Electric Vehicle Charging (EVC) Rate

Ontario's new EVC Rate helps to reduce the operating costs of commercial EV charging stations.

About the EVC Rate

About the EVC Rate

If you own or operate a commercial electric vehicle (EV) charging station, you may be eligible for the new Electric Vehicle Charging (EVC) Rate.

The EVC Rate is an electricity delivery rate designed specifically for eligible EV charging stations in Ontario to better reflect the transmission costs of serving EV chargers with low load factors. It reduces the Retail Transmission Service Rates (RTSRs) paid by participating EV charging stations.

To help you learn more and to see if you are eligible for the new EVC rate, we have put together an FAQ to answer common questions.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is the Electric Vehicle Charging (EVC) Rate?

The EVC Rate is an electricity delivery rate designed specifically for eligible electric vehicle (EV) charging stations in Ontario to better reflect the transmission costs of serving EV chargers with low load factors. It reduces the Retail Transmission Service Rates (RTSRs) paid by participating EV charging stations.

How is the EVC Rate calculated?

The EVC Rate reduces the Retail Transmission Service Rates that participating EV charging stations would otherwise pay. Retail Transmission Services Rates are part of the electricity bill.

Participating customers will pay 17% of the Retail Transmission Service Rate that other customers in a distributor’s General Service 50 kW to 4,999 kW class will pay. In other words, if a customer’s base Retail Transmission Service Rate is $100/kW, it would instead pay $17/kW under the EVC Rate.

The EVC Rate better aligns the Retail Transmission Service Rates paid by participating EV charging stations with the transmission system costs incurred to serve them.

Who is eligible for the EVC Rate?

EV charging stations must meet all the following criteria to participate in the EVC Rate:

  • Have at least one Direct Current Fast Charger;
  • Ensure that at least 90% of total monthly peak demand is attributable to EV charging;
  • Have a monthly peak demand between 50kW and 4,999kW;
  • Have a 12-month average load factor of 20% or less;
  • Must not primarily serve commercial/public sector EV fleets, and;
  • Any distributed energy resource behind the account’s meter must not exceed the station’s annual peak demand.

Who is considered a “customer” under the EVC Rate?

A “customer” refers to the owner or operator of an EV charging station whose facilities are connected to or are intended to be connected to an electricity distributor’s distribution system. A customer is not the end-user of the EV charging service, such as the driver of a vehicle that uses the EV charging station.

How do I apply for the EVC Rate?

Eligible customers must submit an opt-in form to us.

The opt-in form is available here.

I have an EV charger installed at my home. Am I eligible for the EVC Rate?

No. Charging stations that may participate in the EVC Rate include those that are located:

  • on or near highways;
  • on the site of a retail establishment, plaza, or shopping centre;
  • on the site of a municipal, university, school, or hospital building;
  • on a site associated with a multi-unit residential building such as a condominium;
  • on employee parking lots.

For clarity, a charging station’s eligibility for the EVC Rate does not depend on the public or private nature of the site on which it is located or on whether the site has restricted or unrestricted access.

Apply for the EVC Rate

Please complete the form below to submit your EVC Rate application.

Apply

Application Process

Once you have provided the required information using the EVC Rate Application form, our Engineering team will review your submissions and determine if the necessary criteria are met.


Our team may contact the applicant for clarifying or missing information.

Ok

Ok