Oakville Electricity and Natural Gas Providers
Oakville is a town in southern Ontario that also happens to be the biggest town in the province, with a population of 211,382 people. In particular, Oakville is known for its harbours and lively shopping districts. Besides having a variety of tourist and local attractions, the quality of life in Oakville makes it an attractive place to consider visiting or moving to.
Living in Oakville comes with benefits such as a high climate, safety and health care indexes, as well as low pollution rates. While large cities such as Toronto also have high indexes in these categories, their cost of living indexes are slightly higher than Oakville’s — 83.17 versus 80.24.
When it comes to utilities, however, Oakville can be more expensive. For example, according to Numbeo, basic utilities such as electricity and heating in an 85 m2 apartment would cost around $140.42 per month in Oakville compared to $131.33 in Toronto.
Moving to Oakville
Living in a smaller town doesn’t necessarily mean being isolated — in fact, Oakville is only half an hour away from Toronto by car. Thus, moving to Oakville might be worth considering, based on potentially being able to save a significant amount of money on rent alone.
Something else to consider is that Oakville was ranked the best place to live in Canada in 2018 by MoneySense. This ranking was based on 10 overall categories, including crime, taxes, affordability and culture.
If you’re already living in Ontario and you’re thinking about moving, something you should consider is how to set up your utility services at your new location. One of the most important things to remember concerning setting up and disconnecting your utilities is that your current utility provider will probably require approximately five days of notice in order to disconnect your service.
If you’re moving, you may want to take the time to research and compare what Oakville energy companies are available to provide utilities in Oakville. By comparing Oakville energy rates, you can find the best Oakville power and natural gas rates and save money every month. Since Oakville is in Ontario, you have the option to choose to sign up with a competitive energy retailer or the local utility.
Utilities in Oakville
As mentioned above, the energy market in Oakville is deregulated, so you can select from a variety of retailers to provide natural gas and electricity to your home or business. Otherwise, you will have to sign up for a regulated energy plan with the default local energy provider.
Electricity or natural gas retailers that provide energy services in Oakville include:
Competitive retailers provide varying plans and different rate options that appeal to the different needs of consumers. In addition to this, the largest difference between energy retailers and regulated providers is that retail providers are competition based. This means that energy providers compete with one another to provide the best rates and plans possible.
On the other hand, the rates charged by regulated rate providers are set by the Ontario Energy Board. Such rates aren’t subject to market spikes and may be more suitable for consumers who want more stable pricing. Providers of regulated rate plans include Hydro One and Enbridge Gas Inc.
Regulated rate plans in Ontario are either based on time-of-use pricing or tiered pricing. Time-of-use pricing charges based on the amount of electricity you use and when you use it.
Off-peak hours are usually between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m. — using electricity during these hours will cost less than if you use electricity during on-peak hours (between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m.).
On the other hand, tiered pricing gives you a lower rate for a certain amount of energy per month. When this amount is exceeded, you pay a higher rate. A final thing to note is that while you can choose which company provides energy to your home, the transmission of energy to your home is handled by your local distribution company. In the case of Oakville, Oakville Hydro Electricity Distribution Inc. is the local distribution company.
Hydro in Oakville
The Oakville Hydro Electricity Distribution Inc. began in 1912 and provides electricity to more than 70,000 residences and businesses in Oakville. As a company, Oakville Hydro is committed to conservation and safety, as well as the well being of the Oakville community.
Oakville Hydro Electricity Distribution Inc. handles distributing power from transmission lines to homes in Oakville, since it is the local distribution company for Oakville. In addition to this, the local distribution company is also available for services and answers related to bills, power interruptions and energy usage.
In addition to distributing electricity to residents in Oakville, Oakville Hydro is also involved in green projects such as residential and business energy conservation.
Electricity providers in Oakville
As mentioned before, the electricity market in Ontario is deregulated, meaning consumers are free to select either a retailer or the regulated rate provider of their area to provide electricity to their home.
