How to read your electricity bill for solar
Find your kWh, rate plan, delivery and regulatory charges on an Ontario bill, and estimate your yearly use from 12 bills or Green Button data.
5 min read · Updated 2026-10-30
Your electricity bill holds the two numbers that matter most for solar: how many kWh you use, and what you pay for each one. Bills look cluttered, but once you know where to look, it takes a few minutes. This guide focuses on Ontario, with notes for other provinces.
Start with your kWh
Look for a line or chart labelled usage, consumption or kWh used. It shows how much electricity you used in the billing period, usually a month. Many bills also show a bar chart of the last 12 or 13 months, which is the fastest way to see your yearly pattern.
On a Time-of-Use or Ultra-Low Overnight plan, your kWh are split by period: off-peak, mid-peak and on-peak (or ultra-low overnight). The split shows when you use power, which affects how much solar and batteries can save. See Ontario rate plans.
The sections of an Ontario bill
The Ontario Energy Board sets out the standard sections:
| Section | What it covers | Does solar reduce it? |
|---|---|---|
| Electricity | The power you used, at Time-of-Use, Ultra-Low Overnight or Tiered prices, or a retailer contract price | Yes |
| Delivery | A fixed customer service charge, plus variable distribution, transmission and line loss charges | Variable parts only |
| Regulatory | Wholesale market service and the standard supply service charge | Mostly, the per-kWh parts |
| HST | 13% on the total | Falls as the total falls |
| Ontario Electricity Rebate | A provincial credit that lowers the bill | Shrinks as the bill shrinks |
Electricity
This line is your kWh multiplied by your plan's prices. From November 1, 2026, Time-of-Use prices are 9.1¢ off-peak, 14.6¢ mid-peak and 18.9¢ on-peak. If you buy from a retailer on a contract, you pay the contract price plus a separate Global Adjustment line instead.
Delivery
Delivery pays for the wires that bring power to your home. It has a fixed monthly customer service charge and variable charges that rise with your kWh. Solar reduces the variable part. The fixed part stays the same no matter how much your panels make.
Regulatory
These charges cover running the wholesale market and the grid's reliability. They're small, and most of the cost rises with your kWh.
HST and the rebate
HST applies to the bill total. The Ontario Electricity Rebate is a percentage credit set by the province, so it shrinks when your bill shrinks.
Why the full price per kWh matters
To see what a kWh really costs you, add the electricity charge to the per-kWh delivery and regulatory charges. Under net metering in Ontario, credits offset the per-kWh charges in all three sections, but not fixed charges. That's why solar savings are larger than the energy price alone, and why your bill never quite reaches zero.
Estimate your yearly use
From 12 bills
Add the kWh from your last 12 monthly bills. If you have 13-month charts on your bill, read the bars. Use a full year: winter heating, summer air conditioning and the holidays make single months misleading. Watch for estimated reads, which some bills mark with an E, and billing periods of different lengths.
From your utility's portal
Most Ontario utilities let you see daily or hourly usage in your online account. Ontario requires electricity and gas distributors to offer Green Button, a standard way to download your data. Toronto Hydro, for example, offers Download My Data, which gives you usage and billing files, and Connect My Data, which lets you authorize an app to read your usage. Hourly data shows exactly how much you use at midday, when panels produce, and in the evening peak.
Your utility's page: Toronto Hydro, Alectra, Hydro Ottawa, Hydro One and others on our utilities pages.
Notes for other provinces
Bills in other provinces are usually simpler. Most have a fixed basic or customer charge plus one or two energy prices per kWh. A few things to look for:
- Alberta: your energy charge comes from your retailer or the default rate, and delivery charges (distribution, transmission and local access fees) are listed separately. Solar reduces the energy charge, while much of delivery stays.
- Provinces with tiered or stepped rates: some utilities charge a higher price above a set amount of use. Solar trims your most expensive kWh first.
- Sales tax: GST or HST applies, at different rates by province.
Check your own utility's bill guide, or see our pages for BC Hydro, Hydro-Québec, NS Power, SaskPower, Manitoba Hydro, NB Power, Maritime Electric and Newfoundland Power.
What to bring when you ask for a solar estimate
- Your yearly kWh, or 12 months of bills.
- Your rate plan.
- Any big changes coming, such as an EV, heat pump or addition.
Next step
Use your numbers to estimate savings for your roof: check your roof. You can also compare Ontario plans with our rate plan tool.
Common questions
- Where do I find my yearly electricity use?
- Add the kWh from your last 12 bills, or read the 12 or 13-month usage chart many bills include. Your utility's online account will usually show it too.
- What is Green Button?
- Green Button is a standard way to download your electricity usage from your utility, often hour by hour. Ontario requires distributors to offer it, usually through your online account.
- Which parts of my bill does solar reduce?
- Solar reduces the electricity charge and the per-kWh delivery and regulatory charges. Fixed monthly charges stay the same, so your bill rarely reaches zero.
- Why does my bill have a Global Adjustment line?
- In Ontario, Global Adjustment appears as a separate line if you buy from an energy retailer on a contract. On the regulated Time-of-Use, Ultra-Low Overnight or Tiered plans it's already built into the price.
Sources
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