Reduce High Hydro Costs in Ontario

Ontarians see high hydro bills as consumption goes down. It is only the start of Summer and already Ontario residents are being asked to conserve their electricity consumption.

We as residents of Ontario are already doing our best - we run our high cost appliances after 7pm as per Ontario Hydro suggestions - time of use. Laundry is being done after 7pm during the week; all day during the weekend. This applies to dishwashing, clothes drying, laundry; conserving electricity in all areas of daily living - making sure all lights are off when not in use, etc. We are all playing by the rules and yet every time we turn around, Ontario Hydro is increasing the cost of daily living.

There are families who are having to decide whether they put food on the table, pay mortgages, etc, or paying their hydro bill. The costs are becoming prohibitive. And yet we are being told by the Government that it is not their fault, that it is the fault of the previous Administrations. Really! We are afraid that that excuse is not good enough. You are the Government in power and you should be able to do something and telling us to apply for a break in the costs, again, is not good enough. We should not have to go through several telephone calls to the OESP (Ontario Electricity Support Program) to get a bill reduced for a mere $34.00; a benefit most Ontarians do not qualify for.

Electricity rates are set by the province and they have been increasing steadily as the Ontario government invests in cleaner energy. The Ontario Energy Board (OEB) said hydro rates rose in May by 2.5 percent for households that consume 750 kilowatt hours per month. Last November, they jumped again by 3.4 percent on average.

The Clean Energy Benefit came to an end at the end of 2015 and that meant that energy rates went up by another 10 percent. While green solutions are creating a cleaner Ontario, we, as consumers are realizing there is a price to be paid for the government's efforts. This is affecting Ontario consumers a lot. It has to stop, there has to be something that can be done.

As our Premier, you should be able to control what Ontario Hydro are billing their customers. If we are using less energy, then why are our bills increasing monthly. We cannot continue at this rate. There will come a time when the cost becomes way too much for any family or business to bear. Businesses are finding it increasingly difficult to operate; will there come a time when a business has to decide whether to lay off employees or pay their high hydro bill.

Dan Moulton, a spokesman for the provincial energy ministry, acknowledged that the increased electricity costs can be difficult for families to shoulder. But Ontario utility bills, are on the average, lower than those in U.S. cities, like Boston and New York. To be frank, we don't care what Boston and New York charge their customers for Hydro; we live in Ontario, Canada and care what happens in our Province.

There has to be something that can and should be done.