March 24, 2020

HYDRO RATES ON NIGHT PRICES NEXT 45 DAYS

TORONTO — Home hydro users can do laundry and wash dishes during the day without worrying about breaking the bank.

The province has cut rates in half to evening hour prices for the next 45 days.

They say that to support Ontarians through the COVID-19 crisis, the Ford government is providing immediate electricity rate relief for families, small businesses and farms paying time-of-use (TOU) rates.

In a release today, they say that until May 7, it is suspending time-of-use electricity rates, and holding electricity prices to the off-peak rate of 10.1 cents-per-kilowatt-hour.

This reduced price will be available 24 hours per day, seven days a week to all time-of-use customers, who make up the majority of electricity consumers in the province.

They say that by switching to a fixed off-peak rate, time-of-use customers will see rate reductions of over 50 per cent compared to on-peak rates.

To deliver savings as quickly and conveniently as possible, this discount will be applied automatically to electricity bills without the need for customers to fill out an application form.

“During this unprecedented time, we are providing much-needed relief to Ontarians, specifically helping those who are doing the right thing by staying home and small businesses that have closed or are seeing fewer customers,” said Premier Doug Ford.

The province issued an Emergency Order under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act to apply the off-peak TOU electricity rate for residential, small businesses, and farm customers who currently pay TOU rates.

DETAILS:

The Ontario Energy Board sets time-of-use electricity rates for residential and small business customers through the Regulated Price Plan.

Time-of-use prices as of November, 2019 ― Off-Peak: 10.1₵/kWh, Mid-Peak: 14.4₵/kWh, On-Peak: 20.8₵/kWh

Depending on billing cycles, some customers will see these changes on their next electricity bill.

TOU customers whose billing cycle ended before their local distribution company implemented this change will receive the reduced rate as a credit on a future bill.

The Ontario Electricity Rebate (OER) will continue to provide a 31.8 per cent rebate on the sub-total bill amount for all existing Regulated Price Plan (RPP) consumers.

There are approximately five million residential consumers, farms and some small businesses billed using time-of-use (TOU) electricity prices under the RPP.