Ontario's Cheaper Hydro Rates Have Officially Come To An End

Don't forget to turn off your lights! Ontario hydro rates are about to get more expensive. 

According to the Ontario Energy Board, residents and small businesses will resume paying time-of-use (TOU) pricing (which refers to when the energy is used) as of February 23, 2021.

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We will be moving customers back to the standard tiered and time-of-use rates beginning at 12:00 a.m. on Tuesday, February 23, 2021. Alexander Puddifant, Office of The Minister of Energy 

The increase in pricing comes after Ontarians have been paying the off-peak rate of 8.5 cents per kilowatt-hour since January 1, 2021. 

Now, with time-of-use prices reinstated, residents could be paying a whopping 17.6 cents per kilowatt-hour if used during on-peak times (weekdays 7– 11 a.m. and 5 – 7 p.m.).

Mid-peak hours, which occur on weekdays from 11 a.m until 5 p.m., will now cost you 11.9 cents per kilowatt-hour. 

If customers are on tiered pricing, they can expect to pay 10.1 cents per kilowatt-hour for the first 1,000 kWh they use a month. 

A spokesperson from the Office of the Minister of Energy told Narcity that residents are being moved back to the standard pricing as most regions come out of the stay-at-home order. 

Residents who are unable to pay their electricity bills due to the pandemic can still apply to the COVID-19 Energy Assistance Program (CEAP).