Intervenors are individuals or groups who have our permission to participate in a hearing before the OEB. Examples of participation can include asking questions of the applicant, filing evidence and making submissions.
Intervenors often represent various customer groups such as low-income and other residential consumers, Indigenous communities, school boards and commercial and industrial customers. They also sometimes represent special interests such as environmental and conservation groups.
How to participate
There are various ways to participate in an OEB hearing: as an Intervenor, by submitting a Letter of Comment or by Following a Proceeding.
This table illustrates the different levels of participation.
| Participation Activities | Intervenor | Letter of Comment | Follow a Proceeding |
|---|---|---|---|
| Receive OEB-issued documents by email |  |  | |
| Submit a Letter of Comment | | | |
| Listen to live broadcast of the oral hearing | | | |
| Participate in oral hearing | | | |
| Present Evidence | | | |
| Respond to questions about evidence | | | |
| Ask other parties to the proceeding questions | | | |
| Provide argument | | | |
Follow a Proceeding - You can sign up to receive documents issued by the OEB in a particular proceeding by sending an email to Registrar@oeb.ca.
- Be sure to include the case number for the proceeding you wish to follow. The case number can be found in the Notice of Hearing and follows this format: ‘EB-yyyy-####’
- Note that not all documents related to the proceeding will be forwarded – only OEB issued documents. If you want to see documents other than those issued by the OEB, please use our Regulatory Document Search and enter the case number (EB-yyyy-####) of the proceeding that you are following to see all documents filed and issued in the proceeding.
Send a Letter of Comment - If you wish to comment on the subject-matter of a proceeding but not participate more actively, you may submit a letter of comment. The letter of comment will be considered by the Commissioners deciding the matter.
Become an intervenor
Intervenors are individuals or groups who have our permission to participate in a hearing before the OEB. Examples of participation can include asking questions of the applicant, filing evidence and making submissions. Intervenors may include customers and other affected individuals, consumer and trade associations, Indigenous communities, environmental and regional interest groups, and other public interest groups.
To see the mandate and objectives of frequent intervenors in OEB proceedings, as well as their membership and the constituency they represent, view the Annual Filings of Frequent Intervenors.
To request intervenor status for a hearing, you must file a completed Intervenor Form with the OEB and send a copy to the applicant. The Intervenor Form must be filed (with a copy to the applicant) no later than the deadline specified in the Notice of Hearing.
To be accepted as an intervenor, you must satisfy the OEB that you have a substantial interest in the matter and that you intend to participate responsibly in the hearing. The Intervenor Form is designed to elicit that information.
Please see the OEB’s Intervention Process Guidance Document for further information on the intervention process as well as guidance for filling out the Intervenor Form.
If you are considering applying for cost award eligibility, please refer to the OEB’s Practice Direction on Cost Awards. Your request should address the eligibility criteria in section 3 of the Practice Direction. The burden of establishing eligibility for a cost award is on the party applying for a cost award. A party found eligible for a cost award may not recover all the costs it claims. Consistency with the OEB’s tariff, the conduct of the party during the proceeding, and the reasonableness of the final cost claim will be among the factors considered by the OEB, as outlined in the Practice Direction.
Everything an intervenor files with the OEB, including the intervenor's name and contact information, will be placed on the public record through our website and the OEB Regulatory Document Search.
For information on how to file your Intervenor Form, please see the OEB’s Intervention Process Guidance Document.
All filings should be directed to the attention of the OEB Registrar and be received no later than 4:45 p.m. on the required date.
Intervenor Participation
Provided to intervenor groups to fund their participation in 62 OEB proceedings and consultations, including consumer groups, manufacturers, farmers, landowners, and Indigenous communities.