Ontario electricity prices to rise this winter

TORONTO – Ontario households and small businesses will have to pay more for electricity this winter.

The Ontario Energy Board says new electricity prices to take effect on Nov. 1 will add 1.7 per cent — or about two-dollars — to the average monthly household bill.

Time-of-use customers will pay 7.7 cents a kilowatt hours for off-peak (up 0.2 cents), 11.4 cents for mid-peak (up 0.2 cents) and 14 cents for on-peak usage (up 0.5 cents).

Off-peak hours are all weekends and holidays as well as weekdays from 7 p-m to 7 a-m, mid-peak hours are weekdays from 11 to 5 and peak hours are weekdays 7 to 11 a-m and 5 to 7 p-m.

The board says it reviews electricity prices twice a year based on cost estimates.