Helpful TOU Links
Phase-in of Time-of-Use Electricity Prices Underway for Burlington Hydro Customers
BURLINGTON, ON – January 6, 2012 – In a move mandated by the Province of Ontario and the Ontario Energy Board, every Burlington Hydro residential and small commercial customer will have been switched to Time-of-Use (TOU) pricing by February 28th, 2012. Burlington’s two-month roll out of TOU began January 2nd.
The switch to the new approach to electricity costs means all Burlington households and most institutions and businesses will be charged different rates, depending on the day of week , time of day and the season.
The timing of the migration to TOU, which for some Burlington Hydro customers started January 2nd, was conveyed through billing inserts issued to all customers in the Fall. The specific TOU start dates vary for customers depending on their billing cycle.
The phased-in approach to the billing ensures customers will not be billed based on both the old and new pricing on the same electricity bill to avoid confusion.
TOU electricity pricing, applicable province-wide, is a part of the Ontario government’s plan to create a culture of energy conservation. 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.
Winter TOU periods and prices in effect until April 30th, are as follows:
- Off-Peak - 6.2 cents per kWh – Weekdays 7 pm to 7 am, and all-day on Weekends and Statutory Holidays
- Mid-Peak - 9.2 cents per kWh – Weekdays 11 am to 5 pm
- On-Peak – 10.8 cents per kWh –Weekdays 7 am to 11 am & 5 pm to 7 pm
From May 1st to October 31st, new TOU periods come into effect.
Burlington Hydro advises customers to look for opportunities to shift energy intensive activities to off-peak hours and to conserve when possible. Effective approaches for customers to conserve, include installing a programmable thermostat and setting it to reduce consumption during on-peak periods, always running the dishwasher with full loads, avoiding the dishwasher ‘heated dry’ setting, and unplugging electronics when not in use.
Being aware of the appliances and tools that are the heaviest-electricity consumers, and reducing their use at peak times, is the single most effective way to help manage costs.
Burlington Hydro has also introduced the Time-of-Use Toolkit, a new web-based tool for customers to see their electricity consumption on line. The TOU toolkit allows customers to track their electricity use by the hour, a helpful aid to manage consumption and costs. To register, users must have an active Burlington Hydro account - visit https://tou.burlingtonhydro.com/.
Burlington Hydro will also continue to help customers manage their electricity use and costs by offering a wide-range of Conservation Programs.
To learn more about Burlington Hydro Conservation Programs and ways to power down and save, visit www.burlingtonhydro.com.
Time-of-Use rates are not applicable for commercial customers who use more than 50 kWh/month, or for customers on a fixed-term contract with an electricity retailer.
The Ontario Energy Board regulates the conduct of companies that offer retail energy contracts. For more information on TOU pricing and protection for consumers concerning electricity retailers, visit the Ontario Energy Board at www.oeb.gov.on.ca
