Ontario electricity guide
Global Adjustment Explained (Ontario)
Global Adjustment (GA) is a system-level accounting mechanism that reconciles the cost of contracted and regulated electricity supply with revenue from Ontario’s wholesale market. For most residential and small-business customers on the Regulated Price Plan, GA is reflected within the regulated electricity prices rather than appearing as a separate amount that should be added again.
Why GA exists
Many generators and electricity programs are paid through contracts or regulated arrangements. Wholesale-market revenue does not necessarily equal those obligations. GA reconciles the difference and also includes specified system costs administered through Ontario’s market framework.
What residential customers should look for
On a typical Regulated Price Plan bill, focus on the electricity line, the selected TOU, Tiered or ULO price plan, delivery, regulatory charges, taxes and applicable rebates. Do not take a GA figure from a wholesale-market report and add it to a household bill estimate unless your bill or account class specifically presents it that way.
Why older explanations can be confusing
Ontario renewed its wholesale electricity market on May 1, 2025. References to the former Hourly Ontario Energy Price are now historical. Current market reports use the renewed-market terminology, while consumer bills remain governed by the customer’s price plan, distributor tariff and applicable programs.
Questions to ask when GA appears
- Is the account on the Regulated Price Plan, an energy contract, or another market-based arrangement?
- Is GA embedded in the electricity price or shown separately?
- Is the figure a consumer-bill amount, a wholesale settlement value or a system-wide report?