Sutherland’s Furniture in London has been forced to cut back its hours of operation due to rising hydro costs.
“Over the past nine years, my bills have gone up 50 per cent,” said store president Gus Dupuis. “I’ve taken steps to reduce how much hydro I’m using, but the bills just keep getting bigger. I’ve even cut the hours that I keep the store open, which isn’t good for business.”
Dupuis said he spent $300,000 to $400,000 on renovations to his building in an effort to reduce his electricity usage. His usage dropped from 24,000 kilowatts to 20,000 kilowatts but his bill still went from $2,400 a month to nearly $4,000 year-over-year.
“I brought the kilowatt usage down tremendously, but the costs just keep rising,” he said.
Dupuis is skeptical about the Liberal government’s plan to reduce hydro rates by an average of 17 per cent.
On Thursday, Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath, London-Fanshawe MPP Teresa Armstrong, and London West MPP Peggy Sattler visited Sutherland’s Furniture to discuss the NDP plan to slash hydro rates by up to 30 per cent.
“Small-business owners – people like Gus – are a critical part of their community, and of Ontario’s economy,” Horwath said. “Skyrocketing hydro prices are threatening that. That’s why lower hydro bills through affordable, reliable public power will be the backbone of the electricity system under an NDP government.”
The NDP’s wide-ranging plan, released Monday, vows to lower hydro bills by reversing the sale of the 30 per cent of Hydro One shares sold by the Wynne government, ending time-of-use billing, capping private profit margins, and scrapping the premium rural consumers pay on their delivery charges.
“Electricity isn’t a luxury,” Horwath said. “It shouldn’t be priced like one.”
With files from Natalie Lovie
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