Updated July 2026. Ontario households saw a shift in how their electricity is priced starting May 1, 2026, as the province moved into its summer Regulated Price Plan (RPP) structure. The per-kilowatt-hour rates themselves didn’t change — those were set on November 1, 2025 and remain in effect through October 31, 2026 — but two structural changes did take effect.
1. On-Peak Hours Shifted
Under the summer schedule, on-peak hours moved to weekdays between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. Mid-peak hours run from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., and off-peak hours cover 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. on weekdays plus all hours on weekends and statutory holidays.
2. Tiered Pricing Threshold Lowered
For households on the Tiered pricing plan rather than Time-of-Use, the threshold for the cheaper Tier 1 rate dropped from 1,000 kWh to 600 kWh per month. That means many households now hit the more expensive Tier 2 rate band faster into the billing cycle than they did before May 1.
What This Actually Costs You
Combined, these two changes mean higher effective costs for daytime electricity use and faster entry into higher-priced tiers. Based on typical usage: a household using around 700 kWh/month is paying roughly $15-$25 more per month than it did before the November 2025 rate-setting, and higher-consumption households (1,000+ kWh) are seeing increases in the $25-$40/month range.
How to Reduce the Impact
- If you’re on Time-of-Use pricing, shift laundry, dishwashing, and EV charging to off-peak hours (evenings, nights, and weekends)
- If you’re on Tiered pricing, watch your monthly usage against the new 600 kWh threshold rather than the old 1,000 kWh mark
- Check with your local utility (Toronto Hydro, Hydro Ottawa, and others) — some offer usage alerts or plan-switching tools that can help you avoid the Tier 2 rate
Rates and time-of-use windows can vary slightly by local utility, so confirm the specifics for your area directly with your electricity provider.
You can find the current official information on Canada.ca.
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