As part of the federal government’s carbon pricing program1, effective April 1, 2019, a carbon charge applies to fossil fuels sold in Ontario, including natural gas.
As a valued business partner, the following information is designed to both inform and provide valuable links to the information needed to understand the Federal Carbon Pricing Program (FCPP) related to your business with Enbridge Gas. For a more complete overview of this program, please visit the Government of Canada's carbon pollution pricing website.
What is the Federal Carbon Charge?
The federal government’s carbon pricing program, applies a federal carbon charge to fossil fuel deliveries in Ontario, including natural gas. This charge became effective April 1, 2019 and increases annually each April. All of the money that Enbridge Gas collects for the federal carbon charge goes to the government.
What does this mean for my business?
The FCPP imposes a federal carbon charge on deliveries of natural gas in Ontario, Manitoba, Alberta and Saskatchewan (each a "Listed Jurisdiction") as well as certain Territories. This impacts trading of natural gas in Ontario (including the Dawn Hub), as well as transactions in any other "Listed Jurisdictions".
The FCPP requires a party that physically delivers natural gas through a pipeline, and/or meters the end use customer for billing purposes, to register as a distributor with the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). This applies to natural gas producers, and pipeline operators or owners. Natural gas delivered to an end use customer by a registered distributor will be subject to the federal carbon charge unless an exemption certificate has been provided. For more information refer to the fuel charge notice released by Government of Canada.
Doing business with Enbridge Gas
Customers who only contract for storage and transportation services (i.e. natural gas is purchased from a counterparty other than Enbridge Gas), do not need to provide an exemption certificate to Enbridge Gas. For these customers, the customer related carbon charge will not be invoiced by Enbridge Gas.
Effective Aug. 1, 2019, Enbridge Gas received Ontario Energy Board (OEB) approval to add a "facility related" carbon charge. The facility related carbon charge is applicable to Enbridge Gas' own operation of its distribution and transportation system. All customers that use Enbridge Gas transportation and/or distribution services will be charged a facility-related carbon charge.
Current rates can be found in Rider J – Carbon Charges
Enbridge Gas has registered with the CRA, and its Exemption Certificate is available to all contracting parties so that sales to Enbridge Gas will be exempt from the federal carbon charge. This applies to deliveries to both "Enbridge Gas Operating as Union Gas" and "Enbridge Gas Operating as Enbridge Gas Distribution".
Enbridge Gas' Exemption Certificate can be found by clicking here.
Please refer to the Large Volume customer website for further details.
For exporters of natural gas outside of Canada or outside of a Listed Jurisdiction, you are not required to register with the CRA. You can find more information in the Fuel Charge Notice.
To register as a distributor, the Canada Revenue Agency has issued the following steps:
- Review Fuel Charge Notice FCN2 – information on registration, filing and reporting requirements
- Producers, distributors or wholesalers that are required or permitted to register as distributors should carefully review the information contained in this notice since a clear understanding of the legislative provisions is key to remaining compliant with the Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act.
- Complete both Form L400, Fuel Charge Registration and Form L400-1, Fuel Charge Registration Schedule
- Information on other registration types can be found in Fuel Charge Notice FCN1, Registration Under the Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act.
- Registration forms can be submitted electronically using the CRA "Submit documents" function in the CRA My Business Account. If the person submits a registration application electronically, that person will be provided with a confirmation number. This confirmation number should be retained for follow-up on the status of the application.
The person can also send the completed registration forms by mail to the following address:
Sudbury Tax Centre
Fuel Charge Program
Post Office Box 20000, Station A
Sudbury ON, P3A 5C1
If the application for registration is approved, the CRA will inform the person in writing of its registration number and the effective date of registration.
The following resources can assist in determining registration requirements.
- Fuel Charge Technical Information
- Fuel Charge Registration
- FCN1 Registration Under the Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act
- List of regional CRA contacts
- CRA Registration Information: 1-866-330-3304
Filing and Reporting
The reporting period of a registered distributor is a calendar month (see Section 68 of the Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act). A registered distributor must file a return monthly with the CRA, even if there is no amount owing. The return must be filed by the end of the month following the reporting period.
A registered distributor will be required to submit the following forms monthly to CRA):
- Form B400, Fuel Charge Return – Registrant
- Form B400-1, Fuel Charge Return Schedule – Registered Distributor.
A registered distributor must determine the net charge (see the "Calculating the net charge" section of the link) for each listed province for the reporting period for which the return and accompanying return schedule(s) must be filed.
If you have questions regarding the FCPP or how it impacts your business with Enbridge Gas, please contact your account manager.
1 Pursuant to the Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act, S.C. 2018, c. 12, s. 186
