With Time-of Use (TOU) and Ultra-Low Overnight (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. This price applies in the evenings on weekdays and all day on weekends. Every household and small business is different, but on average, Ontario households use nearly two thirds of their electricity 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 computers and running heaters or air conditioners.

People use electricity differently depending on the season, so the TOU price periods are different in the summer (May 1 to October 31) than they are in the winter (November 1 to April 30).

With ULO, there are four price periods:

• Ultra-Low Overnight: When demand for electricity is typically lower.
• 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 typically highest.

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.
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. The Tier threshold for small business customers 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.

The energy regulator, the Ontario Energy Board (OEB) sets TOU, Tiered and ULO prices based on a forecast of how much it will cost to supply TOU, Tiered and ULO customers with the electricity they are expected to use over the next 12 months.

The OEB sets TOU, Tiered and ULO prices under the Regulated Price Plan (RPP).  The RPP is designed to provide stable pricing, encourage conservation and ensure that the price customers pay for electricity better reflects the price paid to generators that produce the electricity that customers use in their homes or small businesses.

Electricity utilities are not allowed to make a profit from the sale of electricity.

The OEB typically sets new TOU, Tiered and ULO prices annually in November. This is based on an estimate of how much it will cost to supply residential and small business customers on the Regulated Price Plan with the electricity that they are expected to use.

There is no guarantee you will save money if you switch to TOU, Tiered or ULO prices. The total bill impact of switching will vary depending on how much electricity you consume in a month and when it is consumed during the day.

Considering a switch to another price plan?
For more information, go to the Ontario Energy Board’s website oeb.ca/choice and use the bill calculator to compare what your bill might look like if you switched price plans.

If you don’t want to switch your price plan, you don’t need to do anything. You will stay on your current price plan.

If you do want to switch to a different price plan (e.g. from TOU to Tiered prices or Ultra-Low Overnight price plan), here are the rules that apply.
(These rules also apply if you want to switch back to TOU prices.)

• Complete the election form available on our website and submit it to Wellington North Power Inc. by email or mail or hand-delivered to our office in Mount Forest. You’ll need to fill out the election form to notify Wellington North Power Inc. that you want to switch. The form is intended to be as simple as possible in terms of the information that you need to provide. You should have a recent electricity bill on hand when filling out the form, as you will need your utility account number.

• Within 10 business days of receiving your election form, Wellington North Power Inc. must tell you if your election form can’t be processed and must explain why (for instance, if you’re not authorized to make changes to the account, or the account can’t be verified).

• If there are no issues with your election form, Wellington North Power Inc. has the same 10 business days to let you know when you can expect to start being billed on your new price plan.

• A switch between price plans can only take effect at the start of a billing period. A billing period is generally about 30 days long, and the start and end dates are identified on your electricity bill. Many customers are not billed based on a calendar month, and the start of your billing period can be any given day of a month.
•  Wellington North Power Inc. must start charging your requested price plan as of your next billing period after you submit your election form if (Wellington North Power Inc. receives that form at least 10 business days before that billing period starts, and provided there are no issues with your form (see above).

   

• If Wellington North Power Inc. receives your complete election form less than 10 business days before the start of your next billing period, Wellington North Power Inc. might still be able to switch you for your next billing period. But if Wellington North Power Inc. can’t do so, Wellington North Power Inc. has to start charging your requested price plan at the start of the next billing period after that.
• Because a switch in prices can only take effect at the beginning of a billing period, it will take some time between the day you provide your election form and the day you actually start getting charged under requested price plan. Between the time you submit your election form and your choice takes effect, you will continue to be pay pricing under your old price plan.

Yes you can switch back to TOU prices.
You will need to complete and submit an Election Form to inform us that you wish to billed on TOU prices.

• Election Form

(The rules that apply to switching to Tiered prices or Ultra-Low Overnight prices also apply if you want to switch back to TOU prices.)

Any customer on TOU may opt out and pay Tiered prices or ULO prices instead.

If you live in a condo or apartment that has its own individual meter and your bill comes from a company other than your electricity utility, you are a customer of a unit sub-meter provider (USMP).  Customers of USMPs also can’t switch to Tiered 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.

No. You will still receive the credit.

No. You will still receive the credit.

Yes. Wellington North Power Inc. is required to inform all new Regulated Price Plan customers that they have a choice between TOU, ULO or Tiered prices when they set up the account.

Should you have any questions, please call us at 519-323-1710 or
e-mail customerservice@wellingtonnorthpower.com

All fields must be completed for WNP to accept your request – partially completed forms will not be accepted and returned for further information to be completed.

• Election Form

No, if you are with an energy Retailer you cannot switch to Tiered, Time-of Use or Ultra-Low Overnight electricity prices