Choose the price plan that's right for you!
If you’re a residential or small business customer, you can choose to switch between Time-of-Use (TOU), Tiered or Ultra-Low Overnight (ULO) prices.
With TOU and ULO, the price you pay depends on when you use electricity. With Tiered prices, you can use a certain amount of electricity each month at a lower price. Once that limit is exceeded, a higher price applies.
The best price plan for you will depend on your electricity consumption patterns. If you want to stay with your current price plan, no action is required. There is no deadline to choose, and you will not be permanently locked into your selection.
Price Plan Details and Steps to Request a Change
There are three TOU price periods:
- Off-peak, when demand for electricity is generally lower. Ontario households use most of their electricity – nearly two thirds of it – during off-peak hours.
- Mid-peak, when demand for electricity is moderate. These periods are during the daytime, but not the busiest times of day.
- On-peak, when demand for electricity is generally higher. These are the busier times of day – generally when people are cooking, starting up their personal electronics and running heaters or air conditioners.
TOU price periods are different in the summer (May 1 – October 31) than they are in the winter (November 1 – April 30).
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With Tiered prices, you can use a certain amount of electricity each month at a lower price. Once that limit (called a threshold) is exceeded, a higher price applies. The threshold changes with the season to reflect changing usage patterns – for example, there are fewer hours of daylight in the winter and some customers use electric heating.
In the winter period (November 1 – April 30), the Tier threshold for residential customers is 1,000 kWh, so that during the heating season households can use more power at the lower price. In the summer period (May 1 – October 31), the Tier threshold for residential customers is 600 kWh. The Tier threshold for small business customers is 750 kWh all year round.
Tiered prices give you the flexibility to use electricity at any time of day at the same price, although that price will change if you exceed the threshold during the month.
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In April 2023, the Ontario Energy Board (OEB) announced a new electricity price plan, Ultra-Low Overnight (ULO), which offers more choice to residential and small business customers. Canadian Niagara Power Inc. is meeting our regulatory obligation by offering ULO to our customers starting November 1, 2023.
The new ULO price plan, offered in addition to the Time-of-Use (TOU) and Tiered price plans, has four price periods, one of which is a very low-priced overnight period.
Ultra-Low Overnight Pricing (ULO)
There are four ULO price periods:
- Ultra-Low Overnight, when demand for electricity is lowest on average.
- Weekend Off-peak, when demand for electricity is generally lower.
- Mid-peak, when demand for electricity is moderate.
- On-peak, when demand for electricity is highest on average.
The ULO price periods are the same in the summer as they are in the winter. With ULO pricing, you can help manage your electricity costs by shifting high usage activities, like electric vehicle charging, to lower price periods when possible.
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Here are a few tips to help you make the best choice possible:
Power is personal. Some customers may prefer TOU or ULO prices. For instance, customers who work different shifts may be able to use more of their electricity at times when lower off-peak prices apply, and some customers, like those who charge their electric vehicles, may also want to take advantage of the Ultra-Low Overnight price that applies from 11 p.m. until 7 a.m. every day. Others may favour Tiered prices because they want the flexibility to do their household chores at any time of the day, or their total usage rarely exceeds 600 kWh in a month in summer, or 1,000 kWh in a month in winter.
Whatever plan you choose, one thing remains certain: the less electricity you use, the less you pay. Switching price plans will not affect your eligibility for the Ontario Electricity Rebate or other government programs like the Ontario Electricity Support Program that supports low-income households in need of assistance in paying their electricity bills.
Use the Ontario Energy Board bill calculator to see what your total bill would look like with Time-of-Use, Tiered and ULO prices.
- You’ll need your Canadian Niagara Power Inc. bill, or several months of bills. To use the calculator most effectively, you’ll want to know how much electricity you use and when you use it. You can find this information on the Electricity line of your bills or in My Account.
- Remember, your monthly use and usage pattern may be different in the winter season than it is in the summer season.
- You can also use our My Account price comparison tools to see your past electricity usage patterns with historic Time-of-Use and Tiered prices. Not registered in My Account? All you need is your Canadian Niagara Power Inc. account number and meter number to sign-up. Right away you'll have access to your meter data, past usage and the comparison tools.
All three options are available to eligible smart metered customers. Please complete the election form. For Tiered and TOU , you also have access to see price plans and request to change plans through the Price Comparison page in My Account
After You Submit an Election Form
In most cases, if you choose to change today, the new pricing will apply to the next month's full billing period.