TORONTO — Electricity rates are set to rise this weekend in Ontario, with the average customer seeing a nearly two per cent increase to their hydro bill compared to before the pandemic.
Earlier this month, the Ontario Energy Board announced new prices for households and small businesses that take effect on Sunday, Nov. 1.
That’s also the day the provincial government’s COVID-19 rate relief plan, which has been in place since late March, comes to an end.
The relief plan had meant about five million customers subject to so-called “time-of-use” pricing, which varies depending on the day, had instead been paying a flat rate.
That rate was initially 10.1 cents per kilowatt hour, increasing to 12.8 cents in June — well below peak-hour pricing before the pandemic.
On Sunday, those customers will return to time-of-use billing unless they opt out, with prices varying from 10.5 cents per kilowatt hour during off-peak hours up to 21.7 cents during on-peak times.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 30, 2020.
The Canadian Press
