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In Ontario, we've had time-of-day electricity billing for a few years. I'm home this week, so I just heard from a friend that the government is increasing the r
by HorizonXP 13y ago
In Ontario, we've had time-of-day electricity billing for a few years. I'm home this week, so I just heard from a friend that the government is increasing the rate charged for off-peak energy usage. After reading this article, it seems that all rates are being increased, but the off-peak rates are going up by a greater percentage.
So it seems that our government has succeeded in shifting consumer energy usage to off-peak hours, and has now decided to penalize those people by charging them more by closing the gap between peak and off-peak hours.
I think it's pretty outrageous and goes to show that peak demand charges are just a gouging technique and a scam.
http://news.nationalpost.com/2013/10/19/cancellation-of-ontario-gas-plants-to-blame-for-upcoming-hike-in-off-peak-electricity-rates-opposition-says/ http://news.nationalpost.com/2013/10/19/cancellation-of-onta...
- krasin 13y agoThere's one possible 'rational' explanation: the underlying economy between day and night electricity rates is mostly due to non-elasticity energy generation, which is a common thing for coal, hydro and nuclear plants. Recently, the US has got lots of gas and lots of gas plants which are pretty elastic, so that the utilities can produce the energy on demand (so, there's smaller losses for them).
- lxmorj 13y agoAlso, as more people shift to the off-peak time, the difference between peak and off-peak shrinks, and as such so will the price difference.
- Goronmon 13y agoAlso, as more people shift to the off-peak time, the difference between peak and off-peak shrinks, and as such so will the price difference. And yet, somehow I have a feeling the utility companies will 'forget' to lower peak prices to match off-peak increases.