Time-Varying Pricing Pilot Program
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- Time-Varying Pricing Rate Pilot Program
Time-Varying Pricing Rate Pilot Program
Empower your business & save with our latest rate pilots. Shift some of your electricity use from peak hours to off-peak hours. Peak hours are times when demand is elevated, and your rates are higher. Off-peak hours are times when demand is low, and your rates are less. By participating in this rate pilot, you have the opportunity to change your behaviours to save on your annual electricity costs.
Applications for the Time-of-Use Rate Pilot and Critical Peak Pricing Rate Pilot are now closed. Sign up for our mailing list to be the first to hear when applications reopen!
Rate options for small and medium businesses
Rate options for general demand commercial customers
Our Time-of-Use and Critical Peak Pricing Rate Pilot give you an opportunity to shift your businesses electricity use during the winter months to unlock annual savings.
Between November and March, shift your electricity use from peak hours, when demand for electricity is higher and rates cost more, to off-peak hours, when demand is lower and rates cost less. Simple changes, such as installing programmable thermostats or motion sensors to automatically reduce energy use, can help your business maximize savings.
Program Benefits
Choice
Every business is different. You pick the rate pilot that best suits your unique electricity needs.
Savings
Shift your electricity use to off-peak rate times to increase your annual savings.
Control
Control your costs by shifting your business's use of electricity.
Discover the Best Rate Pilot for Your Business
Each of these rate pilots offer potential annual cost savings to business customers who reduce or shift their electricity use to off-peak hours. Time-of-Use Rate Pilot and Critical Peak Pricing Rate Pilot are available for Rate 10 and Rate 11 customers. You can confirm your business rate by checking your last power bill.
SMALL & MEDIUM BUSINESS (RATE 10)
Commercial customers on this rate include businesses like bakeries, banks, and malls (Small & Medium Business).
Winter weekdays (November to March) are divided into peak and off-peak hours. Rates are higher during peak hours when demand is high.
Take advantage of lower rates during off-peak hours during the week and 24/7 on holidays and weekdays by shifting the use of high energy consuming equipment or managing electric heating and cooling to minimize use during peak hours.
In non-winter months (April to October), the price for electricity is less than your general rate and does not change based on time of day.
This plan is designed for business customers who can reduce or shift energy use outside the two daily peak periods from Monday to Friday in the winter.
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Critical Peak Pricing Rate Pilot
On winter days, when the electrical grid is at peak capacity, a "Critical Peak Event" may be announced where prices are higher to reflect the higher cost of providing energy during those hours.
can occur between November 1st and March 31st with a maximum of 18 total events.
are limited to three events per week.
last for four hours anytime between 6:00 am and 11:00 pm. (Typically called 7:00 am to 11:00 am and/or 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm).
can occur on weekdays and up to three on weekends, but never on statutory holidays.
will be communicated by email and/or text by 4:00 pm the day before and then again once the event starts.
Outside of Critical Peak events, your rate will always be lower. This means your savings will add up when you're paying a lower rate and there are no peak events.
A registered MyAccount is required to participate in this plan.
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From November to March
For the first off-peak 200 kWh per month = 17.624 ¢/kWh
Additional off-peak kWh per month = 16.216 ¢/kWh
Critical Peak event = 152.826 ¢/kWh
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All hours outside of Critical Peak events
For the first off-peak 200 kWh per month = 17.624 ¢/kWh
Any additional off-peak kWh per month = 16.216 ¢/kWh
Applications for the Critical Peak Pricing Rate Pilot are now closed. Sign up for our mailing list to be the first to hear when applications reopen!
All Nova Scotia Power rates for customers are subject to detailed review by stakeholders and the Nova Scotia Energy Board. Following this detailed review process, Nova Scotia Power must obtain the Nova Scotia Energy Board's approval for those customer rates. Rates are subject to change and become effective only after being approved by the Nova Scotia Energy Board.
Pilot Details
Eligible business customers can apply for the pilot rate that best suits their business energy needs.
Participation is optional, and customers can leave the pilot at any time to switch back to the Small General rate or General (with Demand Charges) rate.
GENERAL DEMAND (RATE 11)
Commercial customers on this rate include businesses like grocery stores and multi-unit residential buildings.
Winter weekdays (November to March) are divided into peak and off-peak hours. Rates are higher during peak hours when demand is high.
Take advantage of lower rates during off-peak hours (including weekends and holidays) by shifting the use of high energy consuming equipment or managing electric heating and cooling to minimize use during peak hours.
In non-winter months (April to October), the price for electricity is less than your general rate and does not change based on time of day.
This plan is designed for business customers who can reduce or shift energy use outside the two daily peak periods from Monday to Friday in the winter.
Critical Peak Pricing Rate Pilot
On winter days, when the electrical grid is at peak capacity, a "Critical Peak Event" may be announced where prices are higher to reflect the higher cost of providing energy during those hours.
Critical Peak Events:
can occur between November 1st and March 31st with a maximum of 18 total events.
are limited to three events per week.
last for four hours anytime between 6:00 am and 11:00 pm. (Typically called 7:00 am to 11:00 am and/or 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm).
can occur on weekdays and up to three on weekends, but never on statutory holidays.
will be communicated by email and/or text by 4:00 pm the day before and then again once the event starts.
Outside of peak
events, your rate will always be lower. This means your
savings will add up April to October when you're paying a lower rate and there
are no peak events.
A registered MyAccount is required to participate in this plan.
