Bill Calculations and Plan Choices
How to compare electricity plans in Canada: a step-by-step method with worked examples
A repeatable method to compare electricity rate plans and retail offers in Canada using your own usage, official 2026 prices and clearly labelled examples.
To compare electricity plans properly you need three things: your own usage pattern for a full year, the official price of each option with its effective date, and a list of charges that differ between the options (usually only the energy price and any admin fee). Multiply, add the fees, and compare the annual totals. Delivery charges are usually the same whichever plan you choose, so you can leave them out of the comparison and add them back at the end. This guide is the hub for our calculations section and shows the method with worked examples from Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia.
Step 1: get your usage, not just your bill total
Log into your utility's online account and download 12 months of data. You want:
- total kWh per billing period;
- if you have a smart meter, kWh by time period (off-peak, mid-peak, on-peak, overnight);
- the number of days in each bill.
One winter bill is not enough. A home with electric baseboards can use three times more in January than in July, which changes which tier or plan wins. If you have only paper bills, add up the kWh line from the last six or twelve.
Step 2: list what you can choose in your province
| Province | Choices that change your energy price |
|---|---|
| Ontario | RPP time-of-use, ultra-low overnight or tiered; or a retail contract (price + Global Adjustment) |
| Alberta | Rate of Last Resort or a competitive retailer's fixed or variable plan |
| British Columbia (BC Hydro) | Tiered or flat, with or without time-of-day pricing |
| Québec | Rate D, the winter credit option or Flex D |
| Other provinces | Usually one standard residential rate, sometimes optional time-based rates |
Our rates by province overview links to each province's guide.
Step 3: turn each option into a cost for your usage
Ontario: three RPP plans (prices from 1 November 2026)
Illustrative household: 8,400 kWh a year, 700 kWh a month on average, smart meter split 64% off-peak, 18% mid-peak, 18% on-peak on TOU. On ULO the same household would fall at 25% overnight, 15% weekend off-peak, 42% mid-peak and 18% on-peak without changing habits.
| Plan | Average price | Annual energy cost (8,400 kWh) |
|---|---|---|
| TOU | 0.64 × 9.1 + 0.18 × 14.6 + 0.18 × 18.9 = 11.85¢ | $995.40 |
| Tiered (all under the winter threshold; some summer months above 600 kWh) | about 11.4¢ blended (assumption) | $957.60 |
| ULO, no habit change | 0.25 × 3.7 + 0.15 × 9.1 + 0.42 × 14.6 + 0.18 × 37.7 = 15.21¢ | $1,277.64 |
Without changing habits, ULO is the most expensive here, and tiered edges out TOU. The full method for finding your own break-even is in TOU vs ULO vs tiered.
Alberta: default vs a retail fixed price
Illustrative: 7,200 kWh a year in the ENMAX area. RoLR (2025–2026) 12.06¢ → $868.32 for energy. A hypothetical retail plan at 11.2¢ with a $6.95 monthly admin fee → $806.40 + $83.40 = $889.80. The default's own admin charges must be added from your bill before you can say which wins. See Alberta's RoLR vs retailers.
British Columbia: tiered vs flat
Illustrative: 2,400 kWh per 61-day bill. Tiered: 1,353.7 kWh × 11.87¢ + 1,046.3 kWh × 14.08¢ + basic 61 × 23.44¢ = $322.30. Flat: 2,400 × 12.70¢ + 61 × 25.00¢ = $320.05. Flat is $2.25 cheaper for this bill; on a summer bill of 1,200 kWh tiered would be about $10.91 cheaper. Over a year the two can nearly cancel out. See BC Hydro rates.
Step 4: add the charges that differ, ignore those that do not
| Charge | Include in comparison? |
|---|---|
| Energy price × kWh | Yes |
| Retailer admin fee | Yes |
| Ontario Global Adjustment (retail contracts) | Yes, add to the contract option |
| Basic or access charge, if it differs between plans | Yes (e.g. BC Hydro tiered vs flat) |
| Delivery, transmission, regulatory charges | No, same on all options |
| Rebates such as the OER | Usually no, but they scale with the subtotal |
| Taxes | No, same rate on all options |
Step 5: test the result against change
A comparison is a forecast. Before you commit, ask:
- What if usage changes? A new EV, a heat pump or a baby changes the pattern. See home EV charging costs.
- What if the default price changes? Ontario resets each 1 November; Alberta's RoLR resets for 2027.
- What does leaving cost? If a contract has an exit fee, use the contract payback tool.
Tools for each step
- Bill estimator: bracket a bill from kWh, price range and fixed charges.
- Plan comparison: compare two average prices for the same usage.
- Contract payback: check whether a saving beats an exit fee.
- Plan switch checklist: the checks before you sign.
Other guides in this section: estimate a bill from kWh, gas bills in GJ and m³, fixed contracts vs the default, equal billing and the moving house utilities checklist.
Mistakes that skew comparisons
- Using a retailer's "average savings" claim. Only your usage and the actual prices matter.
- Comparing a winter-only month. Annualize.
- Leaving out the admin fee or the Global Adjustment.
- Comparing different periods. A three-year contract must be compared with the default over those three years, not today's price.
FAQ
Is there an official comparison tool?
The OEB offers a bill calculator for Ontario RPP plans, the UCA has a cost comparison tool for Alberta, and BC Hydro has a rate estimator inside your account.
How much usage data do I need?
Twelve months is best; six covering winter and summer is the minimum for a sensible comparison.
Does the cheapest plan stay cheapest?
Not necessarily. Prices reset and your habits change; review once a year.
Should I trust a salesperson's comparison?
Check it yourself with the method above before signing.
Sources
- Ontario Energy Board — RPP prices and bill calculator
- Utilities Consumer Advocate — cost comparison tool and default rates
- BC Hydro — rate plans and rate estimator
- Hydro-Québec — Rate D and optional rates
