Ontario Hydro rates Skyrocket 222 % over 8 years !

Remember when Dalton McGuinty and Kathleen Wynne installed Smart Meters in every home in Ontario back in 2008 and promised Lower Hydro costs for everyone since the new rates would be "Time of Use" meaning that if you used Hydro during Off Peak hours, typically from 7:00 pm to 7:00 am you could effectively manage your Consumption and reduce your Hydro bills ??



They rolled out the Smart Meters and TOU (Time of Use Program) with Off Peak Rates as low as 2.7 cents/KWhr ....

May 1, 2008

Off Peak = 2.7

Mid Peak = 7.3

Peak =  9.3

So here we are 8 years later....

Nov 1, 2016

Off Peak = 8.7

Mid Peak = 13.2

Peak =  18

Source:
http://www.ontarioenergyboard.ca/OEB/Consumers/Electricity/Electricity%20Prices/Historical%20Electricity%20Priceshttp://www.ontario-hydro.com


After replacing every Incandescent Light bulb with LED, going from 60 watts to 8 watts per Light bulb, after only running washers, dryers,  dishwashers during evenings and weekends, or on Holidays, after turning off Furnace Fans and putting other High consumption items on Timers to only run Off Peak where are we ?

For those of us that have worked relentlessly to bring down our Hydro Bills the Ontario Government has increased the Off Peak Rates from 2.7 cents per KWHr up to 8.7 KWHr.

An Increase of 222 %  !

Yes, you read that correctly. 222 %

That means if your Bill was $100 per month and you made no changes you are now paying $320 per month.

On top of this the City of Ottawa has increased Water Rates by 6% this year and Property Taxes by 2 % per year every year.  And the Bank of Canada reports that there is little inflation, less than 2%.

Let me ask you this. If 220 % is "little Inflation" what is a lot of Inflation ?
I think it is time to go off the grid.

Taxpayers may have noticed a change in water bills this month, as rates increased by six per cent – or about $48 on the average homeowner’s bill.  http://www.metronews.ca/news/ottawa/2015/05/14/new-water-rates-coming-down-the-pipe-in-ottawa.html




The Cost of Everything is Skyrocketing, yet the Bank of Canada tells us there is little to no inflation.... Really ???

The Average house price in Ottawa, Ontario has also risen 31 % over the past 8 years.  http://www.homesinottawa.com/site/Pages/history-of-average-house-prices.html


Contact the Premiere of Ontario: Kathleen Wynne

https://correspondence.premier.gov.on.ca/EN/feedback/default.aspx

Ontario Hydro Mismanagement will cost Residents Billions

Living in the Dark  ...

 "Ontarians have paid $37-billion more than market price for electricity over eight years and will pay another $133-billion extra by 2032 as a result of haphazard planning and political meddling...

The Liberal government has repeatedly overruled expert advice – and even tore up two long-term plans from the Ontario Power Authority for the electricity system – in favour of political decisions that drove up power costs for consumers" (Auditor General Report) 

By law, the Ontario Power Authority (OPA), which has now merged into the Independent Electricity System Operator, was supposed to provide a long-term plan for electricity that independent regulators would vet. But in 2007 and 2011, OPA produced such a plan only to have the Liberals overrule it and make ad-hoc decisions on the system by fiat. 

As a result, electricity prices for consumers and small businesses jumped by 70 per cent – from 5.32 cents per kilowatt hour to 9.06 cents – between 2006 and 2014. The largest part of the reason for that is an increase to Global Adjustment Fees, which for the past decade have paid power-generating companies more than market price for their power as an incentive to set up in Ontario. Those fees amounted to $37-billion between 2006 and 2014, and are projected to add $133-billion from 2015 to 2032.

Ontario pays more for green power than other jurisdictions. Compared to U.S. prices, the cost of wind power in Ontario is DOUBLE and solar power is more than TRIPLE.  The 2010 Green Energy Act failed to take advantage of low electricity prices and instead mandated higher prices for wind and solar power companies than they had received previously. This added up to $9.2-billion more in renewables costs.

In January, 2010, the OPA warned the province that the Lower Mattagami hydroelectric project was $1-billion over budget, but the government allowed it to proceed. As a result, power from that plant costs $135/megawatts per hour, compared to an average cost of $46/megawatts per hour for two other recent hydro projects.

The province also produces enough extra electricity to power the province of Manitoba, an excess that costs consumers. For instance, the province paid $3.1-billion to power generators between 2009 and 2014 for power that was not needed, plus another $339-million not to produce power. The province also paid $32.6-million to exporters to distribute the excess power to other jurisdictions.

In order to pay for these massive blunders and many others the Liberal Government simply approves rate increases and "Delivery" charges and costs are transferred to the consumers. At the moment many people can no longer afford the luxury of electricity and are having to disconnect from the Ontario Power Grid. How very sad. Nothing is done, and this winter many Ontarians will be literally living in the dark.    

More: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/ontarians-paid-37-billion-above-market-price-for-electricity-over-eight-years-ag/article27560753/

Man builds Giant Wind Tower in Suburban back yard.

