If your building recently moved to submetering, your electricity bill looks different from what you are used to. This guide explains each component so you know exactly what you are paying for.
Your submetered bill has three main categories of charges. First is electricity consumption, which is based on your individual meter reading. This reflects the actual kilowatt hours (kWh) your unit used during the billing period. Second is delivery charges from your local distribution company (such as Toronto Hydro, Hydro One, or Alectra). These cover the cost of delivering electricity to your building and are passed through with no markup, as required by the OEB Unit Sub-Metering Code. Third is the Voltage Vision service charge, which covers metering, billing, and customer support.
The electricity rate on your bill is set by the Ontario Energy Board, not by your submetering provider. If you are on Time of Use pricing, you will see different rates for off-peak, mid-peak, and on-peak consumption. If you are on tiered pricing, you will see a threshold rate and an higher tier rate.
Delivery charges include several line items that may appear on your bill: transmission charges (moving electricity from generators to your area), distribution charges (your local utility's infrastructure costs), and regulatory charges. These are all pass-through costs with no markup.
If you believe there is an error on your bill, contact your submetering provider's customer service team. Under the OEB Unit Sub-Metering Code, USMPs have requirements for handling customer complaints and billing disputes. You should not be charged for a complaint if it is found to be valid.
To compare your consumption over time, look at the usage history on your bill or online portal. This shows your monthly or billing-period consumption trend, which can help you identify changes in your usage patterns.