Just in time for the warmer weather, Ontario hydro/electricity companies are changing to Summer Time of Use Rates today.
Instead of winter pricing when peak rates are 7-11am and 5-7pm, those rates will move to mid-peak and the highest rate will be charged from 11am-5pm when air conditioners are using additional power from the grid. Weekends, holidays and nights starting at 7 remain off peak.
Do you choose to do laundry and other chores that require hydro in off-peak hours? As you can see from the pricing which comes into effect for Smart Meter users today, there are significant savings for off-peak use.
For those outside of Ontario, do you have time of use rates?
Not here in SK. Our power comes from the City.
We pay 12.24/kWh
Service charge $22.24/mo
Oh, just checked and apparently there is an option for on/off peak charges, but it must be new, not much info available on it.
Laundry we try to do off peak.
Other chores….to be honest, they just happen whenever I finally feel like getting around to them!
I work from home and use the dishwasher/do laundry during off-/mid-peak hours during the week as much as possible.
I only ever do the laundry and dishes after seven and only on weekends.
Wow, this really really sucks 🙁
Sometimes you have to do laundry during on-peak hours because there is no compromise on cleanliness, hygiene, and sanitation.
Most definitely, I use the off-peak hours as much as possible. Especially hot water laundry loads and disherwasher. We hang dry clothes to save on electricity as well. Since we arrive home fairly late in the day after work, it’s actually not that hard to wait for the off-peak hours. My one exception so far is when we were expecting a huge storm a few months ago and anticipated power outages, I rushed to get some laundry done regardless of the time of day!!
My gripe is having to keep track of the months of change for peak and mid-peak periods. It ranks #2 after keeping track of the clock changes (March and November) in irksome living conditions. Must be harder for shift workers whose body clocks are out of sync with many friends and families still on daytime schedules.
The good thing about good weather-if one has the chance to do laundry in the morning and hang it outside, then after 11 am is time for other things that don’t need much electricity to do.
Ever notice that only Hydro One could figure out a way to make it more costly to not work ‘standard hours’ or more expensive to be a senior –home during peak times!
Did you ever notice that it was the Ontario LIBERAL government that has approved all of the Hydro One rate increases and also approved the change to these so-called Smart Meters? The LIBERAL PARTY has pretty much bankrupted the province in the last ten years. We have lost thousands of manufacturing jobs and also the loss of many new developments or additions to existing manufacturing jobs, all due to the highest electricity costs in North america. (not to mention the BILLIONS OF DOLLAR losses in the Gas Plant cancellations in Toronto – again the LIBERAL PARTY’S mess-up that we Ontario taxpayers will have to cover). There is only one way to fix a stupid Ontario government, VOTE THEM OUT!!!!!!
we always do our laundry during off-peak hours and when the weather in nice and warm outside we hang our clothes out to dry instead of using the dryer.
Thanks for the reminder! I do a bulk of my duties in the off-peak hours & on the weekends so the change from summer and winter doesn’t really impact me.
Nope. My rent is inclusive. I’ll use what I want, when I want and not have to worry about the cost. I LOVE it lol
Nicki, inclusive rent means an increase to cover hydro costs though? Although I was guilty of it when I lived in an inclusive apartment too
We always do laundry after 7pm and on weekends!
It’ll be my first summer at home so I’m not looking forward to those summer hydro bills! 🙁
Yes, we do laundry & run the dishwasher during off-peak hours, but all other chores happen when they happen.
I live in NS, my mother always talked about peak and off peak hours for doing things, and I didn’t entirely believe her. in our last power bill there was something explaining this but it pretty much said NS does not have this type of peak and off peak, it is the same all across the board, no matter what time it is.