Burlington Hydro Helps Customers Prepare
for Time of Use Pricing
Time-of-Use prices are coming to Burlington
Like everyone across Ontario, Burlington Hydro Inc. customers are switching to “Time-of-Use” (TOU) electricity prices – part of the government’s plan to create a culture of energy conservation in the province. All residential and small commercial customers in Burlington (consumption less than 50,000 kWh/month) will be migrated to TOU prices over a two month period starting this summer. Customers will be notified through an invoice letter as to their exact TOU migration date.
With more than 12 million residents, Ontario is Canada’s most populated province. When we all use electricity at the same time we create a ‘peak demand.’ Reducing peak demand is good for the environment because the power plants used to meet peak demand are usually fossil-fuel generating stations, as it’s expensive to build and maintain power plants that only operate during peak periods. Using them less will mean less pollution and greenhouse gases and in the long run, it will save us all money.
TOU Periods and Prices TOU prices are based on which times of day, days of the week and the season that experience the highest and lowest electricity demands. When demand and production costs are at their highest, the prices will be higher; when costs go down, so will the prices.
TOU prices are set by the Ontario Energy Board and are adjusted every six months. Currently, the TOU periods and prices are:
- Off-Peak - 6.25.9 cents per kWh – Weekdays 7 pm to 7 am, and all-day on Weekends and Statutory Holidays
- Mid-Peak - 9.28.9 cents per kWh – Weekdays 11 am to 5 pm
- On-Peak – 10.87 cents per kWh –Weekdays 7 am to 11 am & 5 pm to 7 pm
What you can do to take advantage of TOU Prices
TOU prices provide you with a new way to manage your electricity costs, reduce strain on the electricity system and help the environment. Look for opportunities to shift energy intensive activities to off-peak hours and to conserve when possible.
Burlington Hydro will continue to help our customers to manage their electricity use and costs by offering a wide-range of Conservation Programs. To learn more about our Conservation Programs and ways that you can power down and save visit our conservation pages.
Soon, you will be able to view and compare your electricity consumption patterns on line You will be notified in the coming months about how to register for our BHI Time-of-Use Toolkit which will allow you to view your consumption on line. When you register you will be able to see how much electricity your household uses by the hour and compare your current electricity costs to TOU prices. You can also use it as a tool to educate other members of your household about TOU prices and time periods.
** NOTE: For electricity customers on a fixed-term contract with an electricity retailer, TOU prices will not apply.
