No smart meters in Edmonton yet? Thankfully hydro rates in BC are among the lowest in the country, but I'm sure they will creep up as time passes. Anyhow, BC Hydro bills on a two month schedule & my whole house consumption varies from about 660 to 1100 or so kW.h per billing period, depending on time of year, winter months typically higher. Divide those numbers in half & you have 330 - 550 kW.h monthly consumption. This has kept me below the Step 2 billing threshold, where the price jumps from 6.9 cents to 10.34 cents/kW.h.
Here's a screenshot showing daily consumption for my current billing period. Note the blips July 2 & 3, this is where I had to pull out my portable 8300 Btu/h air conditioner to keep at least one room in the house comfortable. Specs say it uses 1050 watts for cooling. My central AC is ancient & has been non-functional since I bought the place. I had planned on replacing it, but rethinking since it's more efficient to cool the rooms you use most rather than the whole residence.
Screenshot of hourly consumption. Again you can see where I used the portable AC (from 2-7 pm), right around the 1500 watt mark (up from 500) which confirms the specs of the unit. Not sure about the rise at 9-10 AM & subsequent drop back down. Most likely the coffee machine & computer, me enjoying a java & surfing the net. The second bank of LEDs on the fish tank kicks in around that time as well.
I'm still considering some solar panels for the future, for a little independence from the big players & as a backup for power outages. Upfront cost for panels, controllers & batteries is still a bit hard to take at the moment though & payback is quite long with the current low electricity rates. I already have a small wind generator, but haven't set it up. I will probably get another portable AC unit or a couple of small window ACs for the bedrooms..... and get a contractor to decomission the worn out central AC taking up space in my carport before recycling the remaining parts. Unlikely there's much freon left in it, but it's best to be sure & get it done right.