NDP plan would cut hydro bills by 30 per cent, says Andrea Horwath

Leader's motion, to be debated Tuesday at Queen's Park, would return utility to public ownership and allow people to opt out of time-of-use pricing.

Thestar.com
March 28, 2017
BY Kristin Rushowy

NDP Leader Andrea Horwath made a pitch for her party’s hydro plan, saying it’s the only solution that addresses Ontarians concerns while also cutting their bills by up to one-third.

Her motion - debated at Queen’s Park on Tuesday - urges the government to return Hydro One back to public ownership, ends pricing based on usage at different times of the day for those who want to opt out, and also slashes delivery costs that have hit rural users the hardest.

“Too many families are near the breaking point,” Horwath said at a news conference. “Many are cutting things out of their monthly budget to cope with sky-high hydro bills - some are even being forced into what has become known as the ‘heat-or-eat’ decision.

“We’ve heard from individuals who haven’t got enough left over for food after paying the hydro bill. We’ve heard from seniors whose pension cheques are being eaten up by hydro bills. Enough is enough - so let’s do something about it.”

However, Energy Minister Glenn Thibeault called the NDP motion “both short on details and long on hollow promises … Many of her party’s proposals rely on a vague and yet-to-be-determined ‘expert panel’ that will be convened in the future, as well as pie-in-the-sky negotiations with the federal government.”

Buying back $4 billion in Hydro One shares is costly, he added, and “will not take one cent off electricity bills. What it will do is send billions to the stock market instead of making much needed infrastructure investments in communities across Ontario.”

The Liberals have come under fire for their decision to sell off shares of Hydro One as well as for rising rates, and recently announced it will cut them by 25 per cent.