Energy Charge Billing – based on hourly quantities

What’s New

Energy bill will be the sum of (Actual Hourly Use) x (Wholesale Electricity Price) for each hour in the billing period.

How it Previously Worked

Energy use was determined by the difference of an index reading at the start and end of the billing period.

Customer Advantage

Energy Costs will be based on exactly when it is used. Customers can alter their use to reduce energy costs.

Delivery Charge Billing – based on hour of peak use

What’s New

Delivery charge will be based on the hour of greatest use in the billing period – i.e. the highest monthly hourly Interval.

How it Previously Worked

Delivery charges were based on an index reading (that was reset each month), contained in the meter, that reflected a 15-minute period during the month when use was highest.

Customer Advantage

Customers will know when their peak use occurred and will have the opportunity to manage their use to minimize the peak and save money.

For businesses with an average monthly peak demand of 50 kW or more that use less than 250,000 kWh a year, there are four pricing options available for electricity:

1. Time-of-use prices (TOU) – default option.

2. Tiered prices – allows your business to use up to 750 kWh each month at a lower price. Once that threshold of 750 kWh is exceeded, a higher price applies.

3. Wholesale Electricity Price – this is the wholesale market rate that changes every hour. You will need to opt in.

4. Retailer contract – It is important to note that if you are billed HOEP or sign a retail contract you will also be billed the global adjustment (GA) rate as a separate line item on your bill. GA rate is built into TOU prices, so you will not see it as a separate line item on your bill.

 
Customer choice is here. Your business now has the option to switch prices. To see if your business would benefit from switching to tiered prices, visit HydroOne.com/CustomerChoice.

 
For businesses with an average monthly peak demand of 50 kW or more that use more than 250,000 kWh a year, there are two pricing options available for electricity:

1. Wholesale Electricity Price

2. Retailer contract.

With both of these pricing options, you will be billed GA rate as a separate line item on your bill.
 

Your electricity bill explained

For customers who are currently billed on Regulated Price Plan tiered pricing, the table below shows your electricity pricing options. Customers must use less than 250,000 kWh a year to be eligible for Regulated Price Plan pricing.
 

Customer choice is here. Your business now has the option to switch to tiered prices. Tiered prices allows your business to use a certain amount of electricity each month at a lower price. Once that threshold is exceeded, a higher price applies. To see if your business would benefit from switching, visit HydroOne.com/CustomerChoice.

For customers who are currently billed on the weighted average hourly spot price, the table below shows your electricity pricing options.
 

Customers who are billed by an electricity retailer will not see any change to how they are billed for electricity. The only change will be to the delivery component of the bill.

If you are unsure on how you are currently billed for electricity, please see page two of your bill or call us.
 

The OEB sets TOU prices that differ depending on when you use electricity. There are three demand periods:

• On-peak, when demand is highest. These are the busiest times of day – generally when people are cooking, starting up their computers and running heaters or air conditioner

• Mid-peak, when demand for electricity is moderate. These periods are during the daytime, but not the busiest times of day

• Off-peak, when demand for electricity is lowest.
   

Electricity prices remained the same for the summer season on May 1, 2025.

Summer Weekdays

Summer weekday periods are effective May 1 to October 31 each year.

Weekends & Holidays

Weekends and designated holidays are off-peak electricity prices all day.

Time-of-Use Prices

Prices shown are effective May 1,
2025 to October 31, 2025. 

To learn more about how your facility could benefit from these prices, please visit www.oeb.ca.
 

If you would like to opt out of TOU prices, please give us a call at 1.866.922.2466 or send us an email at BCC@HydroOne.com and one of our advisors would be happy to help you. Our office hours are Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
 

The Wholesale Electricity Price is determined through the wholesale electricity market, which is managed by the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO). Wholesale Electricity Price changes on an hourly basis depending on demand and the availability of supply. Factors affecting demand include consumer behavior, weather, time of day, day of week as well as economic conditions.
 
Wholesale Electricity Price is only one part of the total cost for electricity. Businesses also pay the Global Adjustment (GA) rate. We will bill you for both items without any markup.
 
The table below shows the average weighted hourly price the current year and previous years.
 

Source: IESO

The graph below shows the inverse effect of Wholesale Electricity Price and GA. Generally, when GA is higher, Wholesale Electricity Price is lower and vice versa.
 

Source: IESO

To learn more about Wholesale Electricity Price and GA, please visit www.ieso.ca.
 

We can help you decide which electricity pricing option is best for your business by doing an in-depth review for you.

Delivery is a combination of fixed and volumetric charges. The volumetric components are billed using your peak demand, which is the highest electrical power demand that occurs over a billing period. Previously, this was measured using a 15-minute register read and now this will be captured at the hourly interval.
 

For most customers, the impact of this change is likely to result in a modest reduction in delivery charges, as your peak use must now be sustained for a longer period before it registers as a peak.
 

Please note the Network Service Rate is another variable component of your delivery charge. It is billed on your peak demand on business days from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
 

Source: IESO

Access to the Interval Data Portal is available through the Hydro One myAccount by clicking on ‘My Energy Usage’. The portal can be used for viewing and downloading your hourly energy usage across multiple meters and accounts. Analysis and reporting tools can help support a more effective energy management program for your business.
 
For support in accessing the Interval Data portal or about its functionalities, please contact us at BCC@HydroOne.com or 1.866.922.2466.