Household electricity and gas pricing options in Canada compared
Regulated defaults, time-based plans, fixed and variable retail contracts and billing options side by side.
This table compares types of pricing and billing options, not companies. Which ones you can choose depends on your province: Ontario and Alberta have competitive retailers beside a regulated default, while British Columbia, Québec and most other provinces have one regulated utility per area with a choice of rate options at most. Prices quoted are official regulated rates with their effective dates.
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| Option | How it works | Who it can suit | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ontario RPP time-of-use | Three prices by time of day; from 1 Nov 2026: 9.1¢ off-peak, 14.6¢ mid-peak, 18.9¢ on-peak | Households that can run laundry, dishwashers and heating loads off-peak | Winter on-peak runs weekday mornings 7–11 a.m. and evenings 5–7 p.m. |
| Ontario RPP ultra-low overnight | 3.7¢ from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. every day, but 37.7¢ weekdays 4–9 p.m. (from 1 Nov 2026) | EV owners and homes with large loads they can shift overnight | A few hours of weekday evening use can wipe out the overnight saving |
| Ontario RPP tiered | 11.2¢ up to the monthly threshold (1,000 kWh in winter), 13.2¢ above (from 1 Nov 2026) | Households that cannot shift use, or use a lot in peak hours | Summer threshold is lower (600 kWh), so more use can fall into tier 2 |
| Alberta Rate of Last Resort | Default electricity rate fixed for 1 Jan 2025–31 Dec 2026 (about 12.01¢–12.06¢ by area), reset every two years | People who want a stable default without a contract | Energy charge only; delivery and admin charges are added, and the 2027 rate is set separately |
| Competitive fixed-price contract | A retailer sells energy at a set price for a term, often 1–5 years | Households that value certainty and have compared it with the default | Exit fees, auto-renewal terms, admin fees; in Ontario the Global Adjustment is added |
| Competitive variable or indexed plan | Price follows the market or a published index each month | People comfortable with price swings who check bills monthly | Spikes in cold snaps or hot spells; harder to compare in advance |
| BC Hydro tiered or flat rate | Tiered: 11.87¢ to the threshold, 14.08¢ above; flat: 12.70¢ for all use (as posted Oct 2026) | Tiered for average or lower use; flat for consistently high use | Basic charge differs between the two; optional time-of-day adds ±5¢ |
| Hydro-Québec Rate D | From 1 Apr 2026: 46.154¢ a day access charge, 7.065¢ for the first 40 kWh a day, 11.142¢ above | Most Québec homes; rates change on 1 April, with residential increases capped at 3.0% for 2026–2028 | Winter heating pushes use into the higher block; 2027 and 2028 prices are provisional |
| Equal billing / budget plan | Same monthly payment based on estimated annual use, trued up periodically | Electric or gas heated homes with big seasonal swings | Not cheaper; a catch-up amount can be due if use or prices rise |
Prices are energy (commodity) prices only and exclude delivery, regulatory charges, riders, rebates and taxes. Ontario figures: RPP prices effective 1 November 2026 as posted by Ontario distributors, set by the Ontario Energy Board. Alberta: Rate of Last Resort listed by the Utilities Consumer Advocate. BC Hydro: prices shown on bchydro.com in October 2026, approved by the BCUC. Québec: Rate D effective 1 April 2026 as approved by the Régie de l'énergie (decision D-2026-038); see also Hydro-Québec. Always confirm the effective date before you decide.