CORNWALL, Ontario – MPP Jim McDonell wants the Liberal government to flip the switch on Ontario’s rising electric rates.
McDonell said in a statement Wednesday that Ontario electricity ratepayers will be stung by Hydro One’s peak and mid-peak prices set to increase to 14 cents per kWh and 12.2 cents per kWh on May 1.
“Residents of Stormont-Dundas-South Glengarry can’t afford the unjustifiably high hydro rates being charged today, let alone pay for further increases,” said McDonell.
The Ontario Energy Board announced Monday new time-of-use (TOU) electricity prices for households and small businesses will begin next Friday. Read the full report here.
Ontarians will soon be paying more than twice as much for electricity during peak demand periods than off-peak times, adding $5.71 to the average monthly household electricity bill.
Starting May 1, the price for peak periods – weekdays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. – will be 16.1 cents per kilowatt hour, compared with 8 cents for off-peak hours on weekdays from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m., and all day on weekends and holidays.
The mid-peak rate of 12.2 cents a kilowatt hour will apply weekdays from 7 to 11 a.m. and from 5 to 7 p.m.
The Wynne government insists it must sell 60 per cent of Hydro One to fund public transit and infrastructure projects.
McDonell said that Ontario already has some of the highest rates in North America, and businesses are finding the province less competitive and unaffordable.
He slammed the Liberals for so-called empty promises about helping alleviate poverty and new assistance programs for ratepayers, as well as demanding the party immediately scrap their plans for a fire sale of Hydro one and their planned carbon tax.
“The projected sale of Hydro One assets, the new Cap-and-Trade carbon pricing system and subsidies to wind and solar producers are likely to add extra costs to an average Ontarian’s bill,” said McDonell.
“The Government’s plan to sell off Hydro One and divert the proceeds to pet projects rather than paying off Hydro’s debt will leave Ontario ratepayers with even more cost on their bills.”
Read our previous coverage ‘McDonell, opposition fuming over Hydro One sale’ here.
