Customer Survey 2026 – E.L.K. Energy Inc. 2027 Cost of Service Rate Application  

E.L.K. Energy Inc. (E.L.K.) is a licensed electricity distributor regulated by the Ontario Energy Board (OEB), serving about 12,800 customers in the communities of Belle River, Comber, Cottam, Essex, Harrow and Kingsville.

In November 2025, the ENWIN Group purchased E.L.K. from the Town of Essex. The ENWIN Group is committed to maintaining a strong, local presence and to strengthening reliability and service quality across the E.L.K. service territory.

E.L.K. is conducting this voluntary survey as part of its upcoming 2027 Cost of Service Rate Application, which will be submitted to the OEB. The OEB is an independent regulator who is responsible for overseeing Ontario’s electricity sector and approving customer rates and charges. 

By sharing your experiences and priorities, you help us make decisions that reflect what matters to our customers — from reliability and service improvements to future investments in the local electricity system. All responses will be combined for analysis, and individual feedback will remain confidential. 

This survey has 12 questions and will only take a few minutes to complete.

Those who complete the survey will be eligible to be entered into a draw to win one (1) of two (2) $200 VISA gift cards. For each unique survey completed, E.L.K. will also donate $4 to a local charity.  

The electricity bill includes the costs for generating the electricity that you use, transmitting it across the province, and delivering it to your home or business. 

It is important to note that while E.L.K. is responsible for collecting payment for the entire electricity bill, E.L.K. only keeps a portion of it – electricity distribution rates are usually about 25% or less of an average residential or small business electricity bill, and cover the cost of building, operating and maintaining the local electricity distribution system in your community. The remainder of the electricity bill is passed on to power generators, electricity transmission companies, and other provincial agencies.

A distribution system plan (plan) is a long-term plan for how a utility will keep the electricity system in good shape and ready for the future. It explains what needs to be fixed, replaced, or built so homes and businesses can keep getting safe and reliable power. When making the plan, E.L.K. looks at what the power system needs, which projects matter most, how much they cost, and when to spend the money.  

This part of the survey is to provide specific information regarding E.L.K.’s proposed investment plans from 2027 - 2031 and gather customer feedback on trade-offs and preferences.  

On average over the next five years, E.L.K. proposes to invest about $2.7 million each year in capital projects. E.L.K. is focusing attention on “System Renewal” and “System Service” investments aimed at enhancing the safety and reliability of the electricity distribution system. The overall proposed investment level is consistent with recent annual amounts but is higher than the amounts contained in E.L.K.’s last rate application.

A summary of the categories of proposed investments is provided below.

E.L.K.’s “System Renewal” investments involve repairing or replacing equipment to maintain safe and reliable electricity service. E.L.K. had an expert review the condition of its assets to prioritize those which should be repaired or replaced first.

From 2027 - 2031, E.L.K. is planning to replace or restore many aging poles (approximately 80 / year) and transformers (approximately 35 / year) that are in poor condition, starting with those posing the highest risk.

E.L.K. proposes to invest about $1.7 million per year in System Renewal, which is higher than recent average spending levels.

E.L.K.’s “System Service” investments focus on using technology to improve system automation, which provides E.L.K. better control and flexibility across the electricity distribution system. These upgrades increase reliability and also help restore power more quickly during outages.

From 2027 - 2031, E.L.K. proposes to invest about $400 thousand per year in System Service, which is higher than recent average spending levels.

In addition to the capital investments plans discussed above, E.L.K. incurs ongoing costs to maintain and operate the electricity distribution system. These include expenses for system operation, maintenance, customer service, billing, and other day-to-day operations.

For its 2027 Cost of Service Rate Application, E.L.K. forecasts approximately $5.1 million in annual Operating, Maintenance, and Administrative (OM&A) costs - after considering inflation, this is only slightly higher than recent spending levels from 2022 – 2025. However, this is higher than the amount anticipated in E.L.K.’s last rate application, as costs have increased in recent years to maintain safe and reliable service that customers expect.

Contest Terms and Conditions

Your individual feedback will remain confidential and will not be publicly disclosed. To help ensure survey validity, you have been asked to provide your account number. This information is used only to confirm that responses are from E.L.K. customers and will not be used for any other purpose.

If you have chosen to enter the prize draw, you have been asked to provide your contact information, which will be used solely to contact winners. Providing an email address is optional and not required to complete the survey.

All responses are securely stored using the JotForm platform, accessible only to authorized personnel for data analysis purposes.

If you have further questions, please contact us at customer.service@elkenergy.com