Ontario sees hydro rates jump � again

It's in the funny section for a reason.

This is what we voted for. Majority!

How many more years? It's gonna be a fun ride!

Rates are jumping because of the party in government, eh? No other possibility for why energy costs are going up? This wouldn't have happened had Hudak been elected, huh? Your hydro bill is going up $50 this year, and $50 next and next and next and next and next and next, no matter who's in office.

Hmmm....our rates are set to decrease.

How many nuclear plants are you refurbishing?

Why is the price of power increasing and who/what is behind it?

None, but they are switching all the older coal fired plants to natural gas fueled ones.

The stunned bunnies are selling off Hydro to pay their bills. They're burning the furniture to keep warm.

Hydro is provincial, not federal. I'll let others debate privatized vs government.

According to the Hydro One website, on-peak rate is now 17.5� per kWh. Manitoba Hydro residential rate is now 7.672� per kWh, plus a basic charge of $7.57 per month. If your service exceeds 200 amp, then the basic charge is $15.14 per month. Then add tax: 2.5% city tax, 8% PST, 5% GST, plus GST on city tax. Seriously, tax on tax. This applies to both electricity and natural gas. How the hell do they get away with tax on tax?

And I complained when residential electric rates rose after Manitoba Hydro bought Winnipeg Hydro, creating a monopoly. Residential rate increased to 6.77�/kWh on 1-Apr-2012, it increased again 1-Sep-2012, 1-May-2013, 1-May-2014, and 1-Aug-2015. Manitoba Hydro bought Winnipeg Hydro in 2002. I don't have rate history before 2012. We're getting screwed. But you guys in Ontario are paying what!?

You're comparing apples to oranges using only the peak rate for Ontario. People can choose to be on a time of use plan or not and can choose what time of day to use most electricity

For those who prefer flat rate rather than time of use, the rate is $0.099 per kWh (for up to 1000 kwh, the average household use. It's $0.116 per kwh thereafter).

For those on time of use, the off-peak is $.083 per kWh.

Good question. And it's a complex answer, but the price is artificially low. It's subsidized heavily. Couple that with demand. The GTA is exploding in population. As long as that continues, get used to price hikes.

We don't have meters capable of time-of-use pricing. How much do those meters cost? How much do you pay for them? It just counts kWh, you take a reading and subtract what it was the previous month.

Ok, so you pay 9.9�/kWh for the first 1,000 kWh, then 11.6�/kWh thereafter. My house consumes 326 to 435 kWh per month; Manitoba Hydro prints a bar chart once per year, with monthly consumption for 2 years. But it still means we pay 7.672�/kWh. We used to pay 6.77�/kWh.

So why has the electric bill at 24 Sussex increased so much?

I don't think the smart meters cost anything, the utilities just roll them out. My cottage in an isolated part of Muskoka came with one already installed.