QUEEN’S PARK – Andrea Horwath, Leader of Ontario’s New Democrats, says data from Toronto Hydro confirms that Dalton McGuinty’s so-called smart meters have raised rates for 80 per cent of consumers and aren’t producing any conservation gains for Ontario.
“Dalton McGuinty’s so-called smart meters make eHealth look like a bargain.” said Horwath. “For a billion and half dollars we have a scheme that leaves 80 per cent of people paying higher rates without shifting usage patterns. There’s nothing smart about that.”
A Toronto Hydro study looked at ten thousand households in Toronto that have been billed using so-called smart meters since 2009. The study confirmed that after a year of operation:
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- On average 80 percent of households have been paying higher rates than before smart meters were installed and there has been little if any shift in household energy consumption.
- In one billing period – from June to September, 2009 – ninety-two per cent of households paid more.
- On average, households seeing an increase were paying anywhere from 2 to 7 per cent more.
- These increases are separate from the added cost to households for the cost of the smart meter itself. Across Ontario, consumers will be paying $1.25 – $4.45 a month for decades to recover these costs.
“The McGuinty Liberals have spent billions on a scheme that leaves people paying more and leaves Ontario falling behind in our conservation goals,” said Horwath.