TOU vs Tiered vs ULO electricity rates in Ontario.
The best plan depends on when and how much electricity your household uses. EV charging, electric heating, solar production, batteries and work-from-home schedules can each change the answer.
Current Ontario electricity price plans
The Ontario Energy Board set the following regulated prices for November 1, 2025. It normally resets prices annually on November 1.
Swipe the table sideways to compare every column.
| Plan | Current prices | What drives cost |
|---|---|---|
| Time-of-Use | 9.8¢ off-peak, 15.7¢ mid-peak, 20.3¢ on-peak | Time and day; weekday periods change by season |
| Ultra-Low Overnight | 3.9¢ overnight, 9.8¢ weekend off-peak, 15.7¢ mid-peak, 39.1¢ on-peak | Very low overnight price paired with a very high weekday 4–9 p.m. price |
| Tiered | 12.0¢ Tier 1, 14.2¢ Tier 2 | Total monthly use, not the time of day |
Winter residential Tier 1 covers the first 1,000 kWh per month; the summer threshold is 600 kWh. Weekend and holiday treatment also matters under TOU and ULO.
Which household patterns may fit each plan?
Flexible evenings and weekends
Often worth testing when much of the household load can stay outside weekday peak periods without extreme concentration overnight.
Large shiftable overnight loads
Can suit overnight EV charging or other controllable loads, but weekday 4–9 p.m. use deserves careful review.
Timing is difficult to change
Can fit households that value a stable time-independent price and remain mindful of seasonal thresholds.
Model the interaction
Generation timing, export credits, battery controls and the chosen plan should be evaluated together rather than separately.
Use your interval data, not a generic recommendation
Download hourly or interval usage from your utility when available and price the same period under all three structures. Include weekends, seasons and any future EV or heating load. A single summer week or one unusually cold month is not a reliable annual comparison.
Compare rate plans against your actual load shape.
Useful when solar, an EV, a heat pump or storage may change the answer.