Key Takeaways
- New Regulated Price Plan rates took effect November 1, 2026. Time-of-Use prices are now 9.1¢ off-peak, 14.6¢ mid-peak and 18.9¢ on-peak per kWh.
- Every price plan dropped, including Ultra-Low Overnight and Tiered pricing.
- The Ontario Electricity Rebate fell from 23.5% to 15.7% on the same day.
- The Ontario Energy Board estimates the rebate now takes about $23 a month off a typical 700 kWh bill, down from roughly $36.
- For many households, the smaller rebate cancels out most or all of the savings from lower prices.
Ontario’s electricity prices changed on November 1, 2026, and at first glance the news looks good. The Ontario Energy Board (OEB) lowered prices on all three Regulated Price Plan options for households, small businesses and farms.
But the province also cut the Ontario Electricity Rebate (OER) on the same day. That rebate is the line on your bill that takes a percentage off your total. When it shrinks, it can wipe out what lower rates save you. This follow-up to our look at Ontario hydro bill increases in 2026 explains what your winter bill looks like now.
The New Electricity Prices at a Glance
The OEB resets prices each fall based on a 12-month cost forecast. Here is how the new prices compare with the ones that applied from November 1, 2025.
Time-of-Use (TOU)
- Off-peak: 9.1¢/kWh (was 9.8¢). Weekdays 7 p.m. to 7 a.m., plus weekends and holidays all day.
- Mid-peak: 14.6¢/kWh (was 15.7¢). Weekdays 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- On-peak: 18.9¢/kWh (was 20.3¢). Weekdays 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Ultra-Low Overnight (ULO)
- Ultra-low overnight (every day, 11 p.m. to 7 a.m.): 3.7¢ (was 3.9¢)
- Weekend off-peak (weekends and holidays, 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.): 9.1¢ (was 9.8¢)
- Mid-peak (weekdays 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. and 9 p.m. to 11 p.m.): 14.6¢ (was 15.7¢)
- On-peak (weekdays 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.): 37.7¢ (was 39.1¢)
Tiered
- Tier 1: 11.2¢/kWh (was 12.0¢) for the first 1,000 kWh a month in winter
- Tier 2: 13.2¢/kWh (was 14.2¢) for usage above that threshold
The winter tier threshold gives residential customers an extra 400 kWh a month at the lower price compared with summer.
Why the Rebate Cut Matters More Than the Rate Cut
The Ontario Electricity Rebate is set by the provincial government, not the OEB. It dropped from 23.5% to 15.7% on November 1. According to the OEB, the rebate will now reduce a typical residential bill by about $23 a month, based on 700 kWh of use. Before the change, it was worth roughly $36 a month for the same household.
That is a loss of about $13 a month in rebate. The lower electricity prices only affect the commodity portion of your bill, while the rebate applies to the total, including delivery and regulatory charges.
A Simple Example
Take a household using 700 kWh a month on Time-of-Use, with a common usage pattern of about 64% off-peak, 18% mid-peak and 18% on-peak.
- Under the old prices, the electricity line would be about $89.
- Under the new prices, it drops to about $83, a saving of roughly $6.
- The smaller rebate takes back roughly $13 a month.
In this example, the household ends up paying about $7 more a month before any change to local delivery charges. Your numbers will differ by utility and usage, but the pattern is the same: the rebate cut is bigger than the price cut for many homes. The OEB itself says the overall rate of increase for customer bills will stay consistent with previous years.
How to Keep Your Winter Bill Down
You can’t change the rebate, but you can control when and how you use power.
- Compare price plans. You can switch between TOU, Tiered and ULO. The OEB’s online bill calculator shows which plan fits your habits.
- Consider ULO if you use power overnight. Charging an electric vehicle or running appliances after 11 p.m. costs 3.7¢/kWh, but the 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. weekday rate is 37.7¢.
- Shift laundry and dishwashing to evenings after 7 p.m. or weekends on TOU.
- Watch heating loads. Space heaters and electric baseboards are the biggest winter drivers for many homes.
Help If You’re Falling Behind
If higher winter bills are hard to manage, two programs can help. The Ontario Electricity Support Program (OESP) gives eligible lower-income households an ongoing monthly credit. The Low-income Energy Assistance Program (LEAP) offers emergency help to customers behind on their bills.
Ontario’s annual winter disconnection ban for residential customers also runs from November 15, 2026, to April 30, 2027. Electricity is only one part of rising housing costs, so it is worth reviewing our guide to Ontario property tax increases as you plan your 2027 budget.
The Bottom Line
Lower prices on November 1 don’t automatically mean a lower bill. With the Ontario Electricity Rebate down to 15.7%, many households will see a small increase this winter. Check your price plan, move flexible usage to cheaper hours, and review the full price tables on the Ontario Energy Board’s price plan page.
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