Forms and templates: third-party net metering and energy contracts

Net Metering

With net metering, a consumer can generate renewable electricity for their own use while sending excess power to the grid for a credit. On July 1, 2022, changes to regulations came into effect that enable third-party ownership of net metered energy generation facilities and retailing to consumers under these net metering arrangements. 

The OEB has adapted its electricity retailer forms (see Energy Supply Contracts below) to suit the net metering activities contemplated by the regulatory changes, including:

• Standard terms and conditions that must be included in an electricity retailer’s Power Purchase Agreement (PPA). These conditions require, among other things, information about the equipment agreement for the renewable energy system that will be used for net metering purposes that is associated with the PPA (referred to as an Associated Equipment Agreement).
• The Disclosure Statements and Price Comparisons that must accompany a PPA:
  • The Disclosure Statements to be used must be as approved by the OEB. Among other things, this means all of the Disclosure Statements must be: (a) in colour; and (b) in the form published by the OEB (including page size). Retailers are not permitted to alter or redact the Disclosure Statements in any way except as permitted by the Disclosure Statements. Retailers may enter a document control number in the field that appears on the form. The document control number must be in a font size no larger than Arial 8, and may be numeric, alphabetic or alpha-numeric but may not include the retailer’s or marketer’s name or a date.
  • The Price Comparison templates to be used must be as approved by the OEB. Among other things, this means: (a) all Price Comparisons provided to low-volume consumers must be in colour and in tabloid-sized format and (b) only the versions of the Price Comparison templates that have been fully pre-populated by the OEB may be used. Retailers are not permitted to alter or redact any portion of the template that has been pre-populated by the OEB. Tables C and D of the Price Comparison template must be completed by the retailer in accordance with the instructions contained in the applicable OEB-approved price comparison instructions document. Retailers may enter a document control number in the field that appears on the form. The document control number must be in a font size no larger than Arial 8, and may be numeric, alphabetic or alpha-numeric but may not include the retailer’s name or a date.

The OEB’s Electricity Retailer Code of Conduct sets out rules relating to the PPA, Disclosure Statements, Price Comparisons and other materials to be used by electricity retailers in the net metering context.

In addition, the OEB has approved a form for the disclosure that is required by O. Reg. 541/05 (Net Metering). This disclosure is required to be given to the electricity distributor in the case of a third-party net metering arrangement that does not also involve the purchase of electricity from a retailer (i.e., does not involve a PPA). The purpose of this form is to confirm that the consumer has been provided certain information about the equipment agreement for the renewable energy system that will be used for net metering purposes.

Downloads

The following OEB-approved Disclosure Statements and Price Comparison templates can be downloaded and printed. For details on how to download the documents and how to complete the Price Comparison templates, see the Downloading and Printing Instructions.

Energy Supply Contracts

Under legal and regulatory requirements that came into force on January 1, 2011, new contracts and contract renewal forms must be accompanied by the applicable OEB-approved Disclosure Statement(s) and by the applicable Price Comparison(s), generated using the OEB-approved templates and with Part B completed by the electricity retailer or gas marketer in accordance with the OEB’s instructions.

The OEB-approved Disclosure Statements and the OEB-approved Price Comparison templates can be downloaded using the links below. Electricity retailers and gas marketers are reminded of the following:

• The Disclosure Statements to be used must be as approved by the OEB. Among other things, this means all of the Disclosure Statements must be: (a) in colour; and (b) in the form published by the OEB (including page size). Electricity retailers and gas marketers are not permitted to alter or redact the Disclosure Statements in any way except as permitted by the Disclosure Statements. Retailers and marketers may enter a document control number in the form field that appears in the lower right corner of the front page. The document control number must be in a font size no larger than Arial 8, and may be numeric, alphabetic, or alpha-numeric but may not include the retailer’s or marketer’s name or a date.
• The Price Comparison templates to be used must be as approved by the OEB. Among other things, this means: (a) all Price Comparisons provided to low-volume consumers must be in colour and in legal-sized format; and (b) only the versions of the Price Comparison templates that have been fully pre-populated by the OEB may be used. Electricity retailers and gas marketers are not permitted to alter or redact any portion of the template that has been pre-populated by the OEB. Part C of the Price Comparison Template for Electricity Contracts must be completed by the electricity retailer and Part B of the Price Comparison Template for Natural Gas Contracts must be completed by the gas marketer, in accordance with the instructions contained in the applicable OEB-approved template. Retailers and marketers may enter a document control number in the form field that appears in the lower right corner of the back page in the print version or the last page of the online version. The document control number must be in a font size no larger than Arial 8, and may be numeric, alphabetic, or alpha-numeric but may not include the retailer’s or marketer’s name or a date.
• The restated Electricity Retailer Code of Conduct and the Code of Conduct for Gas Marketers that came into force on January 1, 2011, set out rules pertaining to the provision of Disclosure Statements and Price Comparisons in a language other than English.

Downloads

The following OEB-approved Disclosure Statements and Price Comparison templates can be downloaded and printed. For details on how to download the documents and how to complete the Price Comparison templates, see the Downloading and Printing Instructions.

Certificates of Compliance

Under legal and regulatory requirements that came into force on January 1, 2011, licensed electricity retailers and licensed gas marketers (“suppliers”) may not enter into, renew, amend or extend the term of a contract with a low-volume consumer until such time as the supplier has filed with the OEB a Certificate of Compliance in the required form and has received from the OEB written acknowledgement of it.

Self-Certification Statements

Section 6.4 of the Electricity Retailer Code of Conduct and the Code of Conduct for Gas Marketers requires suppliers file with the OEB by April 30 each year a self-certification in the form and manner required by the OEB.