Local electricity customers are seeing new electricity rates and schedule shifts on their latest bills as winter time-of-use (TOU) hours and updated Ontario Energy Board (OEB) pricing officially took effect on November 1.
Under the new winter schedule, which runs through April 30, commodity rates for electricity across the province have decreased compared to last winter.
During on-peak hours, 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., customers will now pay 18.9 cents per kilowatt hour, down from 20.3 cents per kilowatt hour in 2025.
During off-peak hours from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. weekdays, weekends and holidays, customers will pay 9.1 cents per kilowatt hour, compared to 9.8 cents per kilowatt hour last year.
While base electricity rates under the Regulated Price Plan (RPP) are lower, Bluewater Power President and CEO Janice McMichael-Dennis noted the price drop is offset by a reduction in the Ontario Electricity Rebate (OER) .
"The province changed the Ontario Electricity Rebate from 23.5 per cent to 15.7 per cent," said McMichael-Dennis. "So that does sound like a big reduction, which it is, which would normally increase your bill. However, there were other changes made at the exact same time which offset that reduction. So net-net, about a modest decrease to a modest increase, depending upon customer consumption and price-plan."
According to the OEB, the rebate percentage was adjusted downward because lower underlying commodity prices reduced the total pre-rebate cost on consumer bills.
The OEB said the overall rate of increase for customer bills will remain consistent with previous years. According to its website, a typical residential customer who uses 700 kwh of electricity per month, the OER will decrease bills by about $23 a month.
First launched in 2019, the OER is automatically applied to total electricity charges for eligible residential households, small businesses, farms and long-term care facilities.
With peak demand times shifting to morning and late afternoon during the colder winter months, McMichael-Dennis offers some tips to help keep power and heating bills manageable.
"Using cold water instead of hot water reduces your load, trying to unplug anything that's not in use, that old fridge or freezer, the old beer fridge as they call it in your garage is costing you perhaps more than you care to admit," she said.
McMichael-Dennis said the easiest way to conserve energy, regardless of what plan you're on, is to not worry about the timing and simply try to reduce your power usage.
The OEB said help is also available for customers who need assistance with their bill payments, including the Low-Income Energy Assistance Program.
[tweet id="2115776970025836825"]
