Friday 9 March 2012

Deadline for Request for Reconsideration April 2, 2012


Source MPAC brochure:

If you don’t agree with your Property Assessment from MPAC you can file a Request for Reconsideration.

The deadline to file your RfR is April 2, 2012.

There are two ways to file a RfR:
• The preferred method is to submit a RfR form.
Request For Reconsideration 2012 Form

Forms are available at www.mpac.ca, or call us at 1 866 296-MPAC (6722). You may also choose to file your RfR electronically through AboutMyProperty™ on MPAC’s website. You will be able to attach documents, pictures and reports to accompany your RfR. Your personalized User ID and Password for AboutMyProperty™ are included on your Notice.
1. Write a letter requesting a reconsideration. In your letter, please include the 19-digit roll number on your Notice; your full name, address and phone number; and the reasons why you feel your assessment is not correct, including any information you have to support your claim.
2. File an Appeal with the Assessment Review Board (ARB) You may also choose to file an Appeal with the ARB, an independent tribunal of Ontario’s Ministry of theAttorney General.

Residential, Farm and Managed Forest Properties
If your property, or a portion of it, is classified as residential, farm or managed forests, you must first file a RfR with MPAC before you are eligible to file an Appeal with the ARB. The classification of your property is indicated on your Notice.

If you are required to, or choose to file a RfR first, you have 90 days after MPAC has notified you of its decision on your RfR to file an Appeal with the ARB.
The ARB has its own Appeal process. For more information, please contact the ARB at
1 866 448-2248 or 416 212-6349 or visit their website at www.arb.gov.on.ca.
To request that your property be eligible for the farm or managed forests classes or
conservation land exemption, you must file a RfR with the respective program administrator. For more information, please contact MPAC or visit www.mpac.ca.
Other Property Types
For any other property types, you can choose to file a RfR with MPAC or file an Appeal with the ARB. The deadline to file your RfR and/or Appeal is April 2, 2012.
MPAC’s Role at an ARB Hearing At an ARB hearing, the onus is on MPAC to prove the
accuracy of our assessed value. MPAC will present comparable properties as evidence and will share that information with you prior to the hearing. You will also be asked to provide evidence to support
your position. Ideally, you should select properties that are most similar to yours (for example, neighbourhood, lot dimensions, living area, age of structure(s) and quality of construction). Please contact MPAC if you have any questions.

Understanding Smart Meters - ENWIN

Smart Meters are Here

As part of a provincial initiative to encourage energy conservation and help Ontario consumers manage their electricity costs, ENWIN is now installing Smart Meters throughout Windsor. The Ontario Energy Board (OEB) has directed energy providers, like ENWIN, to install Smart Meters in all Ontario homes and small businesses, encouraging the development of a province-wide "culture of conservation". As Windsor's energy provider, ENWIN is mandated to complete local Smart Meter installations by early 2011.

Everything Stays the Same

It is important for customers to realize that everything will remain the same, following your Smart Meter Installation: An ENWIN employee will still come to read the meter, EnWin bills will still look the same, and electricity charges will still be calculated in the same way as before. Eventually, the province is expected to switch over to a new rate structure called Time-of-Use (TOU) pricing. But for now, only the appearance of the meter will change.

TOU Pricing is NOT in Effect

Smart Meters are here, but Time of Use Pricing isn't. Not yet. You will not automatically move to time-of-use rates once your smart meter has been installed. Provincial legislation requires ENWIN to install Smart Meters as one step towards conserving energy and building for the future. Smart Meters will be installed this fall - but that will NOT have an immediate impact on how you are billed for your electricity. ENWIN customers will be billed differently ONLY after the Province requires us to move to Time of Use billing - likely some time in 2012. When a firm date is set, ENWIN will contact customers directly, and make sure you have all the information you need to benefit from the change. At the present time you will not notice any difference in your billing.

ENWIN Respects and Protects Your Privacy

As we move forward with Smart Meter installations, remember that Time of Use pricing is not yet in effect. In the future, when the Province requires ENWIN to move to this new system, Smart Meters will help customers reduce their energy costs by offering clear information about much energy is used at specific times of day. How and why you consume energy will remain, as always, private. ENWIN will ensure you are aware of all changes before they occur, and we thank you for helping Ontario build a brighter future.

Quick, Efficient Installation

Installation only takes a few minutes. A representative from ENWIN's contractor, Olameter, will knock on your door to inform you that they are there to install your smart meter. Your power will be interrupted briefly, while the old meter is exchanged for a new Smart Meter. If you are not home, the representative will complete the installation and leave a door hanger to inform you that your Smart Meter has been installed. Customers may find they need to reset digital clocks and other electronic devices, following the installation.

Look for the Olameter Logo

ENWIN has contracted with Olameter Utility Solutions to install smart meters in the Windsor area. Customers are asked to look for the Olameter logos on installers' vehicles and ID tags. Olameter representatives will not ask to see your utility bill, and you will not be required to sign anything.

Reliable and Secure

Smart meter installations are now underway, as part of the Ontario government's mandate to create a "culture of conservation", and build a reliable, secure and healthy energy future. When the Province requires ENWIN to move to Time of Use pricing - likely some time in 2012 - EnWin's Smart Meters will record frequent, accurate meter readings. This will allow customers to take advantage of lower energy prices, whenever possible throughout the day. ENWIN is using the knowledge gained by front runners in the Smart Meter installation process, to ensure your Smart Meter is reliable and secure.

The Smart Energy Future

When TOU pricing comes into effect in Windsor, energy providers will be required to vary prices for electricity according to demand levels at the time of use, with higher prices being charged during peak demand periods and lower prices during mid-peak and off-peak periods. This pricing structure is intended to encourage consumers to think more about how and when they use electricity, and move their consumption away from more expensive times of the day.

Smart Meter, Smart Consumer

Electricity bills will be much more precise, based on the hourly readings taken and sent by the Smart Meter. And "smart" energy users will be part of a new program provincial program that will reduce peak demand, and lessen stress on Ontario's electricity system.


Time-of-use (TOU) Prices

Time-of-use pricing is changing effective May 1, 2011. (Prices subject to change every 6 months)
Based on typical residential consumption patterns, the estimated TOU bill impact is an increase of about 3.8% on the total bill, or $3.96 per month, for residential consumers who use 800 kWh of electricity a month.
It is expected there will be approximately 3 million customers on TOU billing by June 2011, with more being switched to TOU billing over the summer and through the fall.



10 Smart Meter Lane

Take a tour of 10 Smart Meter Lane to see how you can better manage your electricity costs when Time-of-Use (TOU) pricing comes into effect. This interactive tool shows how running appliances at different times of the day or week can impact your electricity bill.