Hamilton, Ontario electric bills to rise 6.2 percent March 1st

Residents in Hamilton already feeling the wrath from their electric bills are going to possibly prepare themselves for another increase on March 1^st. The 6.2 percent increase request by Ontario Power Generation (OPG) is awaiting a ruling by the Ontario Energy Board.  The electricity crisis has gotten to the point that Hydro One is threatening to cut off power to people it knows are struggling to pay their bills.  “We recognize that some Ontario families are experiencing financial difficulties and having problems paying their utility bills,” wrote Hydro One’s manager of public affairs, Enza Cancilla, Jan. 27. “We encourage these customers in particular to contact our customer communication centre to discuss payment arrangements and avoid potential disconnection of service.” said Cancilla.  OPG says a 6.2 per cent increase for its regulated output from nuclear plants and large hydro stations would add about $1.86 to a typical homeowner’s monthly hydro bill, but talking to residents in the City, some of the bills are much higher than the $1.86 OPG assessment.  The government-owned utility originally asked for a 9.6 percent increase, but it was scaled back to the 6.2 figure due to pressures from the Liberal government who asked the OPG and Hydro One to keep costs at a minimum. With an election looming this is something for the general public to think about.  With the -20 weather out there, the last thing someone needs is to have their electricity cut.