What brought you here today?
Pick the question that fits. We will route you straight to the 4 resources that answer it best.
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Three doors into Ontario energy
Whatever you need, it lives in one of these three hubs. Pick whichever matches your situation.
Energy guides
20 plain-English guides on the hybrid market, the IESO + OEB, the Regulated Price Plan and the Ontario Electricity Rebate.
Distributors
60+ local distribution companies (LDCs) own the wires that deliver electricity. Enbridge Gas covers 98% of households on natural gas.
Providers + RPP
The default Regulated Price Plan from your utility, plus the OEB-licensed retailers who can offer a fixed-rate contract as an alternative.
A hybrid market, not a monopoly and not a free-for-all
Ontario sits between Alberta's open market and Quebec's Crown monopoly. Flip the toggle to see exactly where it lands.
A regulated default. An optional alternative.
In Ontario the IESO runs a competitive wholesale electricity market behind the scenes. The OEB sets the Regulated Price Plan that most households pay. On top of that, OEB-licensed retailers can offer fixed-rate contracts — but more than 90% of Ontario homes stay on the RPP. The wires and pipes are always regulated and belong to your local distribution company.
Hourly auction sets the price generators receive. Invisible to your bill.
TOU, Tiered or Ultra-Low Overnight. 90%+ of households are here.
Fixed-rate contracts from OEB-licensed retailers. Opt-in only.
Ontario vs the rest of Canada
Two extremes flanking Ontario's middle path.
You pick a retailer for the commodity half. 60+ compete on rate and term.
One utility, one regulated rate. No retailer to choose, no contracts to sign.
How Ontario got here
Two-and-a-half decades of restructuring, told in 6 milestones. Why Ontario chose a middle path.
Bill 35 unbundles Ontario Hydro into five successor companies (OPG, Hydro One, IESO, OEFC, ESA) and sets the legal frame for a competitive market.
The IMO (now IESO) launches the wholesale electricity market. Prices spike that summer and consumer outrage forces a course correction.
A 4.3¢/kWh consumer price freeze stabilises bills while regulators design a longer-term default.
The OEB launches the RPP — Time-of-Use is rolled out alongside the Tiered option. The default rate becomes part of the law of the land.
The OER replaces earlier subsidies, taking about 19% off the pre-tax bill for residential and small-business customers — automatic, no application.
After a successful pilot, ULO becomes a standard RPP option. EV owners and shift workers can shift consumption to a 2.4¢/kWh overnight window.
Ontario tried to build a fully competitive electricity market in 2002, the rollout went badly, and the system was rebuilt as a hybrid: a competitive wholesale layer behind the scenes, an OEB-set regulated default rate at the front (the RPP), and an opt-in retail layer on top. The Ontario Electricity Rebate added in 2017 quietly absorbs about a quarter of the headline bill.
The 60-second mental model
Ontario's market has three players. Get this and the whole system clicks.
Your local distribution company (Hydro One, Toronto Hydro, Alectra and 55+ others) owns the poles, wires and meter at your address. Fixed by where you live. OEB-regulated tariff. They are who you call for outages.
By default you pay the OEB Regulated Price Plan — TOU, Tiered or Ultra-Low Overnight. You can opt in to a fixed-rate contract from an OEB-licensed retailer instead. The rate plan lives on your bill, not on the wires.
The IESO runs the wholesale market that decides who generates each megawatt. The OEB sets distribution tariffs, approves the RPP, and licenses retailers. They are the referees between you, the generators, and the wire owners.
So what does this actually mean for you?
Six concrete things that change because you are an Ontario energy consumer.
Unless you opt in to a retailer contract, you pay the OEB-set Regulated Price Plan. Most Ontarians stay there. Move-ins start there automatically.
Time-of-Use, Tiered or Ultra-Low Overnight. Switching is free, takes one billing cycle and is done with one call to your utility.
The LDC is fixed by your address. Hydro One in rural areas, Toronto Hydro in the 416, Alectra in the GTA fringe and so on. They own the wires, not you.
Licensed retailers can offer fixed-rate contracts. Most Ontarians decline. Watch verification calls and the 10-day cooling-off window.
November 15 to April 30, residential customers cannot be cut off for non-payment of electricity. The LDC must offer a payment plan first.
The OER takes about 19% off your pre-tax electricity bill automatically. OESP and LEAP help income-eligible households. No retailer required.
Or jump straight to what you came for
The six tasks Ontarians search for most. Each one takes you to the page that answers it.
Every line on your Ontario electricity or gas bill, decoded.
Time-of-Use, Tiered or Ultra-Low Overnight — which one wins for your household?
Set up electricity and gas at a new Ontario address in under an hour.
How verification calls, the cooling-off window and licensed retailers really work.
OESP, LEAP and the winter disconnection ban — what you qualify for.
Net metering, rooftop solar and the ULO plan for home EV charging.
Frequently asked questions
Start with the right guide
The full Ontario guide library covers the Regulated Price Plan, the Global Adjustment, every bill line, and the rights you have under OEB rules. Built to be read in 10 minutes per page.