Hydro prices drop Nov. 1. So does your rebate.

Ontario hydro prices drop Nov. 1: off-peak 9.1 cents per kWh, mid-peak 14.6, on-peak 18.9. But the provincial rebate falls to 15.7 per cent from 23.5, so don't count on a smaller bill. Winter on-peak is weekdays 7 to 11 a.m. and 5 to 7 p.m.

Topics: Money and taxes

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Electricity prices for Ontario homes on regulated rates go down on Sunday, Nov. 1. The provincial rebate on your bill goes down too, so a lower price per kilowatt-hour doesn't mean a smaller bill.

The news

The Ontario Energy Board announced on Oct. 16 that time-of-use prices for households, small businesses and farms on the Regulated Price Plan will change on Nov. 1, 2026:

Off-peak: 9.1 cents per kWh, down from 9.8

Mid-peak: 14.6 cents per kWh, down from 15.7

On-peak: 18.9 cents per kWh, down from 20.3

Ultra-low overnight customers will pay 3.7 cents per kWh overnight and 37.7 cents in the weekday on-peak period. Tiered customers will pay 11.2 cents for the first 1,000 kWh a month in winter and 13.2 cents above that.

The catch

On the same day, the province's Ontario Electricity Rebate changes to 15.7 per cent, down from the 23.5 per cent in place since Nov. 1, 2025. The energy board says lower prices allow for the smaller rebate and that "the overall rate of increase for customer bills will remain consistent with previous years." For a typical home using 700 kWh a month, the board says the rebate will be worth about $23 a month.

Winter hours

Winter time-of-use hours start Nov. 1 and run to April 30, 2027:

On-peak: weekdays 7 to 11 a.m. and 5 to 7 p.m.

Mid-peak: weekdays 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Off-peak: weekdays 7 p.m. to 7 a.m., and all day on weekends and holidays

What it means for you

Don't expect a smaller bill just because the price per kWh dropped. The rebate is shrinking at the same time.

Shift what you can to off-peak hours: laundry, the dishwasher and charging after 7 p.m. on weekdays, or on weekends.

You can switch plans. Time-of-use, ultra-low overnight and tiered are all options. To switch, contact your utility, which in Windsor is ENWIN. The energy board has a bill calculator at oeb.ca/choice.

Behind on your bill? The Ontario Electricity Support Program gives monthly credits to eligible low-income households, and the Low-income Energy Assistance Program (LEAP) offers emergency help. The energy board's winter disconnection ban runs from Nov. 15, 2026 to April 30, 2027.