Growing tired of the rapidly rising cost of Hydro in Ontario,  Nepean Resident Bill Smith has taken drastic measures and has constructed a massive Wind Turbine and Solar Farm in his back yard.

He is now generating 1,000 KW/mo  and is completely free from the Ontario Hydro grid.

Rather than complain,  many neighbours have lined up to have Bill construct similar towers in their backyard.

There is no telling how far this will go. But finally people are waking up and taking action.

When asked what drove him to such extremes Bill said ... Extremes ? This is nothing.  I have room for 5 more -  It was my $1200 month Hydro bill that pushed me over the edge.  I just could not take it any more, he says. After seeing my bill go up and up and up, I had to do something.  I calculated that I could build one of these suckers every month for the next 10 years and save a fortune. I did a little research online and there it was, the Turbo X5000-E3 Industrial Grade Wind Turbine.

I have calculated that I can generate over 1,000 KWhr /mo no problems, even when the wind ain't blowin....  Stay tuned for more he says.

Note: Industrial wind turbines  similar to the widely used GE 1.5-megawatt model, for example, consists of 116-ft blades atop a 212-ft tower for a total height of 328 feet. The blades sweep a vertical airspace of just under an acre.
Note: This is Satire. 

How we cut our Hydro Bill in half with 6 Watt LED light bulbs.

Since the Ontario Liberal Government installed their Smart Metres and "Time of Use" Rates we have done everything possible to only use our electricity during Off-Peak hours..... usually from 7:00 pm to 7:00 am. We have been able to keep our Hydro Bills around $200 per month.

But recently the Liberal government again announced that they were going to raise the Off-Peak rates to 8.7 cents per KW Hr. This does not seem like a lot, but when you consider the fact that these "Off-peak" rates have climbed from 2.7 cents in 2008 to 8.7 watts this October it equates to a 222% Increase. And that is a lot.  

We started to hear stories of people's Hydro Bills going above $500/month. Some as high as $1,200/mo.

In fact the Liberal Government has decided to penalize those that are working hardest to reduce their consumption, those of us trying our best to only use Power during Off-Peak times. 

At the moment we only run our Washing Machine, Dryer, Dish Washer, and AC after 9:00 pm, on weekends or Holidays. We wanted to also change all of our Light bulbs from 25 or 40 Watts to the new 3 and 6 watt LED Light bulbs. But the cost of these Light bulbs was ridiculous, until recently. So in September I changed every Light bulb to a 6 Watt LED. (40 Watt Equivalent) 

Watch for Sales on these 6 watt - 40 Watt Equivalent Light bulbs at Canadian Tire, Loblaws or even Amazon.ca  (Pack of 10)

B-right 10 Pack 5W LED Bulbs, 400lm, 40W Incandescent Bulb Equivalent .. https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B016KAKVG6/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_x_hA3oybFESJ5H6

See the chart below - The Right hand side shows our October and November Usage. The results are quite dramatic.....  This October we had our Consumption down to 554 HW Hrs. This is for a 2,000 sq Ft home & family of 4. We used $62.39 of Electricity and with Delivery Charges, other fees and Taxes our October Hydro Bill was $107.  I'll post our November Usage and Bill on Dec 1st.  

Off-grid Cabin $35,000 near Lake Superior Provincial Park

ONE BEDROOM FURNISHED, OPEN CONCEPT COTTAGE ON BEAUTIFUL QUINTET LAKE. 

ATV, BOAT OR SNOWMACHINE ACCESS ONLY. GREAT HUNTING, FISHING.  HWY 17 TO HWY 38 RD  A short drive to Lake Superior. Largest, deepest, cleanest Fresh Water Lake in the World.


60 minute drive to Sault Ste. Marie and US Border (Sault Michigan)

https://www.realtor.ca/Residential/Recreational/16365145/4TH-LAKE-QUINTETS-Ontario-P0S1A0-QUINTETS

Check out how beautiful Lake Superior is in the video below; if you can find anything close to this Great Lake - grab it .... If we get to drought conditions you will want to be next to this Lake.

Canada has started construction on their Wall ....

Beating Trump to the punch, Canada has already started construction on their wall .... with a little help from Mother Nature and a very early winter. 

It has been given the name Ga- Woc-Wwam - The Great White Canadian Winter Wall of Misery .... 

Please note: We must apologize, this is a very unusual form of Cold and heartless Canadian "low humidex" humour. Not intended to offend anyone.

Also note: The term humidex is a Canadian innovation, that was first coined in 1965. The humidex is a dimensionless quantity based on the dew point.

11.5 Acres on Georgian Bay, Lake Huron Ontario $46,900

11.5 acres Lion's Head .... $46,900 

Well treed mixed bush on a year round road.

There is a public access s short distance away to Lake Huron. Great property for country living or a great escape to enjoy nature.

A short drive to Lions Head and Black Creek Provincial Park. 

Listing:

https://www.realtor.ca/Residential/Vacant-Land/17399072/PART-5-SPRY-RD-LIONS-HEAD-Ontario-N0H1W0