November 1st Ontarios Electricity Rate Hike

It’s official. On November 1st, electricity rates are going up. Again.

For most households, this isn’t just a small adjustment; it’s a significant squeeze on the monthly budget, with average bills set to rise by about 15%. This isn’t a one-time event. It’s a relentless, predictable trend. Year after year, the price of grid power climbs, while the promise of “stable” and “affordable” energy feels more and more like a bad joke.

The official reasons change—seasonal adjustments, grid modernization, rising generation costs—but the result is always the same: you pay more. When the new “off-peak” rate is higher than “on-peak” rates were just a few years ago, the message to homeowners is clear: the system is not built for you.

Three Plans, One Reality

On paper, your utility offers “choice” to help you “manage” this new hike. You can select Time-of-Use (TOU), Tiered, or the Ultra-Low Overnight (ULO) plan.

But let’s look at the numbers. These “choices” are just different ways to charge you more for living a normal life.

• On the Time-of-Use (TOU) Plan? You’ll now pay 20.3¢/kWh during on-peak hours. That’s the price you pay to cook dinner, cool your home on a hot afternoon, or run the dishwasher. Even the “off-peak” rate is climbing to 9.8¢/kWh.
• Tempted by the Tiered Plan? It promises a predictable rate, but in the winter, most families easily cross the 1,000 kWh threshold. After that, you’re paying the higher 14.2¢/kWh rate for every single thing you turn on.
• Using the Ultra-Low Overnight (ULO) Plan? This plan, aimed at EV owners, has a dark side. If you make the “mistake” of cooking dinner or running your A/C between 4 p.m. and 9 p.m., you’ll be hit with a truly punitive rate of 39.1¢/kWh.

It’s like rearranging the deck chairs on a very expensive, sinking ship. No matter which plan you choose, you’re still tied to a volatile system where you have zero control, and the house (literally, the utility company) always wins.

The Rise of Energy Skepticism

These constant hikes don’t just hurt the wallet; they destroy trust. For many homeowners, the monthly power bill has become a black box. It’s an unpredictable mix of delivery charges, regulatory fees, and energy costs that you can’t forecast or control.

This November 1st increase just confirms what many already suspect: the rules are rigged against the consumer. You’re forced to rely on a monopoly, and your only option is to pay whatever they demand.

The Solar Argument Has Never Been Clearer

There is, however, a group of homeowners who will see the news about the 20.3¢ and 39.1¢ rates and shrug. Some might even smile. These are the homeowners who have gone solar.

For them, a utility rate hike isn’t a bill—it’s a data point confirming they made the right choice.

Every time the price of grid electricity goes up, their solar investment looks smarter. The payback period for their system gets shorter. Their panels are generating clean, free electricity during the exact peak hours—like a hot summer afternoon—when grid power is the dirtiest and most expensive.

Energy independence, once seen as a far-off dream, is now a practical, powerful financial tool.

How Solar Actually Saves You Money

So how does it work? It’s a powerful two-part strategy:

1. Load Displacement: Using Your Own Free Power First

This is the simplest and most powerful benefit. When the sun is shining, your solar panels generate electricity. Your home automatically uses this clean power first, before pulling a single electron from the grid.

Think about it: when your air conditioner kicks in on a hot weekday afternoon, you are displacing the need to buy power at the most expensive 20.3¢/kWh on-peak rate. If you’re on the ULO plan, you’re avoiding that 39.1¢/kWh peak. You’re not just saving money; you’re saving money at the highest possible rate, making your payback period even faster.

2. Net Metering: Making the Grid Your “Energy Bank”

What happens when your panels produce more power than your home is using? That’s where Net Metering comes in.

Under Ontario’s net metering program, that excess, unused solar power is sent back to the grid. Your utility must give you a credit for every kilowatt-hour you send them.

This effectively spins your meter backward, building up a “bank” of credits. In the long summer months, you’ll likely build up a large surplus. Then, at night or during the darker winter months, you draw from those credits to pay for any power you pull from the grid.

It’s a 1-for-1 trade. You’re essentially “selling” your extra power to the grid at the retail rate and “buying” it back later when you need it. This is what allows you to wipe out your electricity bill, not just reduce it.

It’s Time to Stop Renting Your Power

This November 1st hike forces a real conversation about our energy. Not about complex billing cycles, but about control. How do you protect your family from this price shock, and the next one? How do you lock in your energy costs for the next 25 years?

This is where residential solar changes the game.

Installing solar isn’t just an environmental choice; it’s an economic one. It’s a decision to stop “renting” your power at 20.3¢/kWh from a monopoly and start owning your own power plant, right on your rooftop. You’re building an asset that adds value to your home and pays you back every single month.

The last few years have shown us one thing: betting on lower utility bills is a losing strategy.

It’s time to bet on yourself.

KEY POINTS

• The New Hike Is Here: Starting November 1st, your electricity bill is going up by an average of 15%.
• The New Rates Are Punishing: On-peak power now hits 20.3¢/kWh, the ULO evening peak is a staggering 39.1¢/kWh, and even the “cheaper” tiers are climbing.
• Grid Rates Are Volatile: This latest increase is just part of a long-term, upward trend.
• Solar Is Your Exit: For homeowners with solar, these new rates aren’t a problem—they’re a bonus. Rising grid prices make the return on your solar investment faster than ever.