Ontario Electricity Pricing and Time Periods to Shift with Warmer Weather Starting May 1
As warmer weather moves into Ontario, changes to electricity pricing schedules are on the way.
Starting Thursday, May 1, new seasonal time-of-use (TOU) periods will come into effect for many electricity customers across the province.
Most Ontarians pay for electricity under three options:
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Time-of-Use (TOU) and Ultra-Low Overnight pricing, where rates vary depending on the time electricity is used
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Tiered plans, where charges are based on total monthly usage.
The majority of households are billed under TOU rates.
Currently, winter pricing periods are in place from November 1 to April 30. From May 1 to October 31, summer pricing periods take over.
“Summer rates differ from winter rates to reflect different consumption patterns,” Ontario Energy Board (OEB) spokesperson Mary Ellen Beninger told Insauga.com.
“In summer, electricity usage peaks during the hottest part of the afternoon when air conditioners are heavily used, leading to midday on-peak hours. In winter, electricity demand peaks twice a day — once in the morning and again in the evening — because of lighting and heating needs.”
Here’s how TOU pricing periods will look starting May 1:
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Off-peak hours: 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. (no change from winter)
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Mid-peak hours: 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
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On-peak hours: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
On weekends and statutory holidays, off-peak pricing applies all day.
Electricity prices under TOU remain unchanged:
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Off-peak: 7.6 ¢/kWh
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Mid-peak: 12.2 ¢/kWh
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On-peak: 15.8 ¢/kWh
Changes for Tiered Pricing Customers
Tiered pricing allows customers to consume a set amount of electricity each month at a lower rate, with a higher rate applying beyond a threshold. These thresholds adjust seasonally:
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Winter (Nov. 1 – Apr. 30): 1,000 kWh threshold
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Summer (May 1 – Oct. 31): 600 kWh threshold
The summer period’s lower threshold accounts for different electricity usage patterns outside the heating season.
However, the rates for tiered pricing will also remain the same:
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Tier 1: 9.3 ¢/kWh
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Tier 2: 11 ¢/kWh
Ultra-Low Overnight Pricing
For those enrolled in ultra-low overnight plans, rates and periods remain unchanged year-round.
The Ontario Energy Board also reminds customers that fewer than one in ten Ontarians purchase electricity from a private retailer.
If you are considering signing a retail energy contract, keep in mind that retailer prices are not regulated by the OEB.
