Should Medium-Sized Businesses Get Time-of-Use Electricity Pricing?
Official title: Class B Time-of-Use Pricing
Ontario is considering letting medium-sized businesses, farms, and small industrial customers pay different electricity rates depending on when they use power. Right now, these customers pay the same rate all day. The new option would charge less during off-peak hours and more during peak times—similar to what residential customers already have.
Why This Matters
Own a medium-sized business or farm in Ontario? Your electricity bills could change. If you can shift energy use to off-peak hours—running equipment at night, for example—you might save money. Even if you're not a business owner, lower peak demand could eventually mean lower rates for everyone.
What Could Change
Medium-sized commercial customers, farms, and small industrial users could get a new pricing option with three rate periods: off-peak, mid-peak, and peak. Prices would be set annually. Local utilities would need to upgrade billing systems. Over time, reduced peak demand could lower infrastructure costs province-wide.
Key Issues
- What should the price ratio be between peak and off-peak hours?
- How long would it take utilities to implement new billing systems?
- Should farms and large residential buildings also be eligible?
- How often should customers be allowed to switch between pricing plans?
How to Participate
- Read the proposal summary to understand the proposed time-of-use pricing structure for Class B electricity consumers.
- Submit your comments through the Ontario Regulatory Registry comment form by the deadline.
- Alternatively, email your feedback to class.b.pricing@ontario.ca.