About your Utility Bill

The electrical industry in Ontario has been undergoing many changes over the past few years.  New regulations mean your hydro bill has a lot of new terminology and line items.  We want our customers to understand what they are paying for and where that money goes.

Barrie Hydro Service Charges:

These charges, regulated by the Ontario Energy Board (OEB), consist of a fixed monthly service charge (Dist. Srvc. Charge) and a distribution volumetric charge (Dist. Volumetric kWh) that varies according to the amount of electricity you use.  These charges stay with Barrie Hydro and are the only source of revenue we have to operate and maintain the local electrical distribution system.

Wholesale Market Service Charge:

This OEB regulated charge (Whsl. Srvc. KWh & Whsl. Srvc. Losses kWh),  varies according to your electricity use and goes to the Independent Electricity Market Operator (IMO).  It is used for market operation and management of the wholesale electricity system. www.theimo.com

Transmission Network and Connection Charges:

These OEB regulated charges (Trans. Network kWh; Trans. Netwk loss kWh; Trans. Connect kWh & Trans. Conn. loss kWh), which vary according to your electricity use, go to the IMO for the cost of transmission of electricity from the generators to the Barrie Hydro service areas.

Debt Retirement Charge:

This charge (Debt Retirement kWh), set by the Ontario Government, is collected to help pay down the debt of the former Ontario Hydro. www.oefc.on.ca

Administration Charge:

This fee collected from Standard Supply Service customers is set by the OEB. If you have signed a contract with an electricity retailer is it not collected or retained by Barrie Hydro.  This fee covers the administration costs associated with managing the Standard Supply Service.

Commodity/Energy Charge:

If you have signed a contract with an electricity retailer, this charge is calculated by the retailer, collected by Barrie Hydro and sent to the retailer. If you are a Standard Supply Service customer, you are charged the rate determined by the Ontario government through the OEB.