Are you on Time-of-Use pricing? When tiered might save you more.

About 9 in 10 Ontario households are billed on the Time-of-Use (TOU) electricity plan today. Tiered uptake sits at ~11% and Ultra-Low Overnight (ULO) is under 1% — which means most households remain on TOU.

But just because most people are on TOU doesn’t mean it’s the best fit for you. Depending on your daily routines and monthly kWh, tiered — or even ULO — could leave money in your pocket.

In this post, we’ll walk through a few quick checks so you can see which plan matches your household habits, and when it makes sense to think about switching.

4 questions to see if tiered fits your household

1. Do you use a lot of electricity during the day?
   If you need to do a lot of energy-intensive tasks (like laundry, cooking, home heating and cooling, using electronic devices, device charging, etc.) during weekdays between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m., you’re always paying “mid-peak” or “on-peak” TOU prices (the highest rates).
2. Do you consume a relatively low amount of energy per month?
   If you consume under 600 kWh/mo during the summer (May 1–Oct 31) or under 1000 kWh/mo during the winter (Nov 1–Apr 30), switching to tiered ensures that you pay the lowest price (Tier 1) all year round.
3. Do you hate waiting until a certain time to run electronics or appliances?
   With tiered pricing, you pay one (lower) rate up to a monthly threshold and a higher rate above it. The time of day doesn’t factor into your costs.
4. Do you lack the means (or desire) to automate energy usage?
   If you don’t currently have and don’t plan to implement delay-starts, smart plugs, or thermostat schedules, you may find it difficult to move energy-heavy tasks to off-peak TOU hours. Switching to tiered can reduce the need to watch the clock.

If you answer “yes” to most of the questions, switching to a different electricity price plan could save you money. If you mostly answered “no” (e.g., you naturally load up evenings/weekends, charge an EV overnight, or love using timers), staying on TOU is likely better.

TOU hours in Ontario (so you can sanity-check your daily routine)

• Off-peak: evenings, nights, weekends, holidays
• Mid-peak: weekday late mornings/afternoons
• On-peak: weekday mornings and early evenings

If most of your usage naturally occurs in off-peak windows, you are less likely to save on tiered.

Real‑life scenarios: TOU vs. tiered vs. ULO in Ontario

1) Nine-to-five commuters
Out during on-peak; chores after 7 p.m. or weekends.
Verdict: TOU often wins if most of your usage naturally falls into off-peak periods.

2) Work-from-home household
Lots of daytime loads.
Verdict: Tiered likely better — especially if your total kWh stays near or under the monthly threshold.

3) EV owner who charges overnight
Heavy 11 p.m.–7 a.m. charging.
Verdict: TOU usually wins — and ULO can even be stronger if nearly all charging stays in the overnight window.

4) Retirees at home most days
Lower, steady use; value predictability.
Verdict: Tiered can make sense. Try it for a cycle and compare.

5) Smart home with timers (air conditioner, water heater, pool pump)
Schedules avoid on-peak.
Verdict: Stay on TOU. Your automation is doing exactly what TOU rewards.

6) Stay-at-home parent (daytime chores)
Laundry/cooking mostly 9–5.
Verdict: Tiered may win — especially if you’re not blowing past the monthly threshold.

7) Shift worker (evenings/nights)
Active overnight; lighter daytime.
Verdict: Stay on TOU. Leverage off-peak and late-night hours.

8) Weekend-heavy or cottage users
Most usage Fri night-Sun (always off-peak).
Verdict: Stay on TOU. Weekend weighting keeps costs down.

9) Pool or hot tub owners
Pumps/heaters can run on timers.
Verdict: Stay on TOU (or ULO for heavy overnight). Schedules make TOU compelling.

Tip: If tiered looks better, you can trial it for a cycle or two and compare actual bills. If you’re not saving, switching back to TOU is straightforward before a new billing cycle.

You can switch electricity price plans anytime

Ontario lets you choose between TOU, tiered, or Ultra-Low Overnight, and you can switch again later. Submit your request to your local distribution company with enough lead time for the change to take effect for your next billing cycle.

Where Jotson helps

If crunching numbers and comparing bills feels like a chore, Jotson can do it for you. The app connects directly to your utility data, shows how you actually use electricity, and runs the calculation automatically.

No guesswork, no spreadsheets — just clear answers on which plan saves you the most.

Download the Jotson app and see how simple it is.