Rates

With TOU prices, the price depends on when you use electricity.

There are three TOU price periods:

Off-peak, when demand for electricity is lowest. Ontario households use most of their electricity – nearly two thirds of it – during off-peak hours.
Mid-peak, when demand for electricity is moderate. These periods are during the daytime, but not the busiest times of day.
On-peak, when demand for electricity is generally higher. These are the busier times of day – generally when people are cooking, starting up their computers and running heaters or air conditioners.

With TOU pricing, you can help manage your electricity costs by shifting your usage to lower price periods when possible.

People use electricity differently depending on the season, so the TOU price periods are different in the summer than they are in the winter.

There are four ULO price periods:

• Ultra-Low Overnight, when demand for electricity is lowest on average.
• Weekend Off-peak, when demand for electricity is generally lower.
• Mid-peak, when demand for electricity is moderate.
• On-peak, when demand for electricity is highest on average.

The ULO price periods are the same in the summer as they are in the winter. On weekends and holidays the cheapest rates are in effect all day.

With Tiered prices, you can use a certain amount of electricity each month at a lower price. Once that limit (called a threshold) is exceeded, a higher price applies. The threshold changes with the season to reflect changing usage patterns – for example, there are fewer hours of daylight in the winter and some customers use electric heating.

In the winter period (November 1 – April 30), the Tier threshold for residential customers is 1,000 kWh, so that during the heating season households can use more power at the lower price. In the summer period (May 1 – October 31), the Tier threshold for residential customers is 600 kWh. The Tier threshold for small business customers is 750 kWh all year round.

Tiered prices give you the flexibility to use electricity at any time of day at the same price, although that price will change if you exceed the threshold during the month.

What electricity price plan are you on? If you’re unsure, take a look at the Electricity line of your bill. Most residential and small business customers in Ontario pay TOU prices.

How much electricity do you use in a month? If you’re unsure, take a look at the Electricity line on your bill. You might also want to look at the historical usage graph on your bill, which shows your average daily use over the past 12-month period.

When you use electricity can be another factor in your choice. Historically, the typical residential customer who paid TOU prices has used nearly two thirds of their power during off-peak times – the time when the lowest TOU price applies. The other third of their power use was typically split equally between on- and mid-peak times. Look at the Electricity line of your bill to see how much power you use in each of the three TOU price periods.

TOU price periods and the Tier threshold for residential customers change with the season and are different during the winter (November 1 – April 30) and summer (May 1 – October 31). ULO price periods are the same all year round.

Does the amount of electricity you use change based on the season?

For instance, if you heat your home electrically, your monthly use in the winter may be higher. The same goes for the summer if you need to run your air conditioner.

Are you often home during the day on weekdays, so that shifting your usage is more challenging? Do you have large appliances that you need to run during the day on weekdays? Can you shift more of that usage to nighttime or weekend hours? Do you own an electric vehicle and at what times of day/night do you charge it?

We’ve created videos that feature the lifestyles of different customers considering their pricing options. Watch them below.

If you’re a small business owner, some of the same factors mentioned earlier also apply – how much electricity do you use each month, and when do you use it? Keep in mind that the Tier threshold for small business customers is 750 kWh all year round. And not all small businesses are the same. A large restaurant with several ovens running in the evening may have very a different electricity usage pattern than a small salon that’s only open during the day. So may a dry cleaner compared to a convenience store, or a clothing store compared to a bakery.