set by the Board, to make certain payments relating to the Ontario Price Credit. |
||||||||||
|
The Retail Settlement Code (RSC) sets the minimum obligations that an electricity distributor and retailer must meet in determining the financial settlement costs of electricity retailers and consumers in facilitating service transaction requests where a competitive retailer provides service to a consumer.
|
||||||||||
|
This Guideline sets out filing instructions in relation to the funding of, and the recovery of costs associated with, smart meter activities conducted by electricity distributors. It reflects amendments to a number of smart metering regulations that were enacted on June 25, 2008 as well as the direction provided by the Board in its combined proceeding on smart meter costs (proceeding EB-2007-0063). It also includes a synthesis of the practices that have emerged from recent decisions of the Board.
|
||||||||||
|
The Smart Sub-Metering Code sets out the minimum conditions and standards that a licensed smart sub-metering provider must meet when providing smart sub-metering services on behalf of exempt distributors. |
||||||||||
|
The Standard Supply Service (SSS) Code establishes the manner in which a distributor must provide standard supply service to meet its obligation to sell electricity under section 29 of the Electricity Act, 1998, or to give effect to rates determined by the Board under section 79.16 of the Act. Regulated Price Plan effective April 1, 2005: The Board was mandated under the OEB Act, 1998, to develop a regulated price plan (“RPP”) to replace the electricity commodity pricing regime that came into effect on April 1, 2004. The revised SSS Code, and the amendments to the Retail Settlement Code establish the rules by which licensed electricity distributors and licensed electricity retailers will implement the RPP. The revised SSS Code also provides that various elements of the RPP, including prices, will be determined by the Board in accordance with the Board’s Regulated Price Plan Manual. Read more about the Regulated Price Plan...
|
||||||||||
|
The Transmission System Code sets out the obligations of electricity transmitters with respect to their customers. It includes a Connection Agreement which covers the technical and commercial responsibilities of both transmitters and their customers. The Code also addresses standards for the operation, maintenance, management and expansion of transmission systems. The Board published a revised Transmission System Code on July 25, 2005. The revised Code came into force on August 20, 2005 upon publication in the Ontario Gazette replacing the original July 14, 2000 version of the Code. For more information about the changes to the Transmission System Code click here.
|
Reporting & Record-Keeping
|
Title |
Description |
|||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
The Accounting Procedures Handbook, including Chapter II, the Uniform System of Accounts, was approved by the Board on November 10, 1999. The Handbook provides guidance to electricity distribution utilities on accounting procedures and requirements as well as setting out a uniform accounting system.
|
||||||||||||||
|
The Electricity Reporting and Record Keeping Requirements (RRRs), issued Oct 23, 2002, constitute the Board's current requirements to maintain and file information under the licence conditions. Documents: Electricity Reporting and Record Keeping Requirements (version dated April 4, 2008) Electricity Reporting and Record Keeping Requirements (version dated July 9, 2007) Data Disclosure Agreement with Statistics Canada
FILING PROCESSESJuly 4, 2007 — The new filing forms are now available here. April 11, 2007 — Application to become a registered user is now available here. April 11, 2007— The Conservation and Demand Management (CDM) form is now available here. March 31, 2006 — The Ontario Energy Board (OEB) is replacing the DQF, TQF, and the TB systems with a new, integrated web-based tool called Regulatory Information Filings System (RIFS), for the filings due April 30, 2006. The creation of RIFS is on schedule. RIFS is expected to be completed and available for April 14, 2006 (Letter Here).
|
||||||||||||||
|
The Gas Reporting and Record Keeping Requirements (RRRs) issued December 22, 2004, constitute the Board’s requirements to maintain and file information under the Board gas rule-making power for all rate regulated gas utilities and under licence conditions for gas marketers. Note: These come into force July 1, 2005. For more information on the consultation click here... Documents: Gas Reporting and Record Keeping Requirements
FILING PROCESSESAugust 1, 2007 - Gas RRR forms are now available here.
|
||||||||||||||
|
Nov 28, 2006 — the Board approved a methodology to prescribe interest rates for regulatory accounts under the Uniform System of Accounts for natural gas utilities and electricity LDCs. These prescribed interest rates also apply to the accounts of other rate-regulated entities if approved by the Board.
|