BC Hydro Time of Use Rates Explained

Time-of-use Pricing

BC Hydro has implemented an all-new optional pricing regime for individuals or households that are willing to adjust their habits in order to save some money. Time-of-use pricing isn’t an all new feature, it’s been trialled around the world in different places by different authorities for a number of years; this isn’t something unproven nor unknown. At its simplest: if you use electricity during the overnight hours, 11pm – 7am, BC Hydro will cut 5 cents per kilowatt hour off your bill. In exchange however, any electricity used during peak times, 4pm – 9pm, will be 5 cents per kilowatt hour more expensive. All other times of day, i.e. 7am – 4pm and 9pm – 11pm, will be subject to standard rates.

For example: if you signed up for time-of-use pricing and your standard rate was $1 per kilowatt hour (kWh), your rates would look like:

• 7am – 4pm would be $1/kWh;
• 4pm – 9pm would be $1.05/kWh;
• 9pm – 11pm would be $1/kWh, and;
• 11pm – 7am would be $0.95/kWh

Assuming you used exactly 1kWh of energy per hour, your daily bill on traditional pricing would be $24, whereas your daily bill on time-of-use pricing would be $23.85.

The aim of this system is to shift power usage to the times of day (or night, in this case) where demand is generally the lowest, and therefore the stress and tug on the power grid is the least. By incentivizing people to shift some of their electricity use away from peak hours, demand can better keep up with supply. By smoothing out electricity use over the duration of the day, transmission and power-generation infrastructure is subject to less volatility, wear-and-tear, and therefore is subject to less potentially damaging situations. Doing this also allows BC Hydro to avoid the costs of buying and developing an excess of peak-demand infrastructure, which isn’t always the greenest technology.

Is This Right For You?

You might want to consider trying out time-of-use pricing if you live in a detached home as opposed to an apartment or condominium. Some buildings restrict the use of appliances such as dishwashers, washing machines, and dryers during nighttime hours. As these appliances are relatively electricity-hungry, you may not be able to make the most of the cheaper overnight rates. That being said, some EVs actually allow you to schedule your charging times; you can leave it plugged in during peak or off-peak hours, and only begin charging once the overnight rate kicks in.

Even if you’re an EV owner whose EV doesn’t support charge schedules, you may still opt for time-of-use rates. By charging your EV overnight, you can offload a lot of energy-use to a cheaper block of time – and coincidentally, the block of time most of us will be charging our EVs anyway – thereby reducing the cost of “fuelling” your vehicle. If you live in a building with access to your own charger, you can inquire about signing up for time-of-use pricing. If your EV charger is metered separately from your home’s power, you may even opt to change your EV charger’s rate plan to time-of-use, while keeping your home on the standard plan.

There are plenty of unique scenarios where time-of-use rates may be beneficial to you. The BC Hydro website breaks down the program in a bit more detail here. If you have any questions about signing up for this, or if you’re curious about having your strata or building look into ways to better-utilize EV charging infrastructure, reach out to us! We’ll be happy to assist you, please contact hello@cielocharging.com or visit www.cielocharging.com for more information.