Bill Calculations and Plan Choices
How much does it cost to charge an EV at home in Canada? Rate plans compared
Calculate home EV charging cost per month on Ontario ULO, TOU and tiered, BC Hydro time-of-day, Alberta RoLR and Québec Rate D, with official prices and examples.
The cost of charging an electric vehicle at home is kWh added to the battery, plus charging losses, multiplied by the price you pay for that electricity. A car driven 1,500 km a month at about 18 kWh per 100 km, with around 10% charging losses, needs roughly 297 kWh from the wall. On Ontario's ultra-low overnight rate (3.7¢ from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m., from 1 November 2026) that energy costs about $11 a month before delivery and tax; on BC Hydro with time-of-day pricing the overnight discount of 5¢ lowers the tiered or flat price substantially; elsewhere you pay your standard rate. The plan you are on matters more for an EV than for almost any other household load, because charging is large and easy to schedule.
This guide is part of comparing plans with worked examples. Vehicle choice, chargers and installation are outside its scope.
Step 1: estimate monthly charging kWh
Formula: kWh from the wall = km per month × (kWh per 100 km ÷ 100) × (1 + losses)
| Inputs (illustrative) | Value |
|---|---|
| Distance | 1,500 km a month |
| Consumption | 18 kWh/100 km (higher in winter; check your vehicle's official rating from Natural Resources Canada's Fuel Consumption Guide) |
| Charging losses | about 10% for Level 2 charging (assumption) |
| Result | 1,500 × 0.18 × 1.10 = 297 kWh |
Winter driving in Canada can raise consumption noticeably because of cabin and battery heating. Use your car's own trip data when you have it.
Step 2: price the energy on your plan
Ontario (prices from 1 November 2026)
| Plan | Price for overnight charging | 297 kWh costs |
|---|---|---|
| ULO, charging 11 p.m.–7 a.m. | 3.7¢ | $10.99 |
| TOU, charging after 7 p.m. weekdays and on weekends | 9.1¢ | $27.03 |
| Tiered, under the threshold | 11.2¢ | $33.26 |
| Tiered, all EV kWh above the threshold | 13.2¢ | $39.20 |
The ULO saving on the car is large, but ULO also changes the price of everything else you use. On ULO, weekday 4–9 p.m. costs 37.7¢. Before switching, calculate your whole-home cost, as shown in TOU vs ULO vs tiered. In that guide's Household B example, adding overnight EV charging tipped the balance to ULO by about $4.86 a month for the whole home, not the $16 TOU-to-ULO difference on the car alone.
British Columbia (BC Hydro, as posted October 2026)
With time-of-day pricing, overnight use (11 p.m.–7 a.m.) gets 5¢ off and on-peak (4–9 p.m.) gets 5¢ added.
| Plan | Overnight price | 297 kWh costs |
|---|---|---|
| Tiered, EV kWh in Tier 1, with time-of-day | 11.87¢ − 5¢ = 6.87¢ | $20.40 |
| Tiered, EV kWh in Tier 2, with time-of-day | 14.08¢ − 5¢ = 9.08¢ | $26.97 |
| Flat, with time-of-day | 12.70¢ − 5¢ = 7.70¢ | $22.87 |
| Flat, without time-of-day | 12.70¢ | $37.72 |
An EV can push a household above the tiered threshold, so the flat rate plus time-of-day may suit high-use EV homes; see BC Hydro rates.
Alberta (Rate of Last Resort, 2025–2026)
The RoLR energy price is flat at 12.01¢–12.06¢ depending on area: 297 × 12.06¢ = $35.82 before variable delivery charges, which in Alberta can add several cents per kWh. Some competitive retailers offer time-based or EV plans; compare them with the method for fixed contracts and read all fees.
Québec (Rate D)
Charging adds to your daily kWh. If your home already uses more than the first-block quantity per day in winter, the EV kWh are billed at the second-block price: from 1 April 2026, 297 × 11.142¢ = $33.09 a month, against 297 × 7.065¢ = $20.98 if they all fell within the first 40 kWh a day. See Hydro-Québec Rate D for the structure and check current prices on hydroquebec.com.
Step 3: add delivery and tax
Energy price is not the whole marginal cost. Add any per-kWh delivery and regulatory charges from your bill, then tax. In Ontario, residential distribution charges are mostly fixed, so the marginal delivery cost per extra kWh is relatively small, but transmission and line losses still scale with use. In Alberta, per-kWh transmission and distribution charges can be significant.
Illustrative Ontario ULO all-in marginal cost: 3.7¢ + about 2.0¢ variable charges (assumption) = 5.7¢ × 297 = $16.93, less the 15.7% rebate ($2.66), plus 13% HST ($2.20): about $16.47 a month.
Ways to cut charging cost
- Use the car's or charger's scheduler to start after 11 p.m.
- Avoid topping up at 4–9 p.m. on ULO or BC time-of-day.
- Precondition the cabin while plugged in in winter, during cheaper hours.
- Check the plan once a year, especially after 1 November in Ontario.
FAQ
Does an EV automatically make ULO cheaper?
No. It helps, but the rest of your usage pattern decides. Run the whole-home calculation.
Do I need a separate meter for EV rates?
Not for Ontario ULO or BC Hydro time-of-day, which use your existing smart meter.
Is public charging cheaper?
Usually not; public fast charging prices are generally well above home overnight rates. They vary by network.
Will charging push me into Ontario's tier 2?
On tiered pricing, an EV adding 300 kWh can push a home above 600 kWh in summer or 1,000 kWh in winter.
Sources
- Ontario Energy Board — ULO, TOU and tiered prices
- BC Hydro — time-of-day pricing and residential rates
- Utilities Consumer Advocate — Rate of Last Resort
- Hydro-Québec — Rate D
- Natural Resources Canada — Fuel Consumption Guide ratings for electric vehicles
