"Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner said the province appears set to subsidize hydro for every Ontarian, regardless of whether they need it or not, rather than address the problem of sky-rocketing rates head-on. I want to know, why does Galen Weston get a subsidy on his electricity prices when this government says we don't have money for health care, we don't have money for housing, we don't have money for education? Schreiner said."
"The province began to subsidize the cost of electricity in 2017 under the previous Liberal government, at a time when prices had risen dramatically. Premier Doug Ford's government pledged to cut rates by 12 per cent when they took office in 2018 a promise critics say he never fulfilled while continuing the policy of annual multi-billion dollar ratepayer subsidies. The government currently has nine different hydro subsidy programs, the largest of which is the Ontario Electricity Rebate."
A 29 per cent electricity rate increase took effect Nov. 1 after approval by the Ontario Energy Board, attributed to larger-than-anticipated nuclear costs and higher spending on conservation programs. The provincial government will raise its taxpayer-funded hydro subsidy to 23 per cent to cushion consumers, costing the province billions next year. Subsidies to reduce household bills began in 2017. The government maintains nine hydro subsidy programs, led by the Ontario Electricity Rebate. Critics contend the subsidies are blanket measures that benefit all ratepayers regardless of need and that promised rate cuts were not delivered.
Read at www.cbc.ca
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