Letter to the Editor on Electricity In Ontario by William Hopkinson of Cornwall

LTE UHydro One has to be stopped.   With the recent announcement that the Ontario Hydro debt retirement charge will be taken off hydro bills in 2016 they seem to be buttering up the Ontario voter and taxpayer.  That debt was actually paid off in 2010.  Thankfully, in Cornwall we are not subject to the Ontario Hydro debt retirement charge.   But what the Ontario government gives with one hand they take away with the other.  What they failed to mention was with that charge no longer on the hydro bills they are also eliminating the Ontario Clean Energy Benefit also known as the 10% they were paying thanks to years of mismanagement at Ontario Hydro / Hydro One.  And sure they’ll be introducing the new Ontario Electricity Support Program.  But once again what they don’t mention is that most residents won’t be eligible for this as it’ll be for families making less than $40,000 annually.  Most families making less than $40,000 do not own homes, but rent.  And their hydro charges are some of the time included in the rent.  Thus they will not be eligible for this new “benefit.”  Ontario electricity is very expensive.

With the help of Windontario.ca here are some facts.

The cost of wind power will add $110,000,000,000.00 to our electrical bills.  To grasp $110 billion:
$100 billion can buy 5,000,000 Honda Civics.  We’re paying 11-13.5 cents per kwh for wind power.  The average price for wind power in the U.S. is 7 cents.  Ontario is the only province/state that charges HST, delivery, and regulatory fees on electricity.  Wind companies routinely sue municipalities/persons who get in their way.  The government supplies lawyers to back a wind company; but has never backed a municipality, group or person.  Ontario has too much power and we either, pay the USA & Quebec to get rid of the excess or charge 2.5 per kwh. In 2013 alone, the loss was $1 billion which will cost your household an additional $250.  Quebec turns around and sells our hydro at 5 cents per kwh to bordering States.

Hopefully the NDP gets smart and brings Kathleen Wynne (McGuinity Jr.) down.

William Hopkinson – Cornwall ON

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8 Comments

  1. Even if you install those solar panels the government will eventually charge you for that free electricity. I read about that in the US alternative papers and they said the truth. People read the mainstream/lamestream garbage that is shoved down their throats every day and believe it to be true. Everybody that is normal is throwing away the so called newspapers and cutting the cable. The government and all governments do not represent the people but only for the elite and it is a JUST US society. I wish that people would wake up.

  2. Solar / wind power is good, but very unreliable. The problem is that Hydro One pays the producers obscene amounts to produce it, then sells the excess to other provinces at bargain basement prices.

  3. In the article it states that those making $40K or less do not own homes but rent and that is so true. When you own a house the bills fly in like you wouldn’t believe possible and when you need a new furnace or a new roof or whatever you have to have the money to pay for that and it takes good budgeting and good income and good management. If you are not any of these then it is best to rent. Hydro, gas, oil, etc. is going up and when that goes up so does the cost of food, clothing and everything else. My daughter works in a super market and she sees the prices going higher and higher and people complain to her and to other cashiers about it but they can’t do anything about it. Lately spaghetti was on sale along with other pasta and some man from some other country was trying to bargain down the price with her and she said that she couldn’t do that and he was going out with many packages. She had to call the manager and they argued back and forth and the manager gave up and let him go with the spaghetti. Many people are hungry and it is only going to get worse over time. People have to learn how to live. Owning a house is not for everyone and here in Ottawa and other big cities the prices are through the roof and most people rent.

  4. Jeez Jules will you stop agreeing with me please? It makes it harder to argue if we keep agreeing.

  5. Hugger I can’t help it I am even laughing myself to pieces here. When I agree I agree. Now that doesn’t always happen so I have to put a gold star up on the wall sometimes. I know that we have to keep the readers up on their toes with our disagreements. LOL. LOL. ROLF!

  6. Hugger did you ever tell the people of Cornwall what the cost of homes are here in Ottawa? The most expensive house in Riverdale is a small bungalow here in Ottawa and an old one. LOL LOL. The same homes are up for sale and rent and no takes. People will buy homes and convert them into businesses here in Ottawa. In order to purchase a home here your salary has to be way way above $100K and even $150K and not many make that. There is no security anymore either on any job and people prefer to rent because they are free.

  7. One of the reasons we moved to Cornwall was the cost of buying a house. One of the other reasons for moving here was that my wife is from here. In Ottawa the average price is now $374k, whereas the average price in Cornwall is around $180k. Of course another reason for moving here was the size of the city. Though I lived in Ottawa a lot of my life I can no longer do Ottawa, it’s too big for me.

  8. Hugger I don’t blame you for moving to Cornwall with the cost of living here in Ottawa. $374K is more like an old row house like what is below me. I do know that two years ago they were asking a little over $300K and it is literally falling apart and needs plenty of repair. I noticed now that the same house is up for sale again. The singles on my street and the other streets around are at least $400K and up and those are just bungalows not counting the two story homes. Our friend Robert sold his mother’s house which was really his and his brothers for $400K some years ago because it needed a lot of repair and on one of the best streets at the back of us. It was a back split single home and much nicer and better than his own raised bungalow. My daughter and my husband do not like Ottawa at all. I am stuck here and have no where to turn. Your wife is very fortunate to have her job in Cornwall. I know that there are plenty of people from Cornwall who are here in Ottawa. Many commute but with the salary that my daughter makes and has made it wouldn’t be worth while. My husband’s sister in law in Sydney Australia works in a grocery store as well and her hours have been cut as well. Everything has gone through the roof in cost.

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