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Skip Navigation LinksEPCOR / Account & Billing / Understanding Your Bill / Switching from Time-of-Use to Tiered or Ultra-Low Overnight Prices

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Find out how to switch from TOU to
Tiered prices.
Make the switch

Beginning November 1, 2020, you can choose to switch from Time-of-Use (TOU) electricity prices to Tiered prices.

Beginning June 1, 2023, you can choose to switch from Time-of-Use (TOU) or Tiered prices to Ultra-Low Overnight (ULO) electricity prices.

With TOU and ULO, the price you pay depends on when you use electricity. With Tiered prices, you can use a certain amount of electricity each month at a lower price. Once that limit is exceeded, a higher price applies.

If you want to continue paying your current prices, no action is required.​


Who's eligible to
​switch

Find out​

​

Considering a
switch

Learn more

​

Switching to Tiered or ULO prices

Make the switch​

​

About Time of Use and Ultra ​Low Ovenight 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.

Learn more about TOU and ULO prices​​​

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 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

Consider the factors below to determine if the switch is right for you. Make sure you have some of your recent electricity bills handy as you go through the information below. Keep in mind the effect of COVID-19 on your electricity use (for instance, you may be working from home when you normally wouldn't be).​​​

  • Your price plan
  • Your usage
  • Your consumption pattern
  • Seasonal changes and time of year
  • Lifestyle and daily habits
  • Small business​

​Visit oeb.ca/calculator to compare your estimated monthly bill under TOU, ULO and Tiered prices.​

Who's eligible to switch

  • The choice between TOU, ULO and Tiered prices is available to nearly all residential and small business customers that have smart meters and are billed on TOU or Tiered prices. Some residential and small business customers are charged Tiered prices because their meters can’t be used to bill TOU or ULO prices. They can’t switch to TOU or ULO prices at this time.
  • If you live in a condominium or apartment that has its own individual meter and your bill comes from a company other than EPCOR, you are a customer of a unit sub-meter provider (USMP). Customers of USMPs also can’t switch to TOU or ULO prices. That decision can only be made for the building as a whole by the “master consumer,” who is the person that retained a USMP for the property. In most cases, the master consumer is the property manager, landlord or condominium board.
  • Customers that are buying their electricity from an energy retailer pay the electricity price set out in their contract. Once they have left their retail contract, they will have a choice between paying TOU, UL​O or Tiered prices. For details about your energy contract, contact your energy retailer.

Switching to Tiered or ULO prices

Below are the rules for switching to Tiered or ULO prices. These rules also apply if you later want to switch back to TOU prices.

  1. Fill out the election form​
    You should have a recent electricity bill on hand when filling out the form, as you will need to provide your account number.​
    ​ Election form​

  2. Submit your form to EPCOR
    Email customercare.ontario@epcor.com or mail at:​
    EPCOR​
    43 Stewart Road
    Collingwood, Ontario
    L9Y 4M7
  • We will notify you within 10 business days of when you can expect to start being billed on your new rate or why your election form can’t be processed (for instance, if you’re not authorized to make changes to the account or the account can’t be verified).​
  • A switch from TOU or ULO to Tiered prices can only take effect at the start of a billing period​. You are billed for a 30-day period, and the start and end dates are identified on your electricity bill.
  • After you submit your election form, we will start charging you Tiered prices as of your next billing period, provided we receive the form at least 10 business days before that billing period starts and there are no issues with your form (see above).
  • If you have chosen to switch to Tiered prices and later you decide you want to go back to TOU prices, or change to ULO prices, you can do so at any time. The process described above applies.
For more information, visit oeb.ca/choice.​​​

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