Why your Ontario electricity bill changed (even if you didn’t)
Most bill “shocks” come from a handful of common causes. Start here before assuming a mistake.
Plain-language summary: Bills change for reasons beyond your monthly kWh.
Fixed charges, rate structure, billing periods, and system cost recovery can all move the total.
Quick checklist
- Billing days: Is this bill covering more days than usual?
- Weather-driven usage: Heat waves and cold snaps can change usage quickly.
- Rate structure timing: TOU vs Tiered and time-of-day behavior can shift the usage portion.
- Delivery: fixed and variable components don’t always shrink much when usage falls.
- Global Adjustment: system recovery can behave differently than people expect.
Start with the three biggest explanations
- Bill went up even when you used less
- Seasonal bill spikes (summer/winter)
- Delivery charges higher than usage
If you believe there is a billing error, contact your utility directly. This site does not provide account-specific support.