On November 1, both the schedule and rates for Time-of-use electricity pricing are set to change. In addition to the schedule changes that occur each May and November, the Ontario Energy Board (OEB) is adjusting electricity prices. Learn more from the OEB news release and backgrounder.

Kingston Hydro bills its standard supply service residential and small business customers based on Time-of-use (TOU) pricing for the electricity commodity portion of their bill. This means that customers are charged less for the electricity commodity at times when the demand for it is less. For example, you’ll save money by doing your laundry on weekends or later in the evening.

As of November 1, TOU schedules and pricing will change as follows:

Period	Schedule	Price Change
Off-peak (the most cost effective time to use electricity)	7 p.m. to 7 a.m. weekdays, and on weekends and statutory holidays	8.3 cents per kWh (increase from 8.0 cents per kWh)
Mid-peak	11 a.m. to  5 p.m. weekdays	12.8 cents per kWh (increase from 12.2 cents per kWh)
On-peak	7 a.m. to 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays	17.5 cents per kWh (increase from 16.1 cents per kWh)

The increase is approximately 3.4% on the total bill per month, or $4.42 per month based on an average usage of 800 kWh. 

Increased costs from Ontario Power Generation’s (OPG) nuclear and hydro-electric power plants make up about 40% of this increase. Costs from renewable generation sources are another driver, representing about one-third of the increase.

The Ontario Energy Board sets electricity rates for consumers. Your electricity bill is made up of several charges, including for the electricity commodity and delivery. The latter includes transmission to and distribution throughout Central Kingston. Kingston Hydro retains part of this delivery portion of the bill and uses it to maintain and upgrade local infrastructure.

The rates relating to transmission and distribution remain unchanged. Kingston Hydro is required by the Ontario Energy Board to charge the commodity rate increase to consumers and then remit it to the Independent Electricity System Operator.

Shift your electricity use:

The off-peak price remains less than half the on-peak price. This means customers who shift use to evenings and weekends save 9¢ per kWh. The typical Ontario TOU household uses about two-thirds of its power during off-peak hours, and the off-peak price remains largely unchanged.

Through recent OEB consumer research, Ontarians have signalled a need for pricing that provides greater incentives to conserve. Giving customers incentives and opportunities to manage their bills by shifting their time of electricity use is a key objective of the OEB’s price plan.

Did you know you can view your electricity consumption from the MyUtilities customer portal? The data is updated daily and can be used to help households shift their electricity use to off-peak times when it costs less.

Help to conserve electricity:

Customers who want to do more to save money are invited to view nearly one hundred conservation tips to help them conserve energy and water. A Utilities Kingston conservation expert is available to provide one-on-one assistance to help customers save electricity, water and money - just call 613-546-0000 and say 'conservation'.

Related information:

For further information, we invite you to explore the following online resources provided by Utilities Kingston and Kingston Hydro:

• Understanding Your Electricity Bill
• Rates and Regulatory Affairs at kingstonhydro.com
• Information about Kingston Hydro saveONenergy electricity conservation programs and incentives
• Learn about Utilities Kingston and its affiliation with Kingston Hydro