Compare Ontario’s three regulated electricity price plans using your monthly usage, daily routine and optional EV charging.
OEB rates checked Oct. 4, 2026Prices shown took effect Nov. 1, 2025 and apply through Oct. 31, 2026.
1
Start with your bill
kWh before adding EV charging
May 1 – October 31
2
Choose the closest routine
Typical assumption: 32% overnight, 29% on weekends and 39% across weekday daytime/evening periods.
3
Add home EV charging
kilometres
kWh / 100 km
Any remainder is conservatively treated as weekday 4–9 p.m. charging.
Current Ontario prices
Plan / period
¢ per kWh
TOU · off / mid / on
9.8 / 15.7 / 20.3
ULO · overnight / weekend
3.9 / 9.8
ULO · mid / on-peak
15.7 / 39.1
Tiered · tier 1 / tier 2
12.0 / 14.2
Residential Tier 1 covers the first 600 kWh/month in summer and 1,000 kWh/month in winter.
Use the result wisely
Check several recent bills for your actual kWh, especially one summer and one winter bill.
Pick the routine that best reflects when your household uses power—not when people are merely home.
Confirm with your utility’s interval data or the OEB bill calculator before switching.
Method: Usage is allocated across OEB time periods using the routine selected above. The 4–7 p.m. block is blended across the TOU periods it spans. EV energy is calculated as weekly kilometres × 52 ÷ 12 × efficiency ÷ 100. Results are estimates, not guarantees. Official source:Ontario Energy Board electricity rates. This tool is independent and is not affiliated with the OEB or an electricity utility. It is for residential Regulated Price Plan customers, not energy-retailer contracts or unit sub-meter arrangements.
Practical guides for choosing your plan
The cheapest plan depends less on how much electricity you use than on when you use it. These guides explain the trade-offs behind the estimate.
TOU, Tiered or ULO: which plan fits?
Ontario’s Regulated Price Plan gives eligible residential customers three ways to pay for the Electricity portion of a bill. None is automatically cheapest for every home.
Time-of-Use (TOU)
TOU rewards moving electricity use to evenings, nights, weekends and holidays. It can suit a household that can delay laundry, dishwashing or other flexible loads until off-peak hours.
Tiered
Tiered pricing ignores the clock. You pay one rate up to the seasonal monthly threshold and a higher rate above it. It is often easier to budget for, and it can be competitive when weekday peak use is difficult to avoid.
Ultra-Low Overnight (ULO)
ULO offers the lowest overnight price, paired with a much higher weekday 4–9 p.m. price. It is designed for customers who can shift a meaningful amount of use—especially EV charging—to 11 p.m.–7 a.m.
A better way to decide
Run one summer bill and one winter bill through the calculator.
Test your routine honestly. Being home does not necessarily mean high usage if major appliances stay idle.
Compare the monthly gap. If the two best plans are nearly tied, convenience and seasonal changes may matter more than the estimate.
Ontario TOU hours, without the guesswork
TOU uses three price periods. Off-peak is always 7 p.m.–7 a.m. on weekdays, plus all day on weekends and most holidays. The weekday daytime periods change by season.
Off-peakWeekdays 7 p.m.–7 a.m.; all day weekends and most holidays
Focus on appliances with high power draw and flexible timing: electric vehicle charging, clothes dryers, dishwashers, pool pumps and electric water heating. Lighting and phone charging are usually too small to drive the decision on their own.
Why season matters
Summer on-peak hours cover the hottest weekday afternoons, while winter on-peak hours cover morning and early-evening demand. A home with electric heating or cooling can therefore favour a different plan from one season to the next.
Is Ultra-Low Overnight worth it for EV charging?
ULO can cut the energy price of scheduled overnight charging, but the 39.1¢/kWh weekday on-peak rate from 4–9 p.m. can erase those savings quickly. The plan works best when both the car and the household avoid that window.
Monthly EV energy ≈ weekly kilometres × 52 ÷ 12 × vehicle kWh/100 km ÷ 100
For example, use your vehicle’s recent efficiency—not only the manufacturer rating—because cold weather, highway speed and cabin heating can change consumption. Then use the EV control above to test what happens when 70%, 90% or 100% of charging starts after 11 p.m.
How to make ULO work
Set the vehicle or charger to begin after 11 p.m., rather than plugging in at dinner time without a schedule.
Avoid electric drying, cooking and other large loads from 4–9 p.m. on weekdays where practical.
Recheck the estimate with a winter bill; EV efficiency and household heating demand may both change.
Compare the whole household, not just the car. A cheap charging session does not guarantee the cheapest total bill.
How to switch Ontario electricity price plans
Eligible Regulated Price Plan customers can choose TOU, Tiered or ULO through their electricity distributor. Your utility—not the Ontario Energy Board—processes the change.
Before you switch
Find the electricity usage in kWh on several recent bills. Do not use the total dollar amount as the calculator input.
Check whether your account has hourly usage data. This is more reliable than estimating a routine.
Compare both seasons and include any planned EV charging.
Note the difference between the Electricity line and the full bill. Delivery, regulatory charges, taxes and rebates still apply.
Make the request
Sign in to your utility’s customer portal or contact the utility using the details printed on your bill. Look for a price-plan election or Regulated Price Plan choice. Review the effective-date information your utility provides before submitting.
Check the first bill
Confirm that the new plan name appears and compare actual usage with the assumptions you tested here. If your routine changes—such as starting home charging or working from home—run the numbers again.
Ontario electricity plan questions
Does changing plans affect delivery charges?
The selection changes how the Electricity line is priced. Delivery, regulatory charges, HST and rebates are separate, so the full bill will not equal the calculator result.
Is Tiered always best for low-usage homes?
No. Lower consumption can help a household stay within Tier 1, but timing still determines whether TOU or ULO could be cheaper. Compare the same kWh under all three plans.
Can a plan be best in summer but not winter?
Yes. TOU peak periods change by season, Tier 1 has a higher winter threshold, and heating or cooling can change when electricity is used.
Does ULO only help EV owners?
No, but it is most useful when a household can shift a substantial load overnight. An EV, electric water heater or other schedulable equipment can create that load.
Why does the calculator only estimate my Electricity charge?
Other bill components are not determined solely by the selected price plan. Isolating the Electricity line makes the three plan options comparable without pretending to predict every part of the bill.