The deadline to submit consumption data to Ontario’s energy and water reporting and benchmarking program has been extended to October 31 to help accommodate a large new cohort of participants in 2023. This year sees the final phase of designated reporters — owners/managers of commercial and multifamily buildings in the range of 50,000 to 99,999 square feet — join the exercise that was first launched in 2018.

The extension provides an extra four months to submit 2022 energy and water consumption data. Ontario’s Ministry of Energy announced the adjustment in a June 28 memo, but noted that building owners/managers were still encouraged to “take all reasonable steps” to comply with the conventional July 1 deadline.

“The Ministry will accept the 2022 reporting year data until October 31, 2023, to allow new reporters more time to gather data and to increase their comfort with the reporting process,” the memo states.

Under the original stipulations of the provincial regulation, owners/managers of buildings in the range of 50,000 to 99,999 square feet were slated to begin participating in 2020 — just one year after owners/managers of buildings ranging from 100,000 to 249,999 square feet began submitting information. However, that requirement was amended in early 2020 to grant three more years of reprieve.