TORONTO — Premier Doug Ford seems to be suggesting the proposed reintroduction of time-of-use (TOU) electricity pricing in Ontario next month is not set in stone.
Under the provincial government's Emergency Order on March 24, time-of-use prices were fixed at the off-peak price of 10.1 cents per kWh for all hours of the day.
The 45-day measure was aimed at supporting residential and small business customers until May 7.
The government said customers would see rate reductions of more than 50 per cent compared to on-peak rates.
On Tuesday, the Ontario Energy Board issued a statement saying that "absent any future government intervention," tiered pricing will resume in early May.
Opposition Leader Andrea Horwath responded Wednesday with strong criticism of the plan.
"I'm shocked that the government is preparing to hike the hydro bills of families and small businesses already struggling, by tacking TOU pricing back onto their bills," Horwath said. "This hydro bill hike is cruel and tone-deaf."
Asked about the plan by a reporter at Queen's Park, Premier Ford said he isn't a fan of time-of-use pricing, and intends to meet with his finance and energy ministers to discuss the issue.
Ford said he expects to have more to say on this in the coming days.
The OEB also announced Tuesday that it will leave the winter time-of-use periods in place, rather than switch to summer hours as it normally does on May 1, "to provide greater price stability for consumers when they are staying at home."
As well, it is deferring the setting of new electricity prices for households and small businesses under the Regulated Price Plan.
A review is typically conducted in May and November, based on an estimate of how much it will cost to supply RPP customers with the electricity they are expected to use.
"The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in extraordinary uncertainty around various aspects of the supply cost and electricity demand estimates that underpin RPP prices," the OEB said.
It plans to monitor the impact of the emergency, and will retain the option of making pricing adjustments prior to Nov. 1, 2020 if warranted, it said.
