Alectra EV Charging Rates for Thornhill Homeowners
Compare TOU, Ultra-Low Overnight and Tiered plans for your Thornhill household. The cheapest charging window depends on the selected plan and the rest of your electricity use.
Published
Updated
Rate examples checked October 13, 2026
The OEB's published energy rates are 3.9¢/kWh for ULO from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m., and 9.8¢/kWh for TOU off-peak. ULO weekday peak is 39.1¢/kWh from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.; weekend daytime ULO is a separate 9.8¢/kWh band. These are energy prices, before delivery, regulatory charges, tax and bill rebates. Confirm your plan and current tariff before budgeting.
Your electricity bill and current rate plan are the starting point for charging costs in Thornhill. Charging schedules can affect the energy cost, while household usage determines whether a plan suits you. This guide explains the billing questions to check with your local utility.
A car timer or a connected charger: the choice that matters most
Compare connected charger features with the scheduling already available in your vehicle. The exact charger may add supported energy reports or remote controls; check its connection requirements and any separate load-management equipment. Those features do not by themselves establish a lower whole-household bill or eligibility for a utility program.
Why both options still beat charging on arrival
Check the plan on your Thornhill bill before choosing a charging time. TOU and ULO have different price windows; Tiered depends on monthly use. A vehicle timer or compatible charger schedule can shift energy where a lower-price window applies. Compare the whole household and the schedule you can use rather than assuming an evening plug-in always pays the highest price.
Compare the three regulated price plans
Compare the electricity plans available for your Thornhill account. TOU and ULO have scheduled price bands, while Tiered pricing depends on monthly consumption rather than charging time. A cheaper overnight energy rate can come with higher daytime prices, so compare total household use and the full utility bill before changing plans.
Where each daily window leaves an older-home charger
| Alectra window | How the rate sits | What an older Thornhill home should do with it |
|---|---|---|
| Deep overnight | The lowest rate going | Set the timer or schedule the main charge here |
| Mid-peak shoulders | Middling | Acceptable for the odd top-up, not the everyday plan |
| Working day and dinner hours | The dearest of all | Keep the charger asleep, this is when the house draws hardest too |
| Weekends and stat holidays | Off-peak right through | Run a catch-up charge whenever it suits you |
Those cents-per-kilowatt-hour figures are not fixed in stone, the provincial regulator revises them from time to time, so pull the current Thornhill numbers straight off your latest Alectra statement before you do the sums. What never changes is the shape, cheap through the night and dear through the day.
The ultra-low overnight plan and older homes
Ontario also runs an ultra-low overnight rate plan built for precisely this, a very cheap overnight block traded against a steeper on-peak rate. It fits an older Thornhill household that charges at night and is largely out of the house by day especially well, since the daytime penalty barely bites when nobody is home running loads. It is worth asking Alectra whether you qualify before you settle on a plan.
Energy cost and total bill cost
Your Thornhill charging budget has two useful figures: the energy charge and the incremental total bill cost. Some delivery and regulatory charges vary with kWh, while monthly customer charges are fixed. Added charging can therefore increase more than the energy line. Check your own utility tariff, losses, tax and applicable bill rebate. Toronto Hydro's current tariff illustrates both fixed and per-kWh charges; use the rates for your actual address.
Switching plans is a phone call, not a rewire
Deciding the ultra-low overnight or time-of-use plan suits your charging is just a request to Alectra and touches nothing in your wiring. They may cap how often you can switch, so it pays to settle on the right plan rather than flip between them. The household that comes out ahead almost every time is the one charging through the night and mostly away by day, which describes the great majority of EV owners across older Thornhill.
Installation facts and equipment guidance
ESA notification and contractor requirements explain electrical-work responsibilities. Manufacturer charging guidance explains why output varies by vehicle and power supply. Ask the confirmed contractor to apply those requirements to your Thornhill project.
First enquiry and later project review
Start with the short enquiry form: first name, preferred contact details and postal code. After first contact, the service provider may request the project details and photos below. The form does not take attachments.
- Your EV model and rough nightly charging need
- A photo of your panel for sizing
- Whether you lean toward a simple car timer or a connected charger
Start with Get A Free Quote. Your enquiry goes to the service provider, which may ask for panel and parking photos after first contact and confirms the contractor, scope, price and availability.
Frequently asked
On Alectra, when does the cheap charging window actually open for my Thornhill home?+
Read the selected plan on the bill before choosing a start time. TOU off-peak and ULO overnight are different periods; use the current OEB schedule rather than assuming any late-evening Thornhill session gets the lowest price.
My older Thornhill home uses a lot of power already, so is time-of-use or tiered better for charging?+
A high existing bill does not show which plan is cheaper. Add expected EV energy to the household profile and compare monthly Tiered use with the hours used on TOU or ULO using current prices.
Is there an Alectra plan built specifically for charging an EV overnight?+
ULO is a household electricity price plan with a low overnight energy period, rather than a charger-specific installation offer. Check account eligibility and compare the rest of your Alectra use before selecting it for EV charging.
For an older Thornhill home, is a connected charger worth it over a plain car timer on Alectra rates?+
If your vehicle already schedules charging for your selected price window, a connected charger may add no timing advantage. Compare the exact model's supported energy reports and remote controls with the extra equipment price and connection requirements. The same energy charged in the same hours has the same energy tariff; app connectivity alone does not guarantee hardware payback. Electrical load management is a separate assessed capability.
If Alectra adjusts its rates, does my overnight charging setup still pay off?+
Check the new price difference between your normal and scheduled sessions, plus the whole household under the selected plan. Keep using a workable timer where appropriate, while updating the budget instead of preserving an old savings claim.