Lower electricity prices FOR SOME ACCOUNTS expected for 45 days
Lower electricity prices FOR SOME ACCOUNTS expected for 45 days
The electricity price discounts announced by the Government of Ontario do NOT apply to all accounts. See the FAQs below for more detail.
What is this change?
Customers on time-of-use (TOU) pricing will pay 10.1 ¢/kWh no matter what time of day the electricity is consumed. This means that TOU customers will be paying the “off-peak” price throughout the day.
Why is this changing?
This change is as a result of Government of Ontario Emergency Order.
How long will this be in place for?
This pricing will remain in place as long as the Emergency Order remains in place, which is expected to be for 45 days.
Is any action required?
The 10.1 ¢/kWh pricing applies automatically – no customer action is required.
Does the 31.8% OER still apply?
Yes.
Does this apply if the suites get their own bills?
That depends:
- If the suites get their bill directly from a utility, the suites will be priced at 10.1 cents regardless of how the bulk bill is priced;
- If your building is sub-metered by a private metering company (Enercare, Carma, PES, etc), the suites will (likely) be treated the same way as the “bulk bill” is treated. See the next FAQ to see if this pricing applies to your bulk electricity account. The “bulk bill” is the bill that accounts for the consumption of the entire building – common area + suites.
Does this apply to all electricity accounts?
No – it only applies to those accounts on time-of-use (TOU). For most accounts, a TOU bill will have “Time of Use” written in the top part of the bill underneath the word “Electricity”. A TOU bill will also have three rates on the bill – 20.4 cents per kWh, 14.4 cents per kWh, and 10.1 cents per kWh.
What accounts will not receive this price break?
For whatever reason, the Ontario Energy Board is clear on this:
- Accounts on the “Hourly + Global Adjustment” will not see their pricing change;
- Accounts on two-tier RPP will not see their pricing change – the two-tier RPP price mechanism will continue. We have asked the OEB if they will consider an adjustment to the RPP in the future to mirror the treatment for TOU customers;
Can a condo switch from their current price to TOU to get the discount?
Unlikely. Firstly, some buildings do not have the correct meter to handle TOU billing – those meters are being changed over-time by the utilities. Secondly, buildings can switch (if they have the correct meter), but they can only switch after the current billing period has ended, so these buildings would miss out on some of the savings. Thirdly, the customer service departments at most utilities state they will only handle move-ins and move-outs at this time. Thus, we are not sure there is anyone there to process this change.
What if you get a bill before the utility or sub-meter provider are able to implement the change?
You will receive a credit on the following bill.
Will the Crossbridge budget templates reflect this change?
No, this discount does not impact all properties, and it is only for 45 days.