The pros and cons of purchasing electricity in a regulated, floating or fixed plan depends on your home or business energy usage, the energy rates in your area and your long-term budgeting goals.
For example, selecting a floating-rate plan would allow you to take advantage of a low market price of electricity. Other benefits of choosing an energy retailer include being able to select a fixed-rate plan, where you pay a set rate for electricity for a set period of time (usually one, three or five years) as determined by the contract. Fixed-rate plans provide stability, are easier to budget for and protect you from unforeseen events.
Natural gas providers in Oakville
Just like the electricity market, the natural gas market is also deregulated in Oakville. This means you’re able to choose whether a retailer or your local utility providers natural gas to your home. When you choose a competitive retailer to provide natural gas to your residence, you’re able to select between fixed-rate plans or floating-rate plans.
With fixed rates, you’re able to pay a fixed price per unit of energy you use for a certain period (often one, three or five years). Fixed-rate plans can be a good choice if you suspect that natural gas rates will rise, and you want to budget based on a stable rate.
However, if the market price of natural gas falls, fixed-rate plans will not allow you to take advantage of this. Floating-rate plans, however, can allow you to pay a lesser amount when the market price for natural gas falls.
One con of floating-rate plans is that if the market rate spikes for natural gas, you may suddenly have to pay more than usual for your natural gas. Competitive energy retailers that provide natural gas in Oakville include RiteRate Energy and Just Energy.
If you’d rather not select a competitive retailer, Enbridge Gas Inc. (formerly Enbridge and Union Gas) will provide natural gas to your home or company as a regulated rate provider.
How much do utilities cost in Oakville?
Your electricity and natural gas bills can be broken down into several smaller charges. Starting with your electricity bill, it can be broken down into an electricity supply charge, delivery costs, regulatory fees, debt retirement and tax.
The electricity supply charge is what you pay for your electricity, which will either be the regulated rate if you obtain electricity from your local utility or the rate you agreed upon with your retailer. Competitive retailers are free to set their own rates, whereas the regulated rate is determined by the Ontario Energy Board (OEB).
Delivery costs cover the money it takes to transmit and distribute electricity and may or may not be fixed. It is also important to note that delivery costs are regulated by the OEB and that your local utility handles distribution, regardless of who you purchase your electricity from.
Your natural gas bills can be broken down into a gas supply charge, delivery charge and customer charges. The gas supply charges to the amount you pay for your natural gas — the OEB controls the regulated rate while retailers are free to set their own rates.
Compare hydro and natural gas rates in Oakville
Comparing Oakville hydro rates and natural gas rates in Oakville can be a great way to find the best and lowest energy rates available. In such a scenario, EnergyRates.ca can be of great help here. The website is an unbiased cost comparison tool that can help you compare natural gas and electricity rates in your area. Both residential and commercial consumers are able to use this cost comparison tool.
To compare energy prices at EnergyRates.ca, all you need to do is fill in your postal code and check a list of energy providers (natural gas and electricity) in your area. Commercial energy consumers, including small businesses and large industrial companies, can get a free custom quote based on their usage by filling in the above information.
Energy rebates in Oakville
Energy rebates can help you save money on your utilities in Oakville. For example, they can reduce the cost of upgrading to more energy-efficient equipment that would use less energy overall.
In Oakville, there are many rebate programs available, which are often offered by utility companies, the municipality and the provincial government.
Replacing a natural gas furnace with less than 95% annual fuel utilization efficiency (AFUE) with 95% or higher AFUE condensing natural gas furnace can net you a $750 rebate. Other home renovations that can get you rebates include renovations involving insulation and sealing, exterior wall insulation, attic insulation, air sealing and replacing water heaters.
If you complete two or more upgrades, you’re eligible to receive $250 for each additional upgrade, up to $5,000. You can see what rebates your home is eligible for by finding a certified energy advisor on the Enbridge Gas Inc. website. If you have a home built before 1980 that requires insulation, you may be qualified for Home Weatherization Program, which can install insulation and smart thermostats that can reduce your energy bill.
