RATES

Electricity Prices Effective November 1, 2023 – April 30, 2024 

These prices will appear on the Electricity line of your bill and are only for the electricity you use. They do not include other charges like delivery. If you have a contract with an electricity retailer, you pay the price agreed upon in the contract, not the price set by the Ontario Energy Board.

Customer Choice 

If you’re a residential or small business customer, you can choose to switch between Time-Of-Use (TOU), Tiered and the new Ultra-Low Overnight (ULO) price plans.

To switch price plans, you must notify Lakefront Utilities Inc. by contacting us at 905-372-2193, lusi@lusi.on.ca or by completing the election form below. If you want to stay with your current price plan,  no action is required.

About TOU and ULO Prices 

With TOU and ULO prices, the price depends on when you use electricity. You can help manage your electricity costs by shifting your usage to lower price periods when possible.

With TOU, there are three price periods:

• Off-peak: When demand for electricity is generally lower. Ontario households use most of their electricity – nearly two thirds of it – during off-peak hours.
• Mid-peak: When demand for electricity is moderate. These periods are during the daytime, but not the busiest times of day.
• On-peak: When demand for electricity is generally higher. These are the busier times of day – generally when people are cooking, starting up their personal electronics and running heaters or air conditioners.

With ULO, there are four price periods: 

• Ultra-Low Overnight: When demand for electricity is lowest on average.
• Weekend Off-peak: When demand for electricity is generally lower.
• Mid-peak: When demand for electricity is moderate.
• On-peak: When demand for electricity is highest on average.

About Tiered Prices   

With Tiered prices, you can use a certain amount of electricity each month at a lower price. Once that limit (called a threshold) is exceeded, a higher price applies. For residential customers, the threshold normally changes with the season to reflect changing usage patterns – for example, there are fewer hours of daylight in the winter, increasing lighting use, and some customers use electric heating.

In the winter period (November 1 – April 30), the Tier threshold for residential customers is 1,000 kWh so that households can use more power at the lower price. In the summer period (May 1 – October 31), the Tier threshold for residential customers is 600 kWh.

For small business customers, the Tier threshold is 750 kWh all year round.

Tiered prices give you the flexibility to use electricity at any time of day at the same price, although that price will change if you exceed the threshold during the month.

Considering a Switch?

Are you thinking about changing your price plan? Here are a few things to consider. Make sure you have some of your recent electricity bills handy as you go through the information below. Most of the information you will need is on the Electricity line of your bill.

• Your price plan

What electricity price plan are you on? If you’re unsure, take a look at the Electricity line of your bill. Most residential and small business customers in Ontario pay TOU prices.

• Your usage

How much electricity do you use in a month? If you’re unsure, take a look at the Electricity line on your bill. You might also want to look at the historical usage graph on your bill, which shows your average daily use over the past 12-month period.

• Your consumption pattern

When you use electricity can be another factor in your choice. Historically, the typical residential customer who paid TOU prices has used nearly two thirds of their power at off-peak times – the time when the lowest TOU price applies. The other third of their power used was typically split equally between on- and mid-peak times. Look at the Electricity line of your bill to see how much power you use in each of the three TOU price periods.

• Seasonal changes and time of year

As described above, the TOU price periods and Tier thresholds change with the season and are different during the winter (November 1 – April 30) and summer (May 1 – October 31) periods. ULO price periods are the same all year round. Does the amount of electricity you use change based on the season?

If you’re thinking about switching price plans, you should pay close attention to how much electricity you use in a month, because on Tiered pricing the price is higher for every kWh of electricity that you use above the Tier threshold of 1,000 kWh in the winter or 600 kWh in the summer. For instance, if you heat your home electrically, your monthly use in the winter may be higher. And the same goes for the summer if you need to run an air conditioner. 

With TOU and ULO prices, the price depends on when you use electricity. Although the TOU price periods also change with the season, the electricity you use after 7 p.m. every day, and all the time on weekends and holidays, is charged at the lowest price under TOU all year round. And with ULO, the price periods remain the same all year round.

• Lifestyle and daily habits

Are you often home during the day on weekdays, so that shifting your usage is more challenging? Do you have large appliances that you need to run during the day on weekdays? Can you shift more of that usage to nighttime or weekend hours? Do you own an electric vehicle that you charge at home and at what times of day/night do you charge it?

• Small business

If you’re a small business owner, some of the same factors mentioned earlier also apply – how much electricity do you use each month, and when do you use it? Keep in mind that the Tier threshold for small business customers is 750 kWh all year round. And not all small businesses are the same. A large restaurant with several ovens running in the evening may have a very different electricity usage pattern than a small salon that’s only open during the day. So may a dry cleaner compared to a convenience store, or a clothing store compared to a bakery.

For more information about Time-Of-Use, Ultra-Low Overnight and Tiered pricing, visit www.oeb.ca/choice

Effective January 1, 2024:

• The Wholesale Market Service rate is $0.0041 per kWh (previously $0.0030/kWh)
• The Rural or Remote Electricity Rate Protection Charge is $0.0014 per kWh (previously $0.0005/kWh)

Residential Bill Calculator

Time-of-Use (TOU) & Regulated Price Plan (RPP)

Time-of-Use (TOU) Prices

Time-of-Use rates are based upon specific times of the day and the days of the week when traditionally demand for electricity is at its highest or lowest. When the demand and generation costs for electricity are at their highest, the TOU rates will reflect “On-Peak” prices; when demand and generation costs are low, TOU rates will be lower. These rates are set by the Ontarian Energy Board.

If you purchase your electricity from any electricity retailer, the prices you pay will be different and will be stated in the contract you signed.

Current Rates & Prices

Regulated Price Plan (RPP) – Tiered Prices

Customers who purchase electricity from Lakefront Utilities Inc. who are not on Time-of-Use will be charged Regulated Price Plan. These rates are set by the Ontario Energy Board.

If you purchase electricity from an electricity retailer, the prices you pay will be different and will be stated in the contract you signed.

The threshold that defines higher and lower electricity prices for residential Regulated Price Plan consumers is set at 600 kilowatt hours per month during the summer (May 1st to October 31st) and 1,000 kilowatt hours per month during the winter (November 1st to April 30th). This difference recognizes that consumers use more electricity for lighting and indoor activity in the winter and that some Ontarians are reliant on electricity for their heating source.

The threshold for non-residential RPP consumers remains at 750 kilowatt hours per month for all seasons.