Hydro Rates vs. Fixed Income ?

It has been nice seeing a Hydro bill that is affordable but May 31st is fast approaching and sadly we will see rates return to normal. As I am retired and on a fixed income but not yet getting OAS so I lose out on that 300 dollar government giveaway. Okay.... it's only 300 bucks and once at that but that's a Federal thing to help offset perscriptions costs/delivery fees. Also for those on GIS there is 200 dollars available. If the government really wants to help seniors or those on other types of fixed income why not keep the hydro rates at weekend rates all the time for those that qualify ?

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Originally Posted by longpointer

It has been nice seeing a Hydro bill that is affordable but May 31st is fast approaching and sadly we will see rates return to normal. As I am retired and on a fixed income but not yet getting OAS so I lose out on that 300 dollar government giveaway. Okay.... it's only 300 bucks and once at that but that's a Federal thing to help offset perscriptions costs/delivery fees. Also for those on GIS there is 200 dollars available. If the government really wants to help seniors or those on other types of fixed income why not keep the hydro rates at weekend rates all the time for those that qualify ?

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Agreed.

Why not just have hydro at a reasonable price for everyone.

Hydro used is not that bad it’s the delivery plus regulatory charge plus tax

Then low density cause I live in the boonies

If they stopped paying their execs exorbitant salaries maybe they could...

Like you I'm on a fixed income and not quite yet 65. A few years back I applied for and got the Ontario Electricity Support Program rebate, in my case it was $45 per month. After 2 years I had to reapply and now receive a $40 monthly rebate. We are quite careful with our hydro usage, have propane furnace, hot water and range along with led lighting. We don't use a dryer for the most part. Last bill usage was only 486 kwh so with a $40 OESP and an Ontario Electricity rebate of $33 my final bill was only $27.28. Can't argue with that, you should check out that program.

Cheers

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Originally Posted by glen

Why not just have hydro at a reasonable price for everyone.

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My view is that we should be paying the real cost of hydro, whatever it is, without any shell games. Sadly, I doubt if it will ever happen.

Check out the Gridwatch site today ....Ontario in the last hour exported 25% of what was generated, and I believe we are paying other jurisdictions to take whatever power we pay for but we cannot use

I'm retired,too. Our hydro bills were fairly consistent averaging between $80-$110/month for 2018-19 (Hydro One direct). I've swapped out all our lights for LED's including outdoor motion detectors and garage shop lights. This past month,our hydro bill was still $80,so,I'm assuming there'll be an increase when rates resume to normal ($90-$120/month). Now,if that sounds about right,I have to tell you that I have an all gas home (2100 sq.ft.). All we run on electricity is lights,the dishwasher and washing machine. My gas bill is on equal billing of $92/month. At the end of the year,they usually owe us a couple of months.

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Originally Posted by trimmer21

I'm retired,too. Our hydro bills were fairly consistent averaging between $80-$110/month for 2018-19 (Hydro One direct). I've swapped out all our lights for LED's including outdoor motion detectors and garage shop lights. This past month,our hydro bill was still $80,so,I'm assuming there'll be an increase when rates resume to normal ($90-$120/month). Now,if that sounds about right,I have to tell you that I have an all gas home (2100 sq.ft.). All we run on electricity is lights,the dishwasher and washing machine. My gas bill is on equal billing of $92/month. At the end of the year,they usually owe us a couple of months.

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I'm just a bit less than you with the electricity, gas about the same although my cook top is induction and a small electric wall oven. I do the pay as you go on gas but works out to about the same.

Yes Glen in an ideal world everyone in Ontario should get cheap hydro but back to reality our government is going to stick it to us one way or the other.
Smitty ; Thanks for the info ! I will be looking into that.
Thanks for the comments guys ! All good points of view.
My place is a 3 bedroom brick house out in the middle of nowhere with Hydro the primary heating with a wood insert fireplace. Natural gas is not an option. All the lighting is LED and thermostats are set at 15 degrees C in rooms I don't use; plus plastic film to cover most windows (really helps). I followed the times as per rates and did laundry on weekends and cooked supper after 1900hrs. but still had 300 dollar plus bills because Ford jacked the rates. Which basically added 1200 dollars a year to my hydro bill. My last bill is 175 bucks due to the currant price break but before you know we will be in the air conditioning season and of course the rates will go back to what they were before the COVID Crisis. Not looking for a free ride but a seniors discount would be nice ? LoL !

