Your bill and rates explained
Understanding your electricity bill helps your business budget effectively, manage energy use better and make more informed decisions. Find out who receives each portion of your bill payment, see rate plan options by customer class and view sample bills to help you better understand what you’re paying for — and why.
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Hydro Ottawa service charges
Want to know more about various charges that may appear on your bill? View a full list of Hydro Ottawa’s service fees.
Who receives what:
Hydro Ottawa keeps only the portion of the bill related to distribution. We collect and pass along other charges without markup to:
- Electricity generators
- Transmission providers
- Regulators like the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) and the Ontario Ministry of Energy
- Provincial and federal governments
Small business vs. commercial customers: What’s the difference?
Your rate class is based on your peak electricity demand, not the type of business you run.
Small business customers have a peak demand of less than 50 kilowatts (kW). This includes most small offices, shops, restaurants and farms with lower energy needs. These customers are eligible for the Regulated Price Plan and can choose Time-of-Use, Tiered or Ultra-Low Overnight pricing. They can also choose to purchase electricity from an electricity retailer.
Commercial customers have a demand of 50 kW or more. This includes larger buildings, operations with equipment running continuously, or farms with high-powered systems like irrigation or grain drying. These customers are typically billed under market-based pricing or a retail contract, and and are also billed Global Adjustment.
Electricity rate plans
Expand the below sections to see prices/rates and sample bills.
By default, small business customers with peak demand under 50 kW are enrolled in the Regulated Price Plan (RPP). Its prices are set by the Ontario Energy Board (OEB) and updated each year on November 1. If you're eligible, you can choose from three rate plan options:
Time-of-Use (TOU)
Prices vary based on when you use electricity. This plan reflects changes in electricity demand throughout the day.
| TOU Price Periods | Winter (Nov. 1 to April 30) | Summer (May 1 - Oct. 31) | TOU Prices effective November 1, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Off-peak | Weekdays 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. Weekends and holidays all day | Weekdays 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. Weekends and holidays all day | 9.8 ¢/kWh |
| Mid-peak | Weekdays 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. | Weekdays 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. | 15.7 ¢/kWh |
| On-peak | Weekdays 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. | Weekdays 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. | 20.3 ¢/kWh |
View a sample Time-of-Use bill →
Tiered
Pay a fixed rate for electricity up to a set monthly threshold. If you exceed the threshold, you pay a higher rate for additional usage.
| Tier Thresholds | Winter (Nov. 1 to April 30) | Summer (May 1 to Oct. 31) | Tiered Prices effective November 1, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 | First 750 kWh/month | First 750 kWh/month | 12.0 ¢/kWh |
| Tier 2 | For electricity used above 750 kWh/month | For electricity used above 750 kWh/month | 14.2 ¢/kWh |
View a sample Tiered bill →
Ultra-Low Overnight (ULO)
Ideal for customers who use most of their electricity overnight, such as electric vehicle owners. This plan offers a significantly lower rate overnight in exchange for higher rates during peak hours.
| ULO price periods | All year | ULO Prices - effective November 1, 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Ultra-low overnight | Everyday 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. | 3.9 ¢/kWh |
| Weekend off-peak | Weekends and holidays 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. | 9.8 ¢/kWh |
| Mid-peak | Weekdays 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. and 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. | 15.7 ¢/kWh |
| On-peak | Weekdays 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. | 39.1 ¢/kWh |
View a sample Ultra-Low Overnight bill →
Is your small business on net metering?
View a sample net metering bill or learn more about net metering→
If you manage a building with multiple residential units but only one electricity meter, you may qualify for an extended RPP threshold.
Allowance:
- 1,000 kWh/month per unit (November to April)
- 600 kWh/month per unit (May to October)
To qualify:
- You must complete a self-declaration form
- Your building must be defined under one of the following:
- Condominium Act, 1998
- Tenant Protection Act, 1997
- Co-operative Corporations Act
Examples that do not qualify:
- Storage units or mini-storage facilities
- Motels (unless long-term rentals)
- Commercial offices with multiple tenants
- Individually metered common areas (e.g., lighting, laundry, gyms)
To apply for an extended RPP threshold, contact us or submit your self-declaration form.
Compare rate plans MyAccount Rate Plan Comparison Tool → Ontario Energy Board Bill Calculator → Reminder: Savings depend on how much electricity you use and when you use it. Consider your business habits and seasonal variations when comparing plans. |
If you're a small business or multi-unit residential building owner eligible for the RPP, you can switch between TOU, ULO and Tiered pricing at any time. How to switch:
Other ways to switch rate plans: If you prefer, you can also request a rate plan change by:
|
If your business or farm has peak demand greater than 50 kW, you’re typically not eligible for RPP. Instead, you’ll be billed electricity based on:
- The Ontario Electricity Market Price (OEMP). It is calculated by adding the Ontario Zonal Price and the Load Forecast Deviation Adjustment for each hour. The monthly average price is posted on the IESO website.
OR
- The terms of a retail electricity contract with a licensed supplier.
Your bill will also include the Global Adjustment charge, which is shown as a separate line item. Global Adjustment rates are posted on the IESO website.
Visit our Farms page for more info on farm rates.
Not sure which pricing model your business is on? Check your Hydro Ottawa bill or contact us.
If you own or operate a commercial electric vehicle (EV) charging station, you may be eligible for the Electric Vehicle Charging (EVC) rate.
This electricity transmission rate (included in the delivery charge) is designed specifically for eligible EV charging stations in Ontario to better align the transmission costs of serving EV chargers with low load factors.
It reduces the Retail Transmission Service Rates (RTSRs) paid by participating EV charging station owners or operators.
The EVC rate will be updated regularly, based on Ontario's Uniform Transmission Rates (UTRs), which collect transmitter revenue and charge wholesale market participants, including electricity distributors, such as Hydro Ottawa.
Interim delivery charges
Delivery charges cover the cost of getting electricity from the generating station to your business. That includes maintaining transmission and distribution lines, operating provincial and local electricity systems, and accounting for line losses (small amounts of electricity lost as it travels through the grid).
Delivery rates are approved by the OEB and vary based on your rate classification.
Most small businesses are in the General Service rate class. Delivery charges in this category include both fixed and variable components based on energy usage.
Delivery charge breakdown (Interim charges):
- Transmission: $0.0188/kWh
- Hydro Ottawa variable and other charges (RPP): $0.0305/kWh
- Hydro Ottawa variable and other charges (non-RPP): $0.0305/kWh
- Hydro Ottawa fixed charge: $23.53/month
- Smart meter entity charge: $0.42/month
- Low-voltage services charge: $0.00005/kWh
- Delivery line loss charge: Calculated by multiplying your electricity usage by the approved loss factor, then applying the current month’s electricity rate
Delivery charge breakdown (Interim charges):
- Transmission – Network: $4.8480/kW
- Transmission – Connection: $2.8187/kW
- Hydro Ottawa variable and other charges: $6.3553/kW
- Rate rider – GA (non-RPP, Class B): $0.0000/kWh
- Rate rider – Capacity-Based Recovery (Class B): $0.0000/kWh
- Hydro Ottawa fixed charge: $200.00/month
- Low-voltage services charge: $0.02063/kW
- Delivery line loss charge: Calculated by multiplying your electricity usage by your rate class’s approved loss factor, then applying the current month’s electricity rate
Delivery charge breakdown (Interim charges):
- Transmission – Network: $5.0337/kW
- Transmission – Connection: $3.0126/kW
- Hydro Ottawa variable and other charges: $6.0796/kW
- Rate rider – GA (Class B): $0.0000/kWh
- Rate rider – Capacity-Based Recovery (Class B): $0.0000/kWh
- Hydro Ottawa fixed charge: $4,126.75/month
- Low-voltage services charge: $0.02204/kW
- Delivery line loss charge: Calculated by multiplying your electricity usage by the approved loss factor, then applying the current month’s electricity rate
Delivery charge breakdown (Interim charges):
- Transmission – Network: $5.5802/kW
- Transmission – Connection: $3.3924/kW
- Hydro Ottawa variable and other charges: $6.0316/kW
- Rate rider – GA (Class B): $0.0000/kWh
- Rate rider – Capacity-Based Recovery (Class B): $0.0000/kWh
- Hydro Ottawa fixed charge: $14,946.93/month
- Low-voltage services charge: $0.02482/kW
- Delivery line loss charge: Calculated by multiplying your electricity usage by the approved loss factor, then applying the current month’s electricity rate
Additional rate information
The Global Adjustment (GA) is a monthly charge that helps cover the cost of maintaining a stable and reliable electricity system in Ontario. It reflects the difference between the market price of electricity and the contracted or regulated rates paid to generators, as well as the cost of energy conservation programs.
What it covers:
- Contracts with electricity generators
- Conservation and demand management programs
- Investments in long-term electricity supply
How it appears on your bill:
- For small business customers on the RPP, the GA is already built into your electricity rates and won’t appear as a separate line item.
- For commercial customers (demand over 50 kW) or those on retail electricity contracts, the GA is listed as a separate charge. Its amount will vary month to month and can account for a noticeable portion of your bill, depending on your rate plan and usage.
The GA can be either positive or negative, depending on how market prices compare to contracted electricity rates. While it can make your bill more complex, the GA supports long-term investments in Ontario’s electricity system.
If you have questions about how the GA affects your business, contact us.
Your bill also includes:
- Regulatory charges: Set by the OEB to recover the costs of administering the wholesale electricity system and maintaining reliability ($0.0053/kWh). If you do not purchase your electricity from a retailer, an additional $0.25 monthly administration fee applies.
- Ontario Electricity Rebate: A rebate may be applied before tax for eligible customers. Learn more.
- HST (13 per cent): Applied to the full amount after rebates.
Additional service charges may appear depending on your account activity. View all service charges
Wholesale market participants
Wholesale market participants (WMPs) purchase electricity directly from the IESO. As a result, the specific rates listed earlier on this page do not apply.
Key differences include:
- Electricity and Global Adjustment are settled directly with the IESO
- Not charged for the Deferral/Variance Account rate rider ($0.0000/kW)
- Hydro Ottawa’s variable and other charges for WMP with a billing demand of 50–1,500 kW is $6.5553/kW
Global Adjustment and Capacity-Based Recovery rate riders
- GA rate riders apply only to non-RPP Class B customers. The rate rider for Capacity-Based Recovery (CBR) applies only to Class B customers.
- These riders do not apply to:
- WMP customers
- Customers who were in Class A for the entire variance period
- Customers who switched between Class A and Class B during the variance period, as these customers are charged or refunded via their share of the GA and CBR variance through customer-specific billing adjustments
- These riders are applied consistently until the rate rider’s sunset date, the GA rate applies to all new non-RPP Class B customers and the CBR rate rider is applicable to all new Class B customers.
Industrial Conservation Initiative
If your business has demand over 500 kW, you may be eligible for the Industrial Conservation Initiative (ICI). This demand-response program helps large electricity users manage GA costs by reducing usage during peak periods. Learn more about the ICI
Retail electricity contracts
Businesses of any size can choose to sign a contract with a licensed electricity retailer. These companies set their own rates and terms. Retail contracts apply only to the electricity portion of your bill. Delivery, regulatory and other charges remain the same.
Hydro Ottawa is not affiliated with any retailer and does not benefit from your decision to sign (or not sign) a contract.