TORONTO – Ontarians will be paying more for electricity as of May 1 as the province switches from coal to cleaner sources of energy.
The average customer — including households and small businesses — will see their bill go up by approximately $3.63 a month, the Ontario Energy Board said on April 5.
Customers who have contracts with electricity retailers will not be affected.
Time-of-use pricing, which is used by the majority of consumers, is increasing at off-peak, mid-peak and peak times, by about half a cent per kWh. The full chart is below:
| Category | Time(s) | Price | Change |
| Off-peak | Weekdays 7pm-7am All day weekends and holidays |
6.7 ¢/kWh | (up 0.4 cent) |
| Mid-peak | Weekdays 7-11am and 5-7pm |
10.4 ¢/kWh | (up 0.5 cent) |
| Peak | Weekdays 11am-5pm | 12.4 ¢/kWh | (up 0.6 cent) |
The $3.63 increase is a 2.9 per cent increase, the board said.
The board said the hike is partly due to the increased of renewable nuclear and hydro-electric power, but the increase was offset by reduced payments to coal plants.
The Ontario Energy Board sets electricity prices twice a year based on updated cost estimates.
It’s not just electricity prices that are going up. Higher eco fees will also apply to TVs over 29-inches, as well as phones, answering machines, cameras and after-market car stereos.
The new fee on big-screen TVs is up more than $10 to $39.50, but the fee is down 70 cents to $7.10 for a home theatre in a box.
Eco fees on large printers, copiers and portable computers will drop slightly. Click here for a complete list.
