Just a reminder that May 1st is the switch over date to summer rates for most people who are subscribed to a time of use plan for electricity.
- Peak hours are now during the day when people are more likely to be using air conditioning, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Mid-peak runs through the morning/evening rush when people are cooking and busier at home. From 7-11 a.m. and 5-7 p.m.
- Off-peak is the cheapest time and remains the same, from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m.
Obviously off-peak is the best time to do laundry and use other electricity guzzling appliances but it will now be slightly cheaper if you are using them in the morning or after work too. Peak rates in Ontario are about 80% higher than off-peak so you can save a significant amount by switching your use to off-peak times.
My actual hydro usage isn’t bad but no matter how low I keep it, all the other charges quadruple my bill.
use the stove to cook in batches on the weekend
use the slow cooker to save energy
use fans instead of air conditioning
I still dont understand how non-peak times are weekends and stats as there are more people home on weekends and holidays and usually not 9-5 during the week as they are working…
Businesses tend to use more power than households, plus there was pressure on the government not to put undue hardship on the families that have to pay for hydro and potentially not do stuff with their children due to the cost of power
Thankfully because I signed a contract with a distributor, I am not on TOU. My rate is low all day long.
Hey Theresa what is your provider, can you post a bill here omitting your details. I have looked into this option but found most are paying more overall and that the ontario gov’t has an active bill seeking to end the fixed rate sale of power as below. http://www.ontla.on.ca/web/bills/bills_detail.do?locale=en&BillID=2895&detailPage=bills_detail_acts_affected
what I don’t understand is how ontario hydro wants us to be on TOU system to help us save on electricity, they give us tips on how to save on our electric bills, when to do the laundry, dishwasher, blah, blah, blah. Yet they keep increasing the TOU rates every 6 months. Is it because some of us are actuallu making an effort to save $$ that Ont Hydro is not making enough $$ so they need to increase the rates so that they can be profitable?