Hydro users to get $12 monthly jolt

Hydro users to get $12 monthly jolt

LISA TALLYN Staff Writer Halton Hills residents can expect to see their hydro bills jump by about $12 a month starting in May. Under new rates announced last week by the Ontario Energy Board (OEB), area residents will be paying an average 11 per cent more for hydro or approximately $144 each year. Halton Hills residents got off lightly with a hike of approximately $11.92 a month compared to those who live in Grand Valley and Haldimand County-- their rates are going up by 18.9 and 17.4 per cent respectively-- or $20.13 and $20.15 each month. Orangeville residents on the other hand will only see their monthly bills rise by about $3.91 and Milton residents by $6.57. The estimated rate increases are for homeowners who use 1,000 kWh per month. The rates paid by customers vary widely across the province depending on what local utilities charge to deliver power. The new hydro rates, which come into effect May 1, are 5.8 cents, a jump from 5 cents, per kilowatt-hour for the first 600 kilowatt-hours used between May and October. Households that use more than 600 kilowatt-hours will see the rate jump to 6.7 cents from 5.8 cents. See HIKE, pg. 4

Hike in hydro rates blamed on searing summer of 2005

Continued from pg. 1 In the winter-- between November and April-- the threshold is 1,000 kilowatthours, largely because homes dependent on electric heating have less flexibility in reducing their power consumption. The OEB blamed a record-hot summer last year for the hikes. Lower water levels for hydro-electric generation and more frequent use of air conditioners forced the province to import premium power and use electricity generated by natural-gas plants, for which the cost rose far higher than forecast. The result was that Ontario households paid $60 less than the actual cost of supplying the electricity, amounting to a $384 million shortfall that will be made up by the new rates. The Ontario government says help for low-income families hurt most by hydro rate hikes is on the way in the form of a one-time rebate of up to $120 per family and $60 per individual based on a sliding scale according to income. Art Skidmore, Chief Financial Officer for Halton Hills Hydro, said area residents can take steps to keep their hydro costs down, such as turning the temperature up on their air conditioner. "By upping their air conditioners by a couple of degrees saves a tremendous amount of energy," said Skidmore. He said Halton Hills Hydro is implementing conservation programs including one that allows the company to adjust by remote control the temperatures on water heaters leased through them, resulting in savings for the customer. HHH is also participating in a coupon program that provides hydro customers with savings on energy efficient products such as fluorescent bulbs and timers, and one that provides rebates to customers who undergo an energy audit, said Skidmore. --With files from Torstar News Service (Lisa Tallyn can be reached at ltallyn@independentfreepress.com)