Ontario Smart Price Pilot

The Ontario Energy Board (the "Board"), with the support of Hydro Ottawa, implemented the Ontario Smart Price Pilot project in early August 2006. The pilot was designed to help the Board better understand the degree to which Ontario consumers change their electricity consumption behaviour with smart meters and "time-of-use" (TOU) prices in advance of the province's plan to provide smart meters to all homes and small businesses by 2010.

The project helped provide participating consumers with more information on how they better manage electricity consumption by shifting usage to off-peak periods.

The Board formed three separate groups of Hydro Ottawa consumer volunteers with smart meters, looking for potential consumption differences between those charged according to:

standard Regulated Price Plan TOU pricing;
RPP TOU pricing + critical peak pricing (CPP), and;
RPP TOU pricing + critical peak rebates (CPR).

A Final Report with the results was presented on July 26, 2007.

This web page will also be updated to include references to other TOU pricing pilots of other Ontario electricity distributors that the Board has approved to proceed throughout 2007. The Final Reports of four other TOU pricing pilots have been submitted to the Board - Newmarket Hydro, Oakville Hydro, Veridian Connections and Hydro One Networks.

GENERAL UPDATES

Date	Document
Jul 26-07	The Board issued the Final Report with the results of the Ontario Energy Board Smart Price Pilot project. The pilot was implemented by the Board to test three forms of electricity pricing for smart meters – the current Regulated Price Plan time-of-use (TOU) prices, critical peak “pricing” and critical peak “rebates”. The report was prepared by IBM and eMeter Strategic Consulting. The appendices include results from surveys and focus groups. News Release Backgrounder Ontario Smart Price Pilot: Final Report Appendices: A. Analysis of Critical Peak Rebate Program Concept B. Critical Peak Trigger Analysis C. Sample Recruitment Package Materials D. Sample Confirmation Package Materials E. Load Impact and Conservation Effect Analytical Model F. Focus Group Report G. Survey Results
Jan 8-07	The Board issued the Pilot Design Document for the Ontario Smart Price Pilot project. This document contains further details about the pilot's scope and approach. It was created in the early stages of the project to serve as a roadmap for implementing the pilot. The Appendices include the recruitment materials (e.g., fact sheets, fridge magnets, etc.) that participants received. The pilot project was recently extended for two months. The Pilot Design Document was completed beforehand and therefore does not take the extension into account. Pilot Design Document - Full Report Pilot Design Document - Excluding Appendices
Aug 1-06	The Ontario Energy Board (the "Board") announced that, with the support of Hydro Ottawa, it will begin the Ontario Smart Price Pilot project. The pilot is designed to help the Board learn how consumers use opportunities to conserve electricity with smart meters and "time-of-use" (TOU) prices in advance of the province's plan to provide smart meters to all homes and small businesses by 2010. Press release Backgrounder

OTHER APPROVED TIME-OF-USE PRICING PILOT PROJECTS

Date	Document

May 28-08	Newmarket Hydro, Oakville Hydro, Veridian Connections and Hydro One Networks have submitted Final Reports to the Board discussing the results of the four time-of-use (TOU) pricing pilot projects involving smart meters that were previously approved by the Board. Newmarket Hydro TOU Pricing Pilot: Final Report Oakville Hydro TOU Pricing Pilot: Final Report Veridian Connections TOU Pricing Pilot: Final Report Hydro One Networks TOU Pricing Pilot: Final Report
Mar 27-07	The Board has approved a proposal from Hydro One to implement a Regulated Price Plan time-of-use (TOU) pricing pilot project involving residential, farm and small business consumers and real time in-home display monitors. Board Decision Hydro One TOU Pricing Pilot Proposal
Dec 14-06	The Board has approved a proposal from Veridian Connections to implement a Regulated Price Plan time-of-use pricing pilot project involving medium-sized business consumers. Board Decision Veridian Connections TOU Pricing Pilot Proposal
Dec 1-06	The Board has approved Oakville Hydro's request to implement a Regulated Price Plan time-of-use (TOU) pricing pilot project involving sub-metered condominiums. This builds on an existing TOU pricing pilot project involving residential homes. Board Decision Oakville Hydro's TOU Pricing Pilot Proposal
Aug 17-06	In response to a proposal for a time-of-use pricing pilot project, the Board issued a letter advising Newmarket Hydro that the Board finds the pilot project to be in the public interest and approves it. Letter to Newmarket Hydro Newmarket Hydro Pilot Project Proposal

CONTACT

For more information, please contact Chris Cincar at 416-440-7696 or by e-mail chris.cincar@oeb.gov.on.ca.