On October 28, 2019, a package of over 80 proposed actions was announced by the Associate Minister of Small Business and Red Tape Reduction under the Better for People, Smarter for Business Act. The Act, if passed, will simplify and modernize regulations to lower the cost of doing business by making it simpler and cheaper to comply with regulations, while also making it easier to interact with government.
The seven proposed actions assigned to the Ministry of Energy, Northern Development and Mines include proposed changes to EWRB and Green Button, as follows:
Proposed change to EWRB (O.Reg. 506/18)
The Energy and Water Reporting and Benchmarking (EWRB) program allows building owners to review a building’s energy and water use and compare its own past performance and the performance of other similar buildings. Having access to this information helps them manage energy and water usage and costs to make decisions on cost effective investments for future energy efficiency upgrades. However, for smaller building owners with fewer staffing resources, the reporting requirements can be burdensome. That’s why we are proposing to make changes to the EWRB initiative to stop further roll-out that would increase reporting burden on building owners whose buildings are under 100,000 sq ft and allow them access to the reporting tools on a voluntary basis.
Green Button
Most Ontarians have limited access to their energy data and have no way of assessing their consumption. There’s no better way to take control of our in-home energy usage, and bring down costs, than by monitoring our use. That’s why we’re currently exploring the potential costs of expanding Green Button — Connect My Data to give Ontarians more choice and flexibility, including the ability to monitor their energy usage and make better choices about their energy usage. This initiative is part of an effort by our government to respond to consumer demands, promote innovation in the sector, help the environment and drive energy savings.
The proposal regarding EWRB is posted on Ontario’s Regulatory Registry:
https://news.ontario.ca/medg/en/2019/10/making-ontario-work-better-for-people-smarter-for-business.html (click to view)