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Originally Posted by longpointer

Yes Glen in an ideal world everyone in Ontario should get cheap hydro but back to reality our government is going to stick it to us one way or the other.
Smitty ; Thanks for the info ! I will be looking into that.
Thanks for the comments guys ! All good points of view.
My place is a 3 bedroom brick house out in the middle of nowhere with Hydro the primary heating with a wood insert fireplace. Natural gas is not an option. All the lighting is LED and thermostats are set at 15 degrees C in rooms I don't use; plus plastic film to cover most windows (really helps). I followed the times as per rates and did laundry on weekends and cooked supper after 1900hrs. but still had 300 dollar plus bills because Ford jacked the rates. Which basically added 1200 dollars a year to my hydro bill. My last bill is 175 bucks due to the currant price break but before you know we will be in the air conditioning season and of course the rates will go back to what they were before the COVID Crisis. Not looking for a free ride but a seniors discount would be nice ? LoL !

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Electric heat is a killer,for sure,no matter what form it's in. Is your system baseboard or forced air electric? I've been with my daughter while she shows houses to clients in remote locations. Clients will take one look at electric heat and walk away every time no matter how attractive the house is or how sweet the deal. Retro fitting to a forced air propane or oil system is quite doable.

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Originally Posted by longpointer

Yes Glen in an ideal world everyone in Ontario should get cheap hydro but back to reality our government is going to stick it to us one way or the other.
Smitty ; Thanks for the info ! I will be looking into that.
Thanks for the comments guys ! All good points of view.
My place is a 3 bedroom brick house out in the middle of nowhere with Hydro the primary heating with a wood insert fireplace. Natural gas is not an option. All the lighting is LED and thermostats are set at 15 degrees C in rooms I don't use; plus plastic film to cover most windows (really helps). I followed the times as per rates and did laundry on weekends and cooked supper after 1900hrs. but still had 300 dollar plus bills because Ford jacked the rates. Which basically added 1200 dollars a year to my hydro bill. My last bill is 175 bucks due to the currant price break but before you know we will be in the air conditioning season and of course the rates will go back to what they were before the COVID Crisis. Not looking for a free ride but a seniors discount would be nice ? LoL !

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Your situation sounds like mine. Everything runs off electric
I put it in a mini split heat pump few years ago does heat and AC. Real electric saver.
My bills still 240 monthly.
Wood helps

First thing did when we bought rural was to replace the forced air electric. Previous owners were a family of 5...I can’t imagine what their bills were.There’s a Nat gas 1/4 mile from us...................

But we all pay taxes to build such things for the black hole that you can see from the moon at night....
Will Hydro ever be fixed even a little? Nope.

The left, the Unions and the voters in the GTA screwed this province forever. And with bills to pay for Covid...

I really don't see what lefties or unions or voters in the GTA have to do with it ? Are you just trolling again JBen ? LoL !
I was brought up with the term "hydro" meaning electricity via a water source for which Ontario had an unending supply of but nobody for seen the millions of people or businesses and now we have to go nuclear to meet our needs. My question was " Why can't people in a lower tax bracket get a break on their (such as it's called) Hydro bill ?

JBen has a big hate on for the GTA, and it’s mostly well-founded. The GTA and public service unions gave us Dalton & Kathleen.

LMAO ! I lived and worked for the City of Toronto (wastewater treatment operator) so I totally understand. As a disclaimer we had a family cottage at the end of Old Cut Blvd., Long Point since 1952 and that is where my heart is. Now I rent a farm nearby. As far as cities go ? You have to have them. They are the Yin to the Yang ?

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Originally Posted by 73hunter

JBen has a big hate on for the GTA, and it’s mostly well-founded. The GTA and public service unions gave us Dalton & Kathleen.

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........and Justin Trudeau and The Liberal Party of Canada.

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Originally Posted by trimmer21

........and Justin Trudeau and The Liberal Party of Canada.

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Which is also well-founded.

With a comment like that Longpointer I might ask, and have more merit, or to think it’s you trolling...

We all know who, who exactly, kept the McGuinty, Wynne Liberals in power...we all know, how bad the damage is, we all know who is paying the prices.......And in many ways, why..

Need I say more?

As far as cities go ? You have to have them. They are the Yin to the Yang ?

Yep, we do. On the other side of the coin, the GTA is a world class city. In many ways something we should be proud of. I grew up in the 416, raised my kids in the 905. As such, I had the privilege (Stress that word), of an abundance of convenience, opportunity and more..

At the very least, there was a time ER staff in the nearby hospital new me by face, and name. I guess that happens when your brought to an ER too often. I rode the tax payer funded TTC to school, to work. I rode the tax payer funded rail ways and Go Train into the financial district where I had steady employment that paid me far...far more.. that happens when you build....world class...cities. Use tax incentives like low corporate tax rates, and welfare to lure, or keep industry and commerce ( the 400 is just, just the busiest highway in all, ALL of North America......

“Earned” far than the provincial mean..I hopped on planes (tax payer funded) and flew to places on business and pleasure. And far, far more....

Everything, and I do mean everything, from every convenience I enjoyed ( like Nat Gas) to every penny, every single penny, I earned, every material thing I acquired.

