Electricity Price Plan
Power is personal. Residential and Small Business customers can choose between Time-of-Use (TOU), Tiered and Ultra-low overnight electricity price plans.
To switch between TOU, Tiered, and Ultra-Low Overnight pricing, you must notify PUC Services by completing an election form. Click HERE to fill out the online form.
Information timing of your bill:
Did you make a pricing switch and wondering why the pricing change may not be reflected on your most recent bill? Here is some information that will be helpful to understand the timing of pricing switches.
- A pricing switch can only take effect at the start of a billing period. You are generally billed for a 30-day period, and the start and end dates are identified on your electricity bill. Many customers are not billed based on a calendar month, and for many customers the start of your billing period can be any given day of a month.
- Because a switch in prices can only take effect at the beginning of a billing period, it will take some time between the day you provide your election form and the day you actually start getting charged on the new pricing plan.
What is the difference between Time-Of-Use, Tiered and Ultra-Low Overnight prices?
TIME-OF-USE (TOU)
With TOU prices, you can help manage your electricity costs by shifting your usage to lower price periods when possible. The price depends on when you use electricity:
Off-peak: when demand for electricity is lowest. This price applies in the evenings on weekdays and all day on weekends. Every household and small business is different, but on average, Ontario households use nearly two thirds of their electricity during off-peak hours.
Cost: 8.7 cents/kWh
Mid-peak: when demand for electricity is moderate. These periods are during the daytime, but not the busiest times of day.
Cost: 12.2 cents/kWh
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.
Cost: 18.2 cents/kWh
TIERED
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.
*In the winter period (November 1 – April 30), the Tier threshold for residential customers is 1,000 kWh, so that 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.
Residential Prices Between November 1, 2023 to April 30, 2024:
Up to 1000 kWh/month: 10.3 cents/kWh
Over 1000 kWh/month: 12.5 cents/kWh
Small Business Prices November 1, 2023 to April 30, 2024:
Up to 750 kWh/month: 10.3 cents/kWh
Over 750 kWh/month: 12.5 cents/kWh
ULTRA-LOW OVERNIGHT (ULO)
Similar to time-of-use pricing, the ULO depends on the time of day and day of the week that you use electricity. The difference with ULO is that there is a 68 per cent lower overnight rate (compared to TOU off-peak) offered every day between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m., and a 59 per cent higher on-peak rate between 4p.m. and 9 p.m. (compared to TOU on-peak hours) on weekdays.
| ULO Price Periods | All Year | ULO Prices (¢/kWh) |
|---|---|---|
| Ultra-Low Overnight | Every day 11 p.m. - 7 a.m. | 2.8 |
| Weekend Off-Peak | Weekends and holidays 7 a.m. – 11 p.m. | 8.7 |
| Mid-Peak | Weekdays 7 a.m. – 4 p.m. and 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. | 12.2 |
| On-Peak | Weekdays 4 p.m. – 9 p.m. | 28.6 |
Considering a switch?
Power is personal; here are a few things to consider if you are thinking about switching. Make sure you have some of your recent electricity bills handy as you go through the information below.
Most of the information you will need is on the Electricity line of your bill. You can also review your electricity consumption and historical TOU data using our Customer Connect portal. Log in or sign up here.
- Your price plan
Do you pay TOU or Tiered prices for your electricity? If you’re unsure, take a look at the Electricity line of your bill or log in or sign up for our Customer Connect portal. Most residential and small business customers in Ontario pay TOU prices.
- Your usage
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 usage over the past 12-month period. You can review your electricity consumption and historical TOU data using our Customer Connect portal. Sign up or log in here.
- Your consumption pattern
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 at off-peak times – the time when the lowest TOU price applies. The other third of their power used was typically split equally between on- and mid-peak times. Look at the Electricity line of your bill or log in or sign up for our Customer Connect portal to see how much power you use in each of the three TOU price periods.
- Seasonal changes and time of year
As described above, the TOU price periods and Tier thresholds change with the season and are different during the winter (November 1 – April 30) and summer (May 1 – October 31) periods. Does the amount of electricity you use change based on the season?
If you’re thinking about switching, you should pay close attention to how much electricity you use in a month, because on Tiered pricing the price is higher for every kWh of electricity that you use above the Tier threshold of 1,000 kWh in the winter or 600 kWh in the summer. For instance, if you heat your home electrically, your monthly use in the winter may be higher. And the same goes for the summer if you need to run your air conditioner.
With TOU prices, the price depends on when you use electricity. Although the TOU price periods also change with the season, the electricity you use after 7 p.m. every day, and all the time on weekends and holidays, is charged at the lowest price under TOU all year round.
- Lifestyle and daily habits
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?
- Small business
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 a very 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.
Where can I find more information to help me choose?
- To discover whether a switch makes sense you for financially, you can also click here to use the OEB bill calculator to estimate your monthly bill.
- Click here to download the Q&A or visit www.oeb.ca/choice.
