With a provincial election looming, the Ontario government is investigating a “new ultra-low overnight Time-of-Use electricity price plan” that they say will help increase electric vehicle (EV) adoption in the province.
Todd Smith, Minister of Energy said in a statement on Wednesday that such a plan would also benefit shift workers and give more people control over their energy bills.
“Introduction of a new ultra-low overnight price plan that would benefit shift workers and support EV adoption is our next step as we focus on helping electricity customers save money and take more control of their energy bills,” Smith said.
The government says the new plan would be possible since they are often left with excess energy in the grid during overnight hours.
Minister Smith has sent a letter to the Ontario Energy Board (OEB) to examine the option and produce a report by April 2022 on what a potential plan could look like.
The government will also undertake public consultation sessions and review stakeholder feedback with the intention of making the new plan available by April 2023, nearly a full year after the provincial election.
If implemented, the new electricity rate plan would be in addition to the current Time-of-Use or Tiered plans.
