Ontario cutting electricity bills by 25 per cent

ONTARIO has introduced legislation that would, if passed, lower electricity bills by 25 per cent on average for all residential customers to provide significant rate relief and ensure greater fairness.

The proposed Fair Hydro Act, 2017 would result in lower electricity bills for all residential consumers and as many as half a million small businesses and farms, starting this summer. Lower-income Ontarians and those living in eligible rural communities would receive even greater reductions, as much as 40 to 50 per cent. As part of this plan, rate increases for four years would be held to the rate of inflation.

These measures include the eight per cent rebate introduced in January and build on previously announced initiatives to deliver broad-based rate relief on all electricity bills. Taken together, these changes would deliver the single-largest reduction to electricity rates in the province’s history.

If passed, the legislation would:

  • Enable the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) and Ontario Power Generation (OPG) to work together to spread out the costs of Ontario’s clean energy investments over a longer period of time, which ensures that the costs of these investments are allocated fairly among current and future ratepayers. This would be accomplished through refinancing a portion of the Global Adjustment (GA), resulting in significant and immediate rate reductions.
  • Modify the Ontario Electricity Support Program (OESP) to ensure it is funded by government instead of ratepayers, reducing bills for all.
  • Enhance the Rural or Remote Rate Protection (RRRP) program to provide distribution charge relief to about 800,000 customers and shift costs from ratepayers to provincial revenues. This would include customers served by local distribution companies (LDCs) with the highest rates.
  • Provide on-reserve First Nations households with a 100 per cent credit of the delivery line on their monthly electricity bills.

Glenn Thibeault, Minister of Energy, said: “We listened to people about the need to do more to lower electricity costs. The significant measures proposed in the Fair Hydro Act would help further reduce costs, including additional relief for the most vulnerable. Under our proposed legislation, electricity rates would come down, stay down and make life more affordable for families and businesses across the province.”