OEB logo

Electricity Prices in Ontario

 

Electricity Prices at a Glance

Prices effective November 1, 2009

Regulated Price Plan
Lower-tier Price: 5.8 ¢/kWh
Higher-tier Price: 6.7 ¢/kWh
Time-of-Use
Off-peak Price: 4.4 ¢/kWh
Mid-peak Price: 8.0 ¢/kWh
On-peak Price: 9.3 ¢/kWh

 

Regulated Price Plan (RPP) Prices

Consumers who purchase electricity from their local utility are charged the following rates for electricity consumption. These rates are set by the Ontario Energy Board as part of the Regulated Price Plan. If you purchase electricity from an electricity retailer, the prices you pay will be different and will be stated in the contract you signed.

The threshold that defines higher and lower electricity prices for residential Regulated Price Plan consumers is set at 600 kilowatt hours per month during the summer (May 1st to October 31st) and 1,000 kilowatt hours per month during the winter (November 1st to April 30th). This difference recognizes that consumers use more electricity for lighting and indoor activity in the winter and that some Ontarians are reliant on electricity for their heating source.

The threshold for non-residential RPP consumers remains at 750 kilowatt hours per month for all seasons.

Season

Your electricity use

The regulated price you pay
(per kWh)

Applies to…

Summer (May 1 – Oct 31) Up to 600 kWh 5.8 cents Residential consumers
More than 600 kWh 6.7 cents
Winter (Nov 1 – April 30) Up to 1,000 kWh 5.8 cents
More than 1,000 kWh 6.7 cents
All seasons Up to 750 kWh 5.8 cents Non-residential consumers
More than 750 kWh 6.7 cents

 

Regulated Price Plan Prices: Historical Snapshot

The following chart provides a brief description of electricity commodity prices since 2002. The chart also shows the changes to the residential threshold between summer and winter seasons.

Set By Effective Date Lower Tier Price
(per kWh)		 Residential Threshold
for Lower Tier Price
(per month)		 Higher Tier Price
(per kWh)
Ontario Energy Board
 Nov 1, 2009 5.8¢ 1,000 kWh 6.7¢
May 1, 2009 5.7¢ 600 kWh 6.6¢
Nov 1, 2008 5.6¢  1,000 kWh 6.5¢
May 1, 2008 5.0¢ 600 kWh 5.9¢
Nov 1, 2007 5.0¢ 1,000 kWh 5.9¢
May 1, 2007 5.3¢ 600 kWh 6.2¢
Nov 1, 2006 5.5¢ 1,000 kWh 6.4¢
May 1, 2006 5.8¢ 600 kWh 6.7¢
Nov 1, 2005 5.0¢ 1,000 kWh 5.8¢
Apr 1, 2005 5.0¢ 750 kWh 5.8¢

Government Regulation

 Apr 1, 2004 4.7¢ 750 kWh 5.5¢
Dec 9, 2002 4.3 ¢ per kWh/mo.

Electricity Prices - 5 Year Snapshot 

 

Time-of-Use (TOU) Prices 

Below is a chart outlining the current TOU prices and the three periods:

 

Day of the Week Time Time-of-Use Price
(cents/kWh)
Weekends & holidays
View chart		 All day Off-peak 4.4
Summer Weekdays
(May 1st - Oct 31st)
View chart		 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Mid-peak 8.0
11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. On-peak 9.3
5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Mid-peak 8.0
9:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. Off-peak 4.4
Winter Weekdays
(Nov 1st - Apr 30th)
View chart		 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. On-peak 9.3
11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Mid-peak 8.0
5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. On-peak 9.3
9:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. Off-peak 4.4

*Time-of-use prices as of November 1, 2009. Prices subject to change every six months.

The prices in the table above are for the “Electricity line” only. In other words, they do not affect any other lines on your electricity bill including the Delivery, Regulatory and Debt retirement charges.

The cost of smart meter deployment will be recovered through the Delivery line paid by all customers within specific classes (e.g. residential, small business).

 

Time-of-Use Prices: Historical Snapshot

Time-of-Use Historical Prices

 

 


Related Information

Regulated Price Plan FAQ