09.19.2011 11:50 AM

Under Tea Party Tim, your hydro bill would go up

Check this out:

Families Face Massive Hudak Hydro Hike
Hudak to Impose a 44% increase during the times families use electricity most

TORONTO, Sept. 19, 2011 /CNW/ – Today, it became clear why Tim Hudak’s handlers insist he stick to their talking points and avoid specifics. The first time on this campaign that Hudak went off script, he revealed some of the details behind his proposal to end time-of-use electricity pricing. The result: bad news and significantly higher costs for families who Hudak has deceived into thinking he was giving them a break.

Under questioning from reporters, Hudak came clean for the first time on the formula he will use to replace time of use pricing. Hudak said: “The flat rate is simply set as an average of the other rates.” (Media scrum, September 19, 2011)

The average of the three existing rates is 8.5 cents per kilowatt hour. That would represent a:

  • 44% increase in “off peak times” representing 64% of residential electrical usage (from 5.9 to 8.5 cents)
  • 4.5% reduction during “mid peak times” representing just 18% of residential electrical usage (from 8.9 to 8.5 cents)
  • 20.6% reduction during “peak times” representing just 18% of residential electrical usage (from 10.7 to 8.5 cents)

What Tim Hudak has failed to admit is that most residential usage happens during off-peak times, when rates are lowest. It is business and industry who drives up the usage during so-called “peak times.”  Hudak’s failure to understand this basic fact will result in families paying the price of his ill-conceived policy.

QUOTE:
“Tim Hudak is planning a massive increase in the cost of electricity during the times families use it most.  Tim Hudak’s policy is ill-conceived. It risks families paying significantly more and would take Ontario off track.”
– Brad Duguid, Liberal Candidate (Scarborough Centre)

19 Comments

  1. steve says:

    I got this from comments over the Huffington post, To paraphrase.

    Tim’s opposition to Smartmeters is pure Tea Party doctrine. he is against anything smart.

  2. Ted H says:

    Energy is expensive, no politician can pretend that there is anyway to make it not so. The time of use pricing has to be seen as an opportunity to reduce your houshold hydro bill by moving the use of energy intensive appliances and equipment to off peak hours if possible. Yes there are situations where you have to cook breakfast or supper during peak hours, that cannot be avoided but gradually a mind set will develop to move as much as possible to off peak. Look at the attitudes a few years ago to drunk driving and smoking and look at the general attitudes now. It is possible to change habits.

    • Ted says:

      Look at what we used to do with our long-distance phone calls. If it was important or unavoidable, call anytime. But otherwise it was just a minor inconvenience to call before 9am and after 6pm or save even more by calling between 9pm and 6am (or whatever it was). We managed.

      More importantly, it gave consumers choice. If you were OK with spending more for the ability to call anytime, you did. If you wanted to save, you chose to save.

      Far more choice. Far more market-friendly.

  3. Ted says:

    I kinda get the position from the “pocketbook issues” point of view. Ordinary folks don’t like to be inconvenienced in their busy lives so offer them their cake and tell them they can eat it too.

    But what I don’t get is opposition to smart meters from a conservative point of view. Smart meters let consumers save money, if they want to, and reflect real-life market conditions better. Peak times cost more: higher demand from day-to-day usage and, mostly, from businesses, means higher prices. Off-peak times means lower demand and therefore lower prices.

    A single regulated price means that those who want to save money and maybe be a little bit inconvenienced are subsizing usage of big energy consuming businesses and those who don’t want to save money by changing their routines.

    It’s really no different than most things: smart consumers of gas know to fill-up on a Monday to save money instead of a Friday as they head out to cottage country; smart consumers of food know to buy in-season fruit and vegetable to save money instead of the same fruite at any time during the year. You buy your winter gear in the spring and summer clothes in the fall if you want to save money. Or you pay a premium for the convenience of buying whenever you want. That’s the market. Consumers get choice.

    How is this any different? Why does Hudak want homeowners to subsidize businesses? Why does Hudak want to eliminate choice? Bizarre choices by Hudak here.

    To say nothing about the desire to conserve, which benefits us all and keeps overall prices down.

  4. steve says:

    There is a great attack add in this English major math. Tim Hudak stars in Math Hurts, then just highlight all the sums that do not add up.

    • Ted says:

      Hudak is really a walking talking image of the future of Ontario: he’s demonstrating for us what our students will be like in 10 years if he gets elected.

  5. steve says:

    Taking away the Smart Meters means you will pay more during peak use times and more during off peak, thats real smart Tim.

  6. Michael says:

    Halt Hudak’s Hydro Hike Hustle!

  7. steve says:

    Maybe Tea Party Tim needs to be informed of this great way to find out facts, its called a search engine, no its not an engine in a car Tim, its a big big computer running math things that answer any question you or anyone might have.

    Smart meters reduce energy demands during peak times, promotes conservati­on and offsets need for new infrastruc­ture and globally, it works! Google the following articles:
    Smart Meters Saving Consumers Money in Pennsylvan­ia,
    Smart Meters Saving Glendale Residents Money | NBC Los Angeles
    Smart meters predicted to save UK households £23 a year by 2020

    I sure hope the Liberal party is going to (since its talk like a pirate day) hoist him on his own petard!

  8. steve says:

    I dont know if its true, but I heard a petard is a small explosive used to topple a wall, if you messed up the ignition the wall would fall on you, thus the expression.

    Tim would be a natural in Gilbert and Sullivans Merry England, cause he is always playing the audience as the fool.

  9. steve says:

    To save FAMILIES from Smart meters Tea Party Tim will increase 69% of FAMILIES bill by 44%, now thats a Dumbmeter.

    • steve says:

      To prevent FAMILIES from having a Smart choice, Tea Party Time will increase 69% of FAMILIES bill by 44%, that’s a Dumbmeter.

  10. TheSilentObserver says:

    I met Brad Duguid a bit under a week ago. Seems like a great guy. I decided I’m voting Liberal, despite some apprehensions, due to my meeting with him. Funny how literally everything Hudak has savaged the government for the past two years he’s backtracked on the past couple of months.

  11. CanadaDave says:

    Frankly, I see even these numbers as grossly optimistic. The thing about time of use shifting is that since it reduces use during times of peak demand, not as much generating capacity is required.

    More demand in the peak times means more electricity imported from other jurisdictions (which is not cheap at that time of day), more generating infrastructure (very expensive), and/or more brownouts and blackouts.

    Hydro prices would *explode* under Hudak.

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