December 6th, 2017

Wynne government forcing local electricity distributors to print Liberal political spin on energy bills: NDP

In question period on Wednesday, Ontario NDP Consumer Affairs critic Wayne Gates called on the Wynne government to end its practice of forcing local distribution companies to print Liberal political spin on energy bills.

Niagara on the Lake (NOTL) Hydro is speaking out, saying that forcing local distribution companies to publish details of the Liberal’s Fair Hydro Plan and other political messages on hydro bills is simply wrong and makes bills more confusing for ratepayers.

“Yesterday the publicly owned Niagara-on-the-Lake Hydro issued a simple and straightforward request to keep political messages off of resident’s bills,” said Gates. “Nobody likes to receive a bill - but right now the Ontario Energy Board forces local distributers to print your messaging in their bills. This Liberal government is forcing utilities to include lines that refer to savings from your hydro plan – savings that aren’t actually there.

“The so-called savings are nothing more than costs kicked a few years down the road to try and get re-elected, a plan which won’t lower bills and won’t bring hydro back into public hands.”

The Board of Niagara-on-the-Lake Hydro said that the politicization of electricity bills began when local distribution companies were required to print the Debt Reduction Charge on bills after it was eliminated and continued when an 8 per cent rebate had to be accompanied with a message to say it was provided by the government of Ontario.

Now, local distribution companies are forced to print messages from the Liberal’s fair hydro plan.

“Let me quote Jim Ryan, the Chair of the publicly owned Niagara-on-the-Lake hydro utility, ‘Putting political messages on the invoice is simply wrong’.” said Gates. “And frankly, we agree with him. Keep your political spin off of people’s hydro bills.

“Residents are smart enough to know that if their bills have gone 300 per cent they aren't seeing savings no matter how many times you write it on the bill.”

“Will this Liberal government remove the political messaging from people's hydro bills and stop insulting people whose bills they’ve already caused to skyrocket?” asked Gates.