Determining Barriers to Enrollment in the Ontario Electricity Support Program in Peterborough City and Country

Description

By Victoria Hamilton & Laila Tarakai, Date of Project Submission: April 2015., Completed for: The Energy Cost Work Group, Peterborough Ontario; Supervising Professor: Dr. Michal Avram; Trent Community Research Centre, IDST 4220 - Assessment of Development Projects, The rising costs of hydro places a financial burden on low-income households. The Ontario Electricity Support Program (OESP) was launched to help relieve the pressure of these rising costs in Ontario. However, within the City and County of Peterborough there has been low enrollment in the subsidy program, representing a missed opportunity for individuals struggling with energy poverty. The objective of this research project was to identify the barriers that low-income households face when enrolling into the OESP, in order to provide recommendations to improve uptake. Previous literature pertaining to the review of low enrollment in various government subsidies suggests that individuals face barriers, due to the application process, lack of promotion, and the multiple steps required to receive the benefit. Our results indicate that individuals within the City and County of Peterborough experience similar barriers, which have caused the low enrollment into the OESP, and includes recommendations to address the barriers that low-income Ontario households are facing.