Kitchener residents will soon see utility bills shrink

Kitchener residents will soon see a slight decrease in their natural gas bill in the wake of the Progressive Conservatives’ decision to kill the cap-and-trade program.

Kitchener city council voted Monday night to remove the cap-and-trade charge from Kitchener Utilities’ bills upon the recommendation of staff.

READ MORE: Ontario government promises public consultations on cap-and-trade after facing legal action

Currently, the average customer pays $775 before taxes for natural gas.  Effective Oct. 1 with the removal of the cap-and-trade charge, they will pay $693 before taxes, a decrease of $81.30 annually on average or about $6.78 per month.

Kitchener Utilites offers a tracker where customers can keep an eye on their natural gas usage.

Council also voted to not hike natural gas rates on Monday, which means they will hold steady into next fall.

“Customers have told us they prefer stable rates and through careful management of our gas portfolio and expenses, we are pleased to keep rates the same over the next 12 months,” Colleen Collins, a spokesperson for the city of Kitchener said in a release.

READ MORE: Ontario’s PC government introduces legislation to scrap cap-and-trade

According to a city staff report, rates were expected to rise initially but production across the continent rose above the expected rate, causing an increase in supply.

The provincial government has introduced legislation which will put an end to Ontario’s cap-and-trade program on Oct. 1.