Is thanks to the tax payers of Ontario...

Shame, more people don’t get that. Look around Ontario, hell look around Canada. How many “GTAs” are there?

Hate it?
Nope. The opposite truth be told.

Think very little of people who have sooooooooooooo much, sooooooooo much opportunity and more, and can’t see past the end of their noses?

Yep.
Especially, when you consider it’s the “left” that claims to be so concerned about...”stuff”

Well, here's the facts everyone ... hydro bill is 25% higher than May 2019.
Maybe the rates went down, but with a family of 5 living at home 24/7 ... consumption has definitely
gone up big time ... and I still see a peak rate in there.

We just keep paying, paying, paying!

JBen, please post some of your photos again. They are awesome and we all loved to see them. Your political rants make you, and the forum look foolish. Post pic please, I miss them.

Nah, done with sharing photos. Don’t feel the need for +1s or “likes”...(referring more to FB/Twitter) but all the same...

Call them whatever you like. I don’t much care if anyone sees something the same way. Though I’m hardly alone with respect to that...especially those years, and the long lasting affects..

I will “say” something when someone forgets basic rules of life. Or simply “everyone is allowed”....their own...

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Originally Posted by JBen

Nah, done with sharing photos. Don’t feel the need for +1s or “likes”...(referring more to FB/Twitter) but all the same...

Call them whatever you like. I don’t much care if anyone sees something the same way. Though I’m hardly alone with respect to that...especially those years, and the long lasting affects..

I will “say” something when someone forgets basic rules of life. Or simply “everyone is allowed”....their own...

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Well, this is an Ontario Out of Doors forum, and your pics were a great addition and enjoyed by many. Your childish political rants have nothing to do with OOD and tend to spoil this forum as well as making you look foolish. Take the high road please.

ysyg, you can add Fishermac to your commentary as well. His posts add absolutely zero to any conversation and has admitted to purposely egging others on for his own amusement. I can't count the number of threads this jackass has ruined with his juvenile shenanigans. Makes me wonder if he has ever once in his life stepped outdoors carrying a fishing rod or firearm. After all, this is first and foremost a hunting/fishing site.

Hitting the reset button. ( Yet again).

Keep comments above board, and respectful. ( All of you, not citing any one particular individual).

The Mod has spoken ! We either play nice or BlueBullDog will give you a time out. Went through something similar on another Fish/Hunt website and one person got banned and two were so disgusted they left and haven't posted again. OK... back to my beef about fixed incomes getting a break on their Hydro bill all the time.

Long pointer.
Back when I modded a forum, instigators were given timeouts right fast. From one day to weeks depending on specifics. It worked.

Here....retaliators get penalized. I don’t let it “slide” because they ruin forums. And I don’t put up with crap in the real world either...no body should, nor be expected to.

Agree/disagree that’s everyone’s right.....

Hydro.
Honestly, good luck with that. We can now add fixing LTCs to a very long list of severe problems. Like it or not, “politics” affects us every day, every way.

And oddly enough, it’s because we don’t say boo that they to, (all of them) get away with crap. Our “silence” condones it

Toute nation a le gouvernement qu'elle mérite. Jospeh de Maistre 1753-1821

Every nation gets the government it deserves.

Not criticizing or else....just saying the way it is.Our country voted them in.............our country will need to take it from them.

I always like " Vox Populi " the voice of the people.

Actually, I don't believe we voted in the Liberals, they only received about 35% of the total Canadian vote if I am not mistaken. This does not and should never allow a party the right to unilaterally put out new laws or OICs without proper Parliamentary oversight. We are not on a war footing at this time and I am pretty sure Martial Law has not been declared.
Your #s and thoughts might differ from mine, Oh well.
John

Maybe we all have become too soft and are relying on others too much....

Toronto area voted them in, that’s all that’s needed with our system......

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Originally Posted by johnjyb

Actually, I don't believe we voted in the Liberals, they only received about 35% of the total Canadian vote if I am not mistaken. This does not and should never allow a party the right to unilaterally put out new laws or OICs without proper Parliamentary oversight. We are not on a war footing at this time and I am pretty sure Martial Law has not been declared.
Your #s and thoughts might differ from mine, Oh well.
John

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Really,all that's needed to achieve a majority is about 38%. With the current rate of voter apathy,3% makes a hell of a difference. I read,somewhere,that in the last Conservative majority government,because Liberals had crashed and burned over the gun control issue of the time,firearm owner votes amounted to 8% of the total votes cast. That was enough to send the Liberals to the political hinterlands. The only thing that saved their arses in the last election was the youth vote over legalization of weed. This time around,the Liberals don't even have that. I sincerely hope that this time,the Liberals are handed a defeat so bad as to loose official party status like what happened here in Ontario. It's a nice thought.