Consumer Choice

If you’re a residential or small business customer you can choose to switch between TIme-of-Use (TOU), Tiered and Ultra-Low Overnight (ULO) prices.

To switch pricing plans, you must notify Bluewater Power by logging into MyAccount and selecting your preferred pricing plan, completing an election form, available online or by contacting us at 519-337-8201 and speaking to a Customer Service Representative.

You may wish to continue on your current pricing plan for your electricity. In that case, no action is required.

About TOU Prices

With TOU 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.

There are three TOU periods:

• Off-peak: When demand for electricity is lowest.
• Mid-peak: When demand for electricity is moderate.
• On-peak: When demand for electricity is generally higher.

EFFECTIVE MAY 1, 2025

About ULO Prices

With 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.

There are four ULO periods:

• Ultra-Low Overnight:  When demand for electricity is lowest on average.
• 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 highest on average.

EFFECTIVE MAY 1, 2025

About Tiered Prices

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. For residential customers, 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

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.

EFFECTIVE MAY 1, 2025

¹ Prices apply to the Electricity Line of your bill. ² All year.

Considering a Switch?

Are you thinking about changing your price plan? Here are a few things to consider. Make sure you have some of your recent electricity bills handy as you go through the information below.  Most of the information you will need is on the Electricity line of your bill.

Your price plan

What electricity price plan are you on?  If you’re unsure, take a look at the Electricity line of your bill.  Most residential and small business customers in Ontario pay TOU prices.

Your usage

How much electricity do you use in a month? If you’re unsure, take a look at the Electricity line on your bill. You might also want to look at the historical usage graph on your bill, which shows your average daily usage over the past 12-month period.

Your consumption pattern

When you use electricity can be another factor in your choice. Historically, the typical residential customer who paid TOU prices has used nearly two thirds of their power at off-peak times – the time when the lowest TOU price applies. The other third of their power used was typically split equally between on- and mid-peak times. Look at the Electricity line of your bill to see how much power you use in each of the three TOU price periods.

Seasonal changes and time of year

As described above, the TOU price periods and Tier thresholds change with the season and are different during the winter (November 1 – April 30) and summer (May 1 – October 31) periods. ULO price periods are the same all year round.  Does the amount of electricity you use change based on the season?

If you’re thinking about switching, you should pay close attention to how much electricity you use in a month, because on Tiered pricing the price is higher for every kWh of electricity that you use above the Tier threshold of 1,000 kWh in the winter or 600 kWh in the summer. For instance, if you heat your home electrically, your monthly use in the winter may be higher. And the same goes for the summer if you need to run your air conditioner.

With TOU and ULO prices, the price depends on when you use electricity. Although the TOU price periods also change with the season, the electricity you use after 7 p.m. every day, and all the time on weekends and holidays, is charged at the lowest price under TOU all year round.  And with ULO, the price periods remain the same all year round.

Lifestyle and daily habits

Are you often home during the day on weekdays, so that shifting your usage is more challenging? Do you have large appliances that you need to run during the day on weekdays? Can you shift more of that usage to nighttime or weekend hours?  Do you own an electric vehicle that you charge at home and at what tines of day/night do you charge it?

Small business

If you’re a small business owner, some of the same factors mentioned earlier also apply – how much electricity do you use each month, and when do you use it? Keep in mind that the Tier threshold for small business customers is 750 kWh all year round. And not all small businesses are the same. A large restaurant with several ovens running in the evening may have a very different electricity usage pattern than a small salon that’s only open during the day. So may a dry cleaner compared to a convenience store, or a clothing store compared to a bakery.

Rules for TOU Customer Choice

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, here are the rules that apply.  These rules also apply if you later want to switch back to another price plan.

• You can switch your price plan by logging into Bluewater Power’s MyAccount, completing the on-line election form or by calling the Bluewater Power office at 519-337-8201 and one of our Customer Service Representatives will be more than happy to help you make the switch.
• 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, we 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, we have 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. You are generally billed for a 30-day period, and the start and end dates are identified on your electricity bill.
• We must start charging you under your requested price plan as of your next billing period after you submit your election form if it 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 we receive your completed election form less than 10 business days before the start of your next billing period, we might still be able to switch you for your next billing period. But if we can’t do so, we must start charging you under 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 your requested price plan.  Between the time you submit your election form and the time that your choice takes effect, you will continue to pay pricing under your old price plan.
• You can switch between price plans at any time.  For example, if you switch from TOU to ULO, you are not locked in.  You can switch back.  The process described above applies.
• The choice between TOU, ULO and Tiered prices is available to residential and small business customers that have smart meters and are billed under the Ontario Energy Board’s Regulated Price Plan.  Some residential and small business customers are charged TIered prices because their meters can’t be used to bill TOU prices.  They can’t switch to TOU or ULO prices at this time.

For more information about TOU, ULO and Tiered pricing, visit www.oeb.ca/choice.