No one has done more to inflate your hydro bill than Dalton McGuinty,

Blame for skyrocketing Hydro rates lies in one place

By Guest Column Vic Fedeli, PC Energy Critic and Nipissing MPP (Bio and Archives)  Friday, April 20, 2012 | Print friendly | Subscribe | Email Us

QUEEN’S PARK – No one has done more to inflate your hydro bill than Dalton McGuinty, PC Energy Critic and Nipissing MPP Vic Fedeli said today.

With the Ontario Energy Board’s recent price announcement, residential electricity prices have now officially doubled since 2003, from 4.3 cents per kilowatt hour to 8.8 cents.  For those Ontario households with smart meter time-of-use pricing, the increase is a staggering 175% increase.

“Many Ontarians I’m sure are wondering when this upward spiral will end.  They just can’t afford to pay any more,” said Fedeli.

“But as long as Dalton McGuinty’s disastrous energy policies like the FIT subsidy remain, there’s no end in sight.”

According to a recent report from Aegent Energy Advisors, a household with a $110 monthly hydro bill will see a 58% increase over the next 5 years – amounting to a $768 yearly increase by 2016.

This from a government that promised the Green Energy Act would only lead to a 1% annual bill increase for the average household. 

At the same time, energy expert Tom Adams predicts that Ontario will have the highest electricity rates in North America by next year.

Also, the Association of Major Power Consumers in Ontario says the province already has the highest delivered rates “compared with Canadian provinces and key markets in the United States, including New York, New England, the Midwest.”

“How can we compete in the global marketplace when this is the case?” Fedeli asked.

“Unless we reverse course, it’s inevitable that more Ontario businesses will leave or be forced to close, killing even more jobs in this province.”