From November to March
Off-peak first 200 kWh per kW of maximum demand = 13.165 ¢/kWh
Off-peak all additional kWh = 11.454 ¢/kWh
Critical peak event = per 143.928 ¢/kWh
All hours outside of Critical Peak events
All hours first 200 kWh per kW of maximum demand = 13.165 ¢/kWh
All hours all additional kWh = 11.454 ¢/kWh
Applications for the Critical Peak Pricing Rate Pilot are now closed. Sign up for our mailing list to be the first to hear when applications reopen!
All Nova Scotia Power rates for customers are subject to detailed review by stakeholders and the Nova Scotia Energy Board. Following this detailed review process, Nova Scotia Power must obtain the Nova Scotia Energy Board's approval for those customer rates. Rates are subject to change and become effective only after being approved by the Nova Scotia Energy Board.
Pilot Details
Eligible business customers can apply for the pilot rate that best suits their business energy needs.
Participation is optional, and customers can leave the pilot at any time to switch back to the Small General rate or General (with Demand Charges) rate.
Energy Shifting Tips
For many businesses, space cooling, lighting, and fans are some of the biggest energy users. Try adopting new strategies to manage your usage with behaviour changes that are relatively easy to make. For example:
Dim or turn off specific lights or light circuits
Install motion sensors to automatically shut off unused lights
Shut off non-essential appliances
Power down or unplug unnecessary equipment
Change thermostat settings on space-conditioning systems to reduce operating times
Cycle or curb ventilation fans
Shift cleaning and maintenance crews to off-peak hours
Use a Building Automation System (BAS): A BAS is a great way to implement or facilitate your energy saving or demand response (DR) strategy. Depending on the features of your BAS, it can turn off or turn down HVAC equipment, lights, or industrial processes, either automatically or with some manual intervention. Some BAS systems can use preprogrammed control strategies to minimize building energy use. A BAS that's not capable of an automated response can still be used with a DR program - when building operators receive a DR signal, they can either activate preprogrammed control strategies or manually turn off or down building systems.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What are peak hours? What are the rates and times for peak and off-peak hours?
Peak hours are the times during the day when there is high demand for electricity during the winter months (November 1 – March 31).
For the Time-of-Use rate, peaks times are 7:00am – 11:00am and 5:00pm – 9:00pm Monday to Friday. After 9pm, weekends and holidays are all off-peak.
For the Critical Peak Pricing rate, peak events are 4-hours in length and can occur any time between 6:00am and 11:00pm every day but holidays. They are referred to as Critical Peak events.
Rates during these hours vary by plan.
How much money can I save?
Everyone’s energy use is different, but if your business reduces or shifts energy use to off-peak hours, you have the potential to save money on this pilot. Visit the Energy Shifting Tips section for tips on how your business can reduce your usage.
Could I end up paying more on my power bill?
Your bill is based on how much energy your business uses. If you cannot reduce or shift your energy to off-peak hours on winter weekdays between November and March, there is a chance your bill could increase. Your bills may increase in the winter, particularly on the Time-of-Use rate plan, which is offset with lower rates in the summer months. You can switch back to the Small General or General (with Demand Charges) rate plans anytime, without penalty. This can be done by contacting our Customer Care at 1-800-428-6774.
How does the Critical Peak Rate Plan work and is it right for me?
Critical Peak events last four hours, and participants will be notified by email and/or SMS by 4:00 pm the day prior, and directly before the event starts allowing time to adjust usage. The Critical Peak rate plan is designed for customers who can respond to the notification by shifting their usage as much as possible during the four-hour period between 6:00 am and 11:00 pm. Up to a maximum of 18 peak events could be called between November 1 and March 31 and can be only called on weekdays and up to three on weekends (statutory holidays are excluded). Outside peak events and winter season, your rate will always be lower. This means your savings will add up when you're paying a lower rate and there are no peal events. A registered MyAccount is required to participate in this plan.
Can I opt out after enrolling?
We encourage you to participate for the full year to experience potential savings on your bill, but you can switch back to the Small General or General (with Demand Charges) rate plans at any time, without penalty. If your business location moves during the pilot, participation at your current address will end and you are required to fill out a new application for your new location.
How do I apply and what happens next?
Applications for the Time-of-Use Rate Pilot and Critical Peak Pricing Rate Pilot are now closed. Sign up for our mailing list to be the first to hear when applications reopen!
Will my data be kept confidential?
Yes. Your account data, including energy use information and savings, will be kept confidential. NS Power takes the privacy of its customers very seriously. For further information on the collection, use and disclosure of personal information, please see our Privacy Policy.
What’s the difference between Time-of-Day rates and the Time-Varying Pricing Rate Pilot?
Our existing Time-of-Day (TOD) rate works for customers who install an Electric Thermal Storage (ETS) unit in their homes. TOD rates work by billing a rate more reflective of the actual cost of making and delivering power at different times, meaning power is cheapest overnight and on weekends and holidays when overall demand on the electricity system is lower. Power is also more expensive during winter days, when demand is the highest.
The Time-of-Day Rate Plans Pilot program, also known as Time-Varying Pricing Rate Pilot program, is a pilot where customers do not need to install an ETS and choose from one of two plans that works for their lifestyle. These plans provide opportunities for customers to save money on their annual power bill by reducing or shifting their electricity use from peak hours when demand is high for electricity, to off-peak hours when demand is low between November and March.
What days count as holidays?
- New Year's Day
- Good Friday
- Easter Monday
- Victoria Day
- Canada Day
- Natal Day
- Labour Day
- Truth and Reconciliation Day
- Thanksgiving
- Remembrance Day
- Christmas Day
- Boxing Day
- Heritage Day
Join our mailing list
Be the first to know when we are accepting applications by joining our mailing list.
Whether you’ve already researched potential energy solutions or not , contact us today to discuss how we can help your business get on a path to expansion, lower energy usage, or lower energy bills. Our team is here—at your